Termites can cause significant damage to our homes and businesses, as they snack away on wood infrastructure, often resulting in structural damage — and sometimes even the destruction of an entire home. But thankfully, if treated quickly enough, there are ways to stop a termite takeover. That’s why it’s important to know the different types of termites and their tendencies — and more importantly, the signs to look out for. That way, you can intervene before it’s too late!

Types of Termites

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites are the most common type of termite — and the one you will most likely encounter in Tennessee. As can be inferred by the word “subterranean,” they live underground and form mud tubes, or tunnels, to travel from their nest to their food source — which unfortunately, is wood. Equipped with wings, these flying termites don’t mess around. Their saw-toothed jaws can cause significant damage to the softer woods they prefer, including pine and cedar. Subterranean termites are considered the most destructive type of termite due to their ferocious appetites, large colony sizes, and the fact that they are always working. That’s right — subterranean termites are active 24/7, 365. But they don’t always need 365 days, as a subterranean termite colony can cause significant damage to a home’s structure in as little as six months.

Dampwood Termites

Dampwood termites prefer — you guessed it — damp wood, specifically logs, stumps and dead trees. While they prefer wet, decaying wood, they have been known to take over utility poles and fences as well. They are most commonly found on the West Coast, but are also known to exist in Florida and other southern states. However, it is unlikely you will encounter them on your property, as they depend on an open water source to live. But you won’t miss them if you do have dampwood termites, as they are about ½ inch long, making them the largest termite species!

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites are not native to Tennessee, so you can rule them out in your investigation. This species is typically found along the East Coast from Virginia to Florida, and along the West Coast from Northern California to Mexico. Nicknamed “furniture termites,” drywood termites like to feast on furniture and other dry woods. Their colonies are much smaller than subterranean and dampwood termites, but they are still able to cause significant damage if left to their own devices!

Signs of Termites

Mud Tubes

Mud tubes are exactly what it sounds like — tubes, or tunnels, constructed out of mud. They look like narrow veins of mud extending from the ground up the side of your house, towards an area with exposed wood. These tubes are pathways connecting their nest to their food source. The tunnels also protect them from the dry air, as subterranean termites have thin exoskeletons that will dry out quickly otherwise.

If you discover mud tubes, you can check for an active infestation by breaking off a piece of the tube to see if you find live termites — or come back later to see if the tunnel has been repaired. And of course, you can schedule a termite inspection with Magnolia to get a professional’s opinion! After all, inactive mud tubes does not mean termites are not present; they may have just moved on to destroy other parts of your home.

Stuck Windows or Doors

If you have a window or door that is more difficult to open or close — or feels stuck, this may be an early warning sign of termites. Windows and doors are vulnerable to termites, as they are exposed and easy to access. Termite damage can cause warping to the frame, which makes them harder to open and close. Also keep an eye on other wood materials in your home, as undetected structural damage can impact your baseboards, floors and ceilings as well.

Damage Under Paint or Wallpaper

If you see any unusual irregularities to your paint or wallpaper, you may have termites. A bubbly appearance may be evidence of their tunnels — and you may even see tiny pin holes, which are their exit holes. Often, termites can go undetected from the surface, and are only discovered when the walls are opened up during a renovation. But keep an eye out for termite damage in the form of minor changes to your wall’s surface, such as bubbling paint, buckling wood, peeling wallpaper, dented areas, or pinholes.

Termite Swarmers + Discarded Wings

Sometimes, you can actually see termites in the flesh — especially the swarmers, which are the reproductive members of the colony. These termites with wings are often confused with flying ants. When determining flying ants vs. termites, it’s important to look at their body shape, as termite swarmers have straight bodies and flying ants have pinched waists. Plus, swarmers have evenly sized wings while flying ants have unevenly sized wings. You might see termite swarmers around your doors and windows, as they are attracted to light. But because they don’t survive long indoors, if they do make their way inside, you might find dead swarmers — or their discarded wings — inside your home.

