It blows us away the number of people who aren’t really aware of what a termite inspection should entail as they have become quite used to other companies that do a quick wander around, tap a few walls and write up the report and that’s it. Inspection over and done with in under an hour. We wanted to set the record straight so you know what to expect when a qualified timber pest inspector comes to your home to inspect for subterranean termites.
At Results we allow two to two and a half hours for our technician to be on site for a termite inspection. Depending on the home it may not take that long or it may take longer but on average you can expect your termite technician to be at your home for about two hours.
During this time you will see the technician inspect the exterior of the home, they will check the fence line, gardens, sheds and garages and what the technician is trying to ascertain at this time is the external risk factors that are putting pressure on the home. The technician will be looking for termite nests, signs of termite workings in garden timbers as well as tree stumps and other items that will attract subterranean termites to your home. Our technicians also like to take this opportunity to pop their heads over the fence so they can get a clear idea of any risk factors beyond the fence line that may be putting pressure on the home.
Once the technician has finished inspecting the yard, surrounding gardens and sheds they will move on to the perimeter of the home. They will walk around the external perimeter looking specifically at the slab edge, footings and if there is a sub-floor they will take this opportunity to go underneath and check for leaks and signs of termites like mud leads on the posts, an active termite nest in the sub-floor or signs of leaks or other risk factors like loose timbers and debris in direct contact with soil.
After the technician has finished inspecting underneath and the perimeter of the home, they will move on to the interior of the home. They will go through every room tapping the walls with the dongle. Many people ask what on earth we are doing and what we’re trying to achieve. The tapping serves 3 main purposes: first of all, our technicians are listening for hollow spots in the timbers; secondly, the technician is listening for the rustling of dry termite workings crumbling; and thirdly, the tapping will illicit a panic response from any termites within the wall. This is a little known fact but termites will knock their heads and bodies against the timber when they sense a threat to warn the other termites in the colony. The tapping of our dongle will cause this response and our technician is listening on the other side of the wall for their warning.
The technician is also on the lookout for leaks or signs of leaks and will use a moisture meter to gauge whether an area has a high level of moisture. The reason we’re always on the lookout for moisture or leaks is because high moisture levels are a major risk factor for a termite attack. Termites enjoy warm and humid conditions and will always seek out areas with high moisture levels so we make a point of identifying these high risk areas.
During the inspection our technician will also use a thermal imaging camera to help identify key risk areas or areas where there is termite activity. It’s important to note that while a thermal imaging camera is a useful tool it is no replacement for a trained and qualified inspector.
Once the internal portion of the inspection is complete, the technician will then move on to inspect the roof void. Whilst in the roof void they are looking for signs of termite activity from termite workings or mud leads as well as moisture or leaks sometimes indicated by wood rot.
Once the termite inspection is complete you can expect to see your termite inspection report in the next few days with all of the technician’s findings and recommendations. These recommendations could be very simple from moving back garden beds to ensure weep holes are unobstructed or the technician may recommend you remove tree stumps or fix a leaking tap or down pipe. Depending on what the technicians finds they may also recommend termite treatments whether they be remedial or preventative.
Our trained and experienced technician will take into account the various risk factors at play that make your home vulnerable to a termite attack. With this in mind they may recommend preventative termite protection to protect the home from a termite attack.
So if it’s been a couple of years since your last termite inspection or if you have any specific concerns, call Results Home Services now on 3823 2500 and have your termite inspection brought up to date. We service all of Brisbane so call us and find out first hand why we have been protecting Brisbane homes from termite for over 20 years.