Wood-Destroying Insect/Termite Inspection

Wood-destroying insects, such as termites and carpenter ants, can go undetected for years, silently and invisibly destroying the structural integrity of your home without your knowledge. That’s why you should consider having a wood-destroying insect (WDI)/ "termite" inspection when buying or selling a home. You should also consider it as a homeowner – as a preventative measure to protect your investment.
 

What are wood-destroying insects?

Wood-destroying insects include some of the most economically important pests of structures.  Examples of wood-destroying insects include carpenter ants, carpenter bees, termites, wood-boring beetles, and powder post beetles. Of these, termites are perhaps the most important for Texas homeowners.
 

Where will I find wood-destroying insects?

Termites and other wood-destroying insects live everywhere and are found in a multitude of places, including wooden structures, fence rails, fallen trees, tree stumps, in wood piles, and underneath mulch. 

These pests have an uncanny ability to enter the home and launch silent attacks on the wood found in the rafters, windowsills, support beams, flooring and other structures used to ensure the stability of your greatest investment. They attack the wood in homes, and they can get in through even the smallest of cracks. All homes are vulnerable to attack and damage by wood-destroying insects!
 

Why Do I Need a WDI Inspection?

Wood-destroying insects are dangerous because of the extensive and expensive structural damage that they can cause inside homes and to objects created out of wood by tunneling through, feeding on, or nesting inside it. If wood-destroying insects are not completely eliminated in a timely manner, their damage can lead to significant and costly structural problems. It can be weeks, months, or even years, before their presence is discovered. By this time extensive damage has usually already been done. 

WDI inspections are visual inspections only, which means that the inspector will only be looking at readily accessible and unobstructed areas, both on the inside and outside perimeters of your home. The inspector will not open walls, flooring, or ceilings as part of a WDI inspection.

 If you are buying or selling a home or suspect you may have a termite or other wood destroying insect infestation, you should engage a licensed "termite" inspector to perform an inspection for a number of reasons:

• A thorough inspection for termites and other wood-destroying insects has the potential to save you money by detecting current or past infestations as early as possible.
• As a seller or homeowner, existing infestations and/or structural damage can significantly lower the value of your home.
• As a homebuyer, knowing about any infestation or structural damage gives you the power to make a good decision and negotiate fairly.
• As a homeowner or business owner, you should be aware of the termite risk to your property, especially because most insurance policies do not cover termite damage.
• It can take years before infestation signs become visible. The earlier you find an infestation, the less damage your home will sustain.
• Most banks, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Federal Housing Administration require a wood-destroying insect inspection to secure a home loan.
• The National Pest Management Association estimates that termite damage costs $5 billion annually!
• Understanding the presence of wood-destroying insects and managing the repair of the structural damage they may have caused is critical whether you’re buying or selling a home – or just a long-time homeowner who suspects there may be a problem.
• Wood-destroying insects can be extremely damaging, and they can spread quickly. They eat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 After the inspection, we will provide our client a detailed Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection Report (WDIR), outlining our findings and recommendations. The WDIR is an official Texas Department of Agriculture form SPCS/T-5 commonly required by lenders to document current or past damage caused by wood-destroying insects. It also informs homebuyers of conditions that may be conducive to future insect activity. 

 A WDI inspection is not a destructive and/or exploratory inspection of the structure. The pest and their behavior are studied, and a lot information about them can be observed and deducted, but all comments are based solely on what was present, visible, and accessible at the time of inspection. A WDI Report is not a warranty and does not provide a guarantee. 

COMMERCIAL CERTIFIED APPLICATOR LICENSE

TDA TPCL No: 0880597

License No: 0876079