Termite Droppings

Much like mouse or rat droppings, you can sometimes discover termites by first finding their droppings. However, the most common termite in Tennessee, subterranean termites, don’t usually leave behind their droppings. Instead, they use their excrement to construct their tunnels and mud tubes. But if you have another type of termite, you will often find termite droppings, also known as “frass,” which looks like wood dust or shavings. Their diet consists entirely of wood, after all!

Termite Damage on a Home Inspection

Significant termite damage was found on a recent Magnolia home inspection.  We interviewed the Buyer’ Agent Sara Lederach about this purchase:

“Every home has its own idiosyncrasies and needs. Some have more needs than others, like this sweet, single owner cottage in East Nashville. The home was ripe with potential, but the previous owner wasn’t able to maintain the space as she grew older and termites are always looking for opportunity. 

Magnolia home inspectors, all being rock stars, have great communication skills educating our clients about the condition of the property, in this case termite damage in the crawl space, and clearly laying out next-step solutions. The termites were easily and inexpensively treated the week of closing, keeping the colony from doing any major damage to the home.  My clients checked off some other items on the inspection report, made some lovely cosmetic updates and moved into a home they adore! 

These were first-time home buyers and having received a thorough inspection report from an industry professional who was clearly laid out next-step action items gave my clients peace of mind as we navigated the closing process. I’m grateful to have Magnolia as a resource for all my clients.”

Sara Lederach

For access to full report please visit: Home Inspection Termite Damage

Schedule a Termite Inspection

The best way to find out if you have a termite issue in your home is by scheduling a termite inspection. Our team at Magnolia is extremely knowledgeable about termites, including exactly what to look for to determine if there is in fact an infestation. We can help diagnose the issue and provide guidance about next steps in the treatment and repair process. Trust us — termites can cause significant damage to your home in a short amount of time, so you don’t want to ignore the signs and symptoms!

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10.  These are pictures of shadows from the eclipse in 2017, one of the few odd occurrences during a total eclipse of the sun.  As the remaining sunlight passes through small holes, such as the space between leaves of a tree, an image of the light source is projected over the shadow.  The same effect can be produced by holding a tightly woven basket up toward the eclipse.

9.  Bird perch on a new construction roof.  For safety purposes roofers fasten boards directly to a finished roof.  This was discovered on an 11-month Warranty inspection for a client that had used another home inspector when purchasing the home.

8.  This is a welcoming Southern porch… even the deckboards are waving hello!

7.  Buyer Beware!  This is a $100 toy that can be purchased on Amazon to read Radon levels.  A well-known company in Nashville is using these to provide free Radon tests and then recommending that they perform the mitigation when this toy read HIGH…  If you see these toys as a Realtor, know that there is a tremendous amount of risk and liability when an individual poses to be a Radon professional but is operating outside the bounds of the guidelines provided by the EPA and the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP).

6.  This situation took a while to get sorted out.  The termite inspector was the first to enter the crawlspace and identified a 1 ½ inch line that was continuously discharge water into the crawlspace.  The realtors were then informed that a main water line was potentially flooding the crawlspace.  In actuality, the neighbor was tired of water being pumped onto his driveway and shoved the sump pump line back through the hole in the side of the wall into the crawlspace.   The sump pump was running continuosly spraying water back into the giant pool under the home.

5.  Can’t.. quite… reach it…  What is astonishing about this situation is that this was a serious leak causing mold growth in the past.  Notice the white paint on all the joists.  Someone took the time to treat the mold issue but didn’t have the integrity to fix the http://tr5tm4gn0.wwwmi3-sr26.supercp.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/computer-pc-workplace-home-office-159760-1.jpg cause of the issue.  If you have been told that repairs have been completed to a home… get it inspected!!

4.  It is not very often that we encounter live termites in a home.  Most often termites have built a shelter tube up the foundation wall and then retreated for better opportunites elsewhere.  On this particular house, not only was there termites actively eating away at the walls and structure of the home, the highway from the ground into the house was a giant ¾ inch mud tunnel.  This is the largest tunnel I have ever seen, active or inactive.  The termites made their way through the walls into the roof framing.

