Termite Advice

[CKELLY]

Hello bug people,

I will start by saying that I am going to call an expert for this job. I just wanted to talk about it, get more informed, and maybe get some suggestion to alleviate my wife's termite nightmares.

My main problem is water. My 1880 brick hillside house is built on bedrock. Water seeps into the ground, hits the rock, and comes trickling into my crawlspace. It's nothing new, it's been doing it for a century. The secondary problem is that this moist environment has led to years of termite damage (the house was never treated, and has been unoccupied for 20 years). Several floor joists turned to paper dust at the touch of a finger. As far as I can see, the termites have started on the hardwood floor, but there was no sign of them in any of the lathe. I don't know if the colony is still active or not, I'm assuming they will be in the spring.

My plan is to get an inspector, then have him treat the house when I have the floors torn up.

I was wondering if there is anything I should be aware of, considering we are dealing with the following factors: I am going to tear up the floors and repair/replace joists; this may be a perpetually wet crawlspace; springtime is upon us and I can hear those little buggers yawning and stretching down there in the dirt; and most importantly, I don't want to get ripped off.

Any input is much appreciated.

[majakdragon]

First of all any and ALL repairs must be done before any treatment can be done. Adaquate clearance, usually 12" or more from all wood surface to ground must be in place. Vents will need to be installed to provide proper ventilation to keep crawlspace dry. The crawlspace will have to be somewhat dry before termiticide can be applied. Since you already have termites that seem to be active within the wood, I don't believe a bait system would be an option. This could possibly be used after a thorough termiticide treatment.

Termite treatments are not cheap and can run into several thousands of dollars. Termite companies will offer to do all the repair work for you, this will raise the price since sub contractors must be paid. If you do most of the work yourself you can save quite a bit.

I used to provide the 12" clearence that was required for a termite company where I live. My price was $1/sq ft of house size. This was for the digout ONLY. This did not include the price of any repairs, jacking, vent installation,etc... This was all included in the termite companies price to the customer so you can see hoe much you might save.
Good luck and hope this answers some of your questions.

[CKELLY]

Thanks Maj Drag,
I am doing all the repair/drainage/ventilation work. The clearance is a big problem since the house is built on a big rock. The crawlspace is about three feet deep on the downhill end, and about 12 inches on the uphill end--ALL ROCK. The drainage and ventilation are what I'm thinking about now.

The good news is that this house is over 120 years old, it was empty for the last 20 years, and it's still standing and habitable. The termites don't seem to like the lathe (or they've had an lifetime supply of damp floor to eat).

So I guess my plan of attack is to tackle the drainage and ventilation, then repair/replace the floor, then call for a termite inspection.

[majakdragon]

It sounds like you have your plan of attack well in hand. Please continue to use our forums to assist in the repair work of your home. Feel free to ask any questions. If you place your individual questions in their respective forums your questions will be answered much faster than would be if one post with mutiple questions.

Good luck