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Health & Fitness

Homes for sale in Wellesley MA - Inspect for Termites

According to pest control companies and the National Pest Management Association, damage caused to property by termites and their other wood-destroying cousins can cause millions of dollars in damage every year. Whether your looking at homes for sale in Wellesley MA or any town in the Massachusetts, there is a good chance termites are near by.  So if you’ve set off to search for your next dream home it would be best to include a termite inspection in your list of considerations before signing a purchase and sales agreement. Recognizing the importance of the damage these tiny pests can ensue, will be the focus of this installment of the Home Buyer Education 101 series.

Small but Terrible

First, it would be important to identify and get to know the enemy. Homes for sale in Wellesley MA and other areas are subject to the Eastern subterranean termites which are highly destructive to Douglas Fir and other common wood species used in the construction of homes throughout Massachusetts. These termites tend to focus their efforts on consuming the internal sections of wood timber leaving a thin outer layer mostly intact, forming essentially a honey comb. So a visual inspection can be very deceiving for the home buyer.

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Spotting Your Tiny Enemy

Structural wood should be the first thing to check out and you can do this by tapping the surface for hollow sounds or by asking the homeowner for permission to poke the surface of the wood using a screwdriver and probing for soft areas. The homes sill plate which is the horizontal piece of wood that runs around the perimeter of the foundation wall is a great place to start. Termites like dark moist areas and the transition from a stone or cement foundation to wood is the perfect location. Look for areas along the basement floor perimeter where wood dust deposits tend to point to affected areas above. Be also on the lookout for scale-like discarded wings, or even dead termite bodies, as these are indications of termite swarming and possible infestation.

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Signs of Termite Damage You Should Watch Out For 

Wooden structures in the home are of course the default areas to look for signs of termite damage, but termites can also attack anything made from cellulose such as paper, cardboard, canvas and carpeting. You should, however, know how to distinguish between termite damage and those caused by other factors like water or humidity. The main difference is the presence of dirt or the grey-brown film on the wooden or cellulose surface.  Other signs of damage include the wood darkening along with the presence of tiny bore holes and small piles of dirt or sawdust. These holes may look like they’ve been bored through by pencil tips, but if you look closely, the wood underneath may already be hollow, returning a dull thud when tapped with a hard object. Places to inspect include doors, window facings, baseboards, porches, hardwood flooring, wallboards, foundation walls and wall intersections.

Wood destroying insects like termites can really cause serious damage to a home, and often times the infestation goes undetected for years. The current owner of the home you are trying to buy may not know an infestation actually exists, so before purchasing any of the homes for sale in Wellesley MA or else where it would be best for you to hire a licensed termite specialist or home inspection professional before signing the purchase and sales agreement.

About the author:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Roger Martin is a Massachusetts Real Estate Salesperson and General Contractor with over 20 years experience in residential and commercial real estate.  Serving the Ashland, Boston, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Framingham, Lexington, Natick, Needham, Newton, Sherborn, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley and Weston areas.  If you have questions, comments or suggestion for future articles please feel free to