Jul
01
The damage is in 3 walls and the termite has been identified as the most agressive type. I have been in house for 5 months. To get the building inspector to pay for anything my solicitor said the building inspector will have to admit fault (unlikely) or I’ll have to prove they were here when I got here. Is that measured by amount of damage done or size of nest??? Any help would be appreciated. The building/pest inspector is coming tomorrow to look and I fully expect him to blow me off & say they came in afterwards. Any tips??
Are you thinking about selling your home yourself? then
check with you state board who regulates the inspectors..here in Texas we have always been told, even though the WDI report states it is only good for 30 days, if termites are found within the year it would be in our best interest to settle it with the customer, for if they (the state) get involved we (inspecting company) will be doing a free treatment, my understanding talking to other exterminators around the country, their states hold them accountable too.
It usually takes years for termites to do significant damage, I have seen pictures of Formosan termite damage that took only months, but even then they were specific items destroyed from an established colony
Damage in 3 walls in 5 months is unlikely. It will be extremely difficult to prove fault on the part of the inspector. All they can see is what is visible. It is impossible to inspect inside of walls. Most commonly, termites are discovered when walls are opened for repairs or remodelling, or the termites "swarm" in the spring. The swarm refers to vast numbers of flying termites showing up all over the home. They are often mistaken for flying ants. Sometimes, the dead bodies of these are found during inspections in attics or crawl spaces, sometimes they aren’t. The only other normal indicators of termites are mud tubes coming from the ground, up concrete or metal parts of the structure, to the wood. These are normally found easily found on inspection, but can be hidden inside holow block foundations or behind brick facing.
I don’t know about the laws in your area, but in Texas, pre-purchase termite inspections only have a 30 day liability period.