The Wood Infestation Report
It has been said, not too jokingly, that there are two kinds of houses in Florida: those that have had termites and those that are going to have termites. I have heard that there are thousands of colonies of termites per acre throughout the state. Termites look at a house and the first thing that comes to mind is "LUNCH." Termites devour the soft cellulose tissue of wood rendering it structurally unsound. Since they work on the interior of the wood, behind the paint, you may never know of their presence until something collapses. There are also other wood destroying organisms, the most common types being the wood boring beetles, fungus and mold. It is critically important that you protect your property against this damage and also ensure that any home you are considering buying is free of infestation and damage.
I strongly recommend that each owner maintain their termite bond with inspections on a yearly basis to ensure no infestation or damage is present. If you are selling your home and have not kept a bond in place, then it may be advisable to go ahead and have your home inspected well in advance of the sale to give you an opportunity to have any infestation treated and any damage repaired. This will give you time to shop for the most competitive price for this service. Since you must provide evidence of an inspection at the time of contract, you may as well go ahead and have this inspection performed at the time of listing. Waiting until the last minute could mean that you will not have enough time to get the best deal and extensive repairs could delay the closing. For more information concerning structural pest control, please contact the pest control company of your choice.