3.  Talk about abandonment issues…..

2.  Walking the line…  this million dollar home was not free of defects.

1.  Funhouse!  This was one of three supporting beams that were crushed under the floor system.  The floor bounced like a trampoline.  Issues like this are not difficult to fix.  The problem is finding a contractor that is willing to leave a profitable job to crawl into a crawlspace that is no higher than 18 inches to perform load-bearing structural repairs.

And here are a few more fun ones we couldn’t leave out..

BONUS 1.   Sally the salamander.  Note, if you see one of these guys in your crawlspace you have a moisture issue!  This particular house was half way down a large hill with water being channeled by the street and grading features, directly toward the foundation of the home.  There was such a large amount of water passing through the foundation and into the crawlspace of this home that the piers were noted as possibly being compromised from erosion.  Sally here was very healthy (see her fat belly) – moisture attracts insects in addition to other negative impacts.

BONUS 2.  This ended up being an embarrassing photo taken on an 11-month Warranty inspection.  11-month Warranty Inspections are performed on new construction homes a month or so before the Builder’s Warranty expires.  After a somewhat emotional conversation with the builder and the plumbing contractor, it was eventually discovered that the new owner had placed the clothes washer discharge into the floor drain located in the pan under the clothes washer… some people need more direction than others.  (After the discharge was placed in the proper drain the plumber did extend this back up drain to the exterior of the home)

BONUS 3.   These termites, and the ‘developer’, do not deserve a clean plate award.  An important aspect of performing a good home inspection is being aware of your surroundings – gathering information from clues about the potential condition of the home from evidence that is not necessarily in or on the home itself.  In this case old floor framing was removed and hidden under the vapor barrier.  Less experienced home inspectors may see a large section of structural floor framing with new lumber , take a picture of it with a thumbs up for the report.  We treat this condition, however, as a red flag (an obvious condition of a flipped house) requiring a slower process with more attention to detail on what may be covered up.  Working in a tight crawlspace is not a fun work environment.  This is a location in which even important  repairs integral to the long-term structural integrity of the home can often being rushed.

Don’t miss out on spotting these nightmares before making an offer on a home.

Trust Magnolia with your home inspection.

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As I began creating a list of items that Isaac should consider when looking for his new home, I realized how valuable this list could be for anyone considering purchasing a new home. Our goal at Magnolia Property Consultants is to partner homebuyers with construction industry expertise. We do this because we understand not everyone has a brother, uncle, parent or family friend with construction experience that they can get honest, unbiased advice from when making such an important decision. Buying a home is often the largest investment a person will make in their life, and having a trusted ally that understands not only what is wrong with a house, but why it is wrong, can make all the difference between a sound investment and a terrible mistake.

Below is the list I created for Isaac. Please feel free to bring it with you the next time you are considering purchasing a home or condo. Be sure to ask all these questions below, and be thorough before making an offer.

When Selecting a Home

Walk the exterior of the house at least twice

• #1 Question: Is Water an Issue at this property?
•  Look for cracks below the windows and at the corner foundation of the home
•  Look at the quality and condition of the windows
•  Assess the quality and condition of the exterior (Are the exterior products low maintenance?)
•  Does the grading of the property drain water toward or away from the home? (You always want the law of gravity to be on your side – this is of utmost importance in regards to the landscaping and your roof construction)

Do your best to ignore the cabinets, countertops, and hardwood floor finishes and focus on the structure of the home

•  Are there cracks in the drywall corners of the rooms?
•  Are there elevation changes in the floor system or soft-spots that require further exploration into the framing
•  Door all the doors open and close?  If not, is the door striking the door jamb? (has the wall settled or was the door installed out of alignment?)

