Is Your Termite Report All Wet?

Does rain effect my termite report?

Yes, it can in several ways.  Some of the more obvious ways are standing water in or around the home.  If there is a roof leak and water is pouring out of the ceiling, this will show up on the termite report.  Also, water around the exterior of the house will be on the report as standing water, but can lead to an inaccessible/further inspection call (IA/FI).

Rain or water up against a home can remove and/or reduce the evidence of termites.  For example, a Subterranean termite mud tube can almost get washed away with rain.  This might sound kind of nice from a report stand point, until the termites come back after the home is closed when the buyers move in.  These are not very pleasant calls.

Water stains resulting from rain cause many problems.  The call is EM/WS, Excessive Moisture/Water Stain.   This is a pretty common call, but can be very challenging to deal with.  The home could have a brand new roof that was replaced several years ago.  But if the water stain was never taken care of, it is now your problem to resolve.

We need rain in the desert, but it does effect termite reports.  Just beware that the results from a termite inspection can be skewed from rain, past or present.

The Circus Is Here???

Fumigation tents for Wood Destroying Insects often look like circus tents.  They are big and usually different colors.  But that is where the similarity stops.  Take a look at the video below.  It shows a neighborhood home that is enclosed in fumigation tents.  The tents are put over and around the home to seal in the fumigant which will permeate throughout the entire home.  Beetles and Drywood termites are the most common reason for fumigating a home.  The process works very well.  Here are a couple of negatives:  You must move out for a day or two, plants and shrubs close to the home are often trampled over, the price is very expensive, and there is no residual material left in the structure to prevent future infestation.

Termites and Real Estate Signs

You ask yourself, what do termites and real estate signs have in common?  It turns out a lot.

We recently did a termite inspection at a home in Phoenix.  There were no signs of termites, except in the garage.  There was a real estate sign laying down, with evidence of Subterranean termites on the end of the sign post.

Now you may be asking yourself, so what?  When a termite inspector does an inspection, and sees evidence of Wood-destroying Insects (termites, etc.) we must mark them on the report on line 8A.  So, when some on pulls out the real estate sign and places it in the house or around the exterior, this may be causing an unwanted termite report issue for you.

This situation may sound like one in a million.  Think again.  This exact scenario happens two to three times a year!

So what is the solution?  Metal signs, no signs, leave them in the ground?  That is up to you, we are just making you aware of the potential problem.

Knowledge is power.

We Love To Mess With Realtors

We love to mess with realtors.  We enjoy destroying deals.  We take pride in me calling items that are deal killers.  We plant termites in houses to sell treatments.  We just make stuff up for the fun of it.

What is this, a confession?  No.  These are things that have been said to us by realtors, lenders, buyers, and sellers.
We gently remind people, we only call items on the homes in accordance with the rules and regulations set upon us by the State of Arizona.  Remember, we go to the house, and whatever condition the house is in, we report it.  We have a simple rule at our office; if it is there, report it.  If it is not there, don't report it.  The rule is simple, but the application is tricky.  People don't like it when we report the truth!

Now with this said, what is the solution?  Several things come to mind.  Why not have the seller order and pay for a termite inspection when the house is listed?  This way, potential problems are known from the very beginning and can be addressed.  Another great idea is for realtors to get a real understanding of the termite reporting standards.  This way when you list the home, you can let the seller know this or that will need to be done.  For example, bushes touching the home.  The is an EC/PA (an earth to wood contact/plants abutting structure).  If you mention this to the seller upfront, they then can trim the bushes back a few inches.  This will reduce extra calls on the report.

Here is the bottom line:  The termite report reflects the true condition of the house.  Now, do you want to deal with it during the time crunch of financing or upfront beforehand, with time on your side?

Question From The Field About Condos

Question:  I am selling a condo that your termite inspector indicated has termites.  My condo is an upstairs unit.  The termites are on the unit down stairs.  Why did my termite report show termites?

