Termite Inspection Exterior
A termite inspection of the exterior of a building is, of course, a visual inspection requiring a little knowledge of where the termites might be able to enter the home and where they are able to live. A termite inspection on the exterior starts by looking around the foundation of the house and taking note of any wood on the home that is close the ground. The reason for this is because termites (and other bugs) love to eat wood. Termites do not eat concrete or brick, so a house that is solid brick or one that has the foundation rising at least 36 inches above the ground has a lower risk of being invaded. By contrast a house that has a wooden frame and wooden siding is higher risk if the wood is near the ground.
Now that doesn’t mean that termites cannot be found in brick houses or ones with concrete foundations. Termites can be very resourceful at finding their way through cracks if they believe there might be wood on the other side. Termites love moisture combined with wood, so a home with water damage anywhere is more at risk than one without. While it is important to do a visual termite inspection exterior, you should always also look for signs of termites while inside the home.
The termite inspection exterior is very convenient for the home owner because they don’t have to home when the inspector is there. The inspector can come out to your home, perform the inspection and then leave his report in your mailbox for you to look at when you get home! No scheduling means no hassles for your termite inspection exterior. Of course, if there is some evidence of termites, you will probably want to make contact with your inspector to see what he or she suggests as far as treatment of your home.
You can even do your own termite inspection on the exterior of your home. Of course, it will be a casual inspection, but as a responsible home owner, you will want to be very cognizant of what is happening around your home. You, of course, will need to know what to look for. As said above, look for places where wood is close to the ground and where there is any moisture that could attract termites. Note any cracks in the foundation and, most of all, when doing your exterior termite inspection, look for damage already done such as small holes or tracks that look like little burrow holes.