Mechanical

•  Ask for Service Records on the HVAC equipment.  Regular maintenance can be a great indication of the condition of the equipment.
•  Open the return register and see how dirty it is (lots of dirt in the ductwork would be an indication of neglect – highly recommend HVAC tech come out to service and diagnose unit at seller’s expense)

Attic

•  Check Insulation Depth
•  Check for leaks in Roof decking

The main purpose of this list is to train your brain and your eye to ignore the superficial and to focus on the important, foundational issues. Our brains can often be seduced by shiny appliances and beautiful floors, so having this list should help you stay focused on what’s important when buying your new home!

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How bad can it be? I mean, Codes Inspectors are looking at all these houses and Builders are obligated to fix issues that appear in the first year anyway, right? The fact is, inspection reports for new construction homes are often larger compared to homes that have been lived in for 5-10 years including major defects that were corrected before the eventual catastrophe. Magnolia has put together an inspection report of many of those major defects to help bust the new construction myth, helping realtors better prepare their buyers and hopefully educating new home buyers for the need of an construction experienced advocate when purchasing a new home!

New Construction Failures Report

Just within the last 400 homes Magnolia has inspected there appear to be consistent construction defects across the board on new construction. It is our interpretation that major defects found on a new construction home appears to be the result of high-volume building, Nashville’s booming real estate industry, in which production takes precedence over quality control by quality Builders and Codes Inspectors alike. Here is some of our interpretations of why so many major defects are appearing on new construction homes:

• Quality Builders are producing at maximum or even beyond their limits resulting in experienced superintendents being spread thin across multiple construction sites with less time to oversee the completion details, detailed work that might prevent a roof leak, or malfunction of brand new HVAC equipment months after new buyers take ownership

• Due to a lack of communication, or planning Trade Contractors often run out of material resulting in the ‘appearance’ of a complete job. On so many new construction homes insulation is only installed in the immediate visible areas from the attic access or crawlspace entry – there is no insulation installed on the other side of the large ductwork.

• Quality Builders are forced to hire superintendents that are not as experienced or detailed-oriented; the demand for production can exceed the demand for quality construction.

• Besides the fact that there are very few quality trade contractors, these contractors are being forced to hire workers that are not as experienced or skilled; the demand for production can exceed the demand for quality construction.

• Superintendents and Codes Inspectors are human. Their ability to concentrate on the details in combination with long hour work days, the amount of work or the number of inspections to complete do not allow these individuals to be present during an inspection

• Codes Inspectors are not required to walk on roofs, strap on knee pads to crawl a crawlspace, or investigate attics at the end of construction.

• Low-quality Builders expect the Buyer, the Realtor, the Codes Inspector and a Home Inspector to point out all the issues that need to be fixed in order for the house to be SOLD. Low-quality Builders are only focused on profit and sales factors (i.e. stainless steel appliances, nice cabinets and granite countertops).

With the rise in popularity of home inspections even quality Builders appear to be relying more on the presence of an experienced inspector to arrive at the end of the process to help provide the necessary punch-list to be completed by the Builder before the new buyers take ownership. This is actually Magnolia’s approach to new construction inspections. “I see our job when inspecting new construction homes as serving the best interests, primarily of our clients but also everyone involved. Home inspectors should never be in competition with the Builder, quite the opposite. Quality Builders care about the interests of home buyers and welcome inspectors with a construction background as part of the process to help deliver the best quality product to the buyer. The best inspectors are willing to crawl into the most uncomfortable areas of a home to advise on detail finishes that may prevent emergency phone calls for failing HVAC equipment, water leaks and other catastrophic problems that Builders never intended to happen.”

At Magnolia, our Inspector’s primary aim is to use our construction experience to help our client’s protect their investment while making the most informed decision possible. Home inspectors with construction experience can have the deepest understanding of what to look for, how to resolve and the whys behind many issues in homes while highlighting the difference between common and uncommon construction defects.

Foundation cracks in a new construction home??? Yes, it does happen. The cost of a new construction inspection should yield a return on investment when your home inspector is a professional with a construction background! For those still in doubt, see our New Construction Report of the various major defects we have found!

New Construction Failures Report

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