Answer:  This is a great question.  Your upper unit condo and the lower unit have an exterior common wall.  So termites on the bottom unit are going to reflect on your report.  Subterranean termites can go up into multiple stories pretty easily.  I have personally seen termites in the 6th floor of a condo complex.

Keep the great questions coming!

Why Did You Call That On The Termite Report?

This is a very common question, sometimes delivered with a lot of emotion.  We get asked, Why did you call that old termite stain?  Why did you call the dry water stain on the ceiling? Why this, Why that.  The answer is always the same.  We are supposed to call these things.

A lot of people believe a termite report is just about active termites.  Wrong!  Let me explain.  First of all it is not a termite report.  Yes, that is exactly what I said.  The actual report is a Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report (W.D.I.I.R.).  Beside being called a termite report, I have heard it referred to as a wood report, clear report, clearance letter, termite certification, etc.  Termites are one of the most important aspects of the report, so that probably is where the name termite report comes from. 

The W.D.I.I.R. essentially has 3 major parts:

1.)  Evidence of Wood Destroying Insect.
2.)  Conducive Conditions.
3.)  Inaccessible areas.

Evidence of Wood Destroying Insects is pretty cut and dry.  You either have evidence of Wood Destroying Insects (8A) or no evidence (8B).

Conducive Conditions are reported items that could lead to possible Wood Destroying Insect Infestation.  Examples are earth to wood contact, faulty grades, etc. This is usually the category we get the most calls on.  Here are some of the most common questions:

Question: Why did you call the the plant/shrubs/trees/vines touching the house?
Answer:  Because it is earth to wood contact.

Question:  Why did you call the fence?  It doesn't have termites.
Answer:  It is an earth to wood contact.

Question:  Why did you call the basement?
Answer:  The basement floor is below the grade level on the outside of the house, thus it is a Faulty Grade.

Question:  You called a water strain on the ceiling?  What does that have to do with the termite report?
Answer:  A water stain comes under the category of Excessive Moisture (number 18 on page 2 of the report).  It is on the report, thus we have to call it.

The last section of the report is Inaccessible areas.  This is a list of all the areas we couldn't see.  Everything from not being able to see through walls to the Pit bull guarding the interior of the house.  If we can't inspect it, it should be here.

The Bottom Line
The W.D.I.I.R. is a 3 page report.  The format of the report is written by our regulators, the Office of Pest Management (OPM).  Doing the inspection is a lot like a pregnancy test.  (stick with me on this one).  A pregnancy test tells you if you are pregnant or not pregnant, that is it. 
When we do an inspection, either that call is there, or it is not.  For example, if I inspect a house with a basement, it is a Faulty Grade.  Very straight forward.  It is not saying that the basement is bad, or good, just that the basement is there.

What does 8B Really Mean?

Here is what it says on the W.D.I.I.R. (termite report):

8B "No visible evidence of infestation from wood-destroying insects was observed."

Let's break it down.

Visible - This is what the termite inspector can see.

Evidence - This list consists of, but not limited to:  tubes, tube stains, fecal pellets, termites, etc.

Wood-Destroying Insects - Subterranean termites, drywood termites, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, wood-destroying beetles.

When you see 8B on the report it means that no visible evidence of wood-destroying insects was noted at the time of inspection.

The key word is visible.  Here is a partial list of areas that can't be seen:  below carpet, tile, stone, wood floors, below throw rugs, in walls, behind paneling, wall paper, behind pictures, in the attic (below insulation, behind mechanical equipment, around pipes, around wiring, around conduits, or stored items in attic), in crawl spaces (below insulation, behind mechanical equipment, around pipes, around wiring, around conduits, or stored items in crawl space), under stairs, behind storage, personal items, furniture, parked cars in garage.  There are literally tons of areas that can't be effectively inspected.

When you read the report and 8B is marked, don't fall into a common misconception that "I have no termites".  This is not always the case.  It just means when the inspection was done "no visible evidence of Wood-Destroying Insects was observed" at the time of inspection.

The following statement is on the termite report.  The Statement of Purchaser, page 1, right above the Signature line of the purchaser.   I understand that this is not a structural damage fungi/mold report, or a warranty as to the absence of wood-destroying insects.

Plain and Simple, 8B does not mean there are no termites in the home.  It means that the inspector could not see termites at the time of inspection.

Question From The Field

Question:

How come you don't put the buyer's name on the termite report?  After all, they pay you to do the report.

Answer:

The simple answer is:  there is no place for the buyer's name on the report.  If you look at section 5A (Name of Property Owner/Seller) the form doesn't ask for the buyers name.  Termite Inspectors simply fill out the pre-printed report.  If we put the buyers name there, we would be in violation of submitting an inaccurate W.D.I.I.R. (termite report)

Excessive Moisture - The Most Misleading Call On The Report

The title says it all!  It gives the impression that water is coming through the roof or the house is flooded.

Let's take a simple water stain under the sink, a very common situation.  A termite inspector sees this and has to call EM/WS.  Translated it is Excessive Moisture/Water Stain. 
You are probably asking why call a stain Excessive Moisture?  Excessive Moisture is the category title.  So when you want to call a water stain, you automatically get the Excessive Moisture.
It is like when you buy a vehicle, say a F150 truck or a Mustang.  The official title of the vehicle is Ford F150 or Ford Mustang.  You don't get one without the other.

The category of Excessive Moisture has several different calls in it; water stains, water damage, plumbing leak, roof leak, standing water (definitely an excessive moisture call), etc.  Unfortunately we have to live with the wording.  The report structure and wording is set up by the OPM (Office of Pest Management).  What we can do is try to describe the calls a little bit more in detail.  For example, with the EM/WS above, we can put on the report that the water stain was "dry at the time of inspection".  Another phrase we frequently use for exterior calls is:  "this is a common call for this area".  These additional words seem to help readers (especially lender/banks/etc) understand that a lot of the excessive moisture calls are fairly routine calls.  We regularly include pictures of the calls in the report.  Not for every call, but a sample of the calls.  So when a lender sees EM/WS on the report, further in the report he/she will see a picture of the call.

Below are a few photo and video examples of Excessive Moisture/Water Stains.

What Is Behind Your Wall?

Detecting termites can be problematic, as much of the time the activity is going on behind your walls.  Wood paneling, drywall, painted surfaces, etc., can all cover up the presence of termites, preventing detection until they appear on the surface in the form of trails and tubes. 

It is important to remember that even if you don't see them, you may still have them, especially in a region where termite populations are high.
Arizona residents often will remark, "when it comes to termites, it's not IF you will have them, it's WHEN."

Treating your home for termites before they are detected is a good preventative measure for avoiding costly damage to your home.  Take a look at this brief video showing termite damage behind a wall.

Where's My Clear Termite Report?

One of the most common questions we get:  Where is my clear termite report? 

Our answer:  What is a clear termite report?

Here are some of the most common answers we get:  A report with no termites, (8B marked), a report with the conducive conditions all marked No (numbers 15, 16, 17, and 18 on the report), and my favorite, "nothing marked on report."

Let's start from the beginning.  There is no such thing as a clear report.
Look at 1B on the report.  The option is to check mark either Original Report or Supplemental Report.  No "clear report" option.  A Supplemental Report is a report completed within 30 days of the Original.

 I most often hear a realtor and/or escrow agent say that the lender is requiring a clear report.  The first thing to ask the lender is what they consider a clear report. Once they give you a definition, we can help.
The two most common cases that a lender is looking for are:  A report after a termite treatment is completed, or a report after some repairs on conducive conditions are done. 
As long as the treatment and/or repairs are finished, we can reinspect and issue a report.

The key point is, when someone in the transaction asks you for a clear report, get their specific definition.  It is surprising what they actually mean compared to your definition.  I have talked to lenders and they tell you that they don't care about Faulty Grades and just want the Excessive Moisture calls fixed.  Every lender is different.

It all boils down to this:  There is no such thing as a clear report, so get a definition of what is required in writing.

Question From The Field

 

 

Question:  I have a mobile home that your company inspected. It has a wood siding (skirt) that is in contact with the ground. You called it on the report as EC (Earth-To-Wood Contact).  I understand that, but another local termite inspection company said that since is was "Green Wood", it was exempt from calling.

 

Answer:   Green Wood and Pressure treated woods are great for helping against the fight of wood-destroying insects, but they are still wood. Thus the skirting would be an Earth-To-Wood Contact. Since this was such a unique question, I did contact the OPM (Office of Pest Management) to verify that our initial call was correct according to their rules. They confirmed that our call of EC was absolutely correct.

For these types of calls we add a little extra verbiage to the report such as " this is a common building feature."  These extra words seem to help the reader of the termite report get a much better sense of these types of calls.

Termites and Wagon Wheels

Sometimes the evidence of termites noted on a W.D.I.I.R. can be quite old, and found in objects you wouldn't normally consider.  As one STRIKE FORCE customer discovered when the termite inspection report for their home came back 8A "Visible evidence of wood-destroying insects."

Where was the evidence observed?  The culprit was a very old piece of wood, kept in the family as a relic; part of a covered wagon that their Grandfather rode in as a pioneer of the old west.  The wagon travelled from New York to Montana, over 2000 miles by today's roads.

Where that wagon picked up the termites can only be guessed at.  Termites certainly exist in New York state.  They could have started their journey with the wagon train that left New York, headed out west.  Or they might have picked the termites up as they camped along the way, somewhere on the long rough road to Montana.   Yet even Montana, with its arid climate and cold winters, has its share of termites.  The pioneering termites might have survived, and feasted slowly on the wagon, leaving behind the termite eaten wood that was eventually passed down in the family, to find its way on a termite inspection report in Arizona.

The owners of the bit of history probably never guessed it would impede the financing for the sale of their home.  As innocuous as this old wooden board seemed, it was leaning against the side of the home, and clearly had evidence of termites.  Hence, the 8A on the termite report.

The solution was a simple one, remove the wood.  The owner quickly took away the family relic, and STRIKE FORCE was able to issue a new report.   Not all solutions are as simple, but then, not all termite evidence is as unusual as the old piece of Grandpa's covered wagon.

Faulty Grades, or not?

Faulty Grades

This is an interesting and misunderstood term.  Let's start with the definition from the OPM (Office of Pest Management).

"Faulty grades exists if the exterior grade is above or at the interior slab or wood floor level.  All faulty grades are based upon the exterior grade."

It sounds simple enough until you read it on a termite report.  Especially when a lender reads it and sees "Faulty".  Everything comes to a halt, until "Faulty" is off of the report.

Faulty Grades can be broken into two categories:  1. Correctable.  2. Non Correctable.  These terms won't be on any termite report, but understanding the difference can really help you get the transaction moving forward.


1. Non Correctable (construction style)

These Faulty Grade calls are really about the way the home or building is constructed.  Examples of these are:  basements, sunken floor (aka step down living-rooms), sunken tubs, interior fire-pits (aka conversational pits), houses on hills that have slopes running to the back of the house or adjacent to the home, stucco exteriors that run into the grade.  Even though these are called Faulty Grades, they are highly desirable styles of construction. 
Take a house in Paradise Valley (85253 - the most costly zip code in the South West).  A home here could be:  built on a hill with slopes, have stucco exterior that runs into the grade (it doesn't stop above the grade exposing the stem wall), have basement or floor level built into the hillside, or any other type of slopes.  In this neighborhood these would be premium features.
For these types of calls we add a little extra verbiage to the report such as "this is a common call in the area."  These extra words seem to help the reader of the termite report get a much better sense of these type of Faulty Grades.

A special note about VA loans: 

When any of the calls on a report from 15, 16, 17, and 18 are check marked yes, the VA slows down the financing process.  Especially when number 17 Faulty Grade is marked yes.  The VA almost always states they can't finance a home with a Faulty Grade. 
Here is my standard question to the VA lender:  Do you finance homes with basements in Arizona?  Of course they do.  I then inform them that basements in Arizona are considered Faulty Grades.  The floor level is at or below the grade of the exterior.  They then start to understand and continue with the financing.  The above examples of construction style Faulty Grades are pretty much the same thing.


2.  Correctable

Correctable types of Faulty Grades are much easier, usually.  The types tend to be Faulty Grades that are essentially made and/or caused by owners of the home. 
A few examples:  A raised planter bed around the exterior of the home.  The construction of the planter bed could be stone, brick, block, wood, etc.  If the planter bed has three sides and the back wall is the wall of the home, then it is a Faulty Grade.  When you fill the planter with dirt, the dirt goes up against the house and above the level of the slab on the interior.  This can be pretty easy to correct.  You dig out the dirt, creating an air gap up against the house wall and planter.  This eliminates the Faulty Grade. 

Here is a great picture that illustrates the FG/Planter. The grade level (dirt level) of the planter on the exterior of the home, is higher that the floor level of the interior of the house. According to the OPM, this is a faulty grade.

Another common type of Faulty Grade is when home owners do landscaping; they create mounds of dirt that slope towards the house.  There are dozens of these types of calls.  The key is to see what the call is and look for a simple fix.

When it comes to Faulty Grades, usually a simple repair and/or extra verbiage on the report will keep the transaction moving on.

Below is an example of a Faulty Grade.  The red line shows the typical level of the dirt up against the house.  The pile of dirt creates a Faulty Grade.  This call would show up on the report as FG/high dirt level.

Active or Inactive Termites?

One of the biggest questions we get as inspectors doing a W.D.I.I.R. (termite inspection for real estate), is:  "are the termites active or inactive"? 

The reality for this report is, it doesn't matter.  When we do inspections we aren't looking for active or inactive termites, we are looking for "Evidence of Wood-Destroying Insects (Subterranean termites, Drywood termites, beetles, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, etc.)" 

Evidence can be, but is not limited to: termites (dead or alive), tubes, stains from tubes, frass, pellets, damage, etc.  When we see any of this evidence, the OPM (Office of Pest Management) says we are to mark 8A (Evidence of Wood-Destroying Insect...) on the report.

Here is exactly what they say:   "Box 8A will need to be marked even if the observed evidence is deemed from past activity such as: tube stains, fecal pellets, termites, or wood boring insect damage.  Only list what is actually observed and do not infer or opinionate on insect activity."   These specific instructions are from the OPM's "Suggestions for Completing the WDIIR FORM"  that came out March 6, 2009. 

Termite Inspection Reports

Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection Report (WDIIR), also known as a termite inspection report, is a document prepared only by a licensed pest control business that informs the lending institution and buyer about termites, termite damage, and other issues relative to termites. We offer the classic 3-page report as well as a detailed report packet.

Classic 3-Page Report

The Classic 3-Page Report contains ONLY the completed State of Arizona Office of Pest Management Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection Report form.
View sample report

Termite Inspection Report Packet

The Termite Inspection Report Packet is STRIKE FORCE's thorough and comprehensive termite inspection report packet. The packet covers the performed termite inspection in great detail and contains the following:

• Completed State of Arizona Office of Pest Management Wood-Destroying Insect Inspection Report form
• Property photo
• Supporting photo(s) and comments (if applicable)
• A Termite Treatment Proposal (if evidence of wood-destroying insects found)
• A 90-day warranty for subterranean termites (if NO evidence of wood-destroying insects found)
• Explanation of WDIIR codes

View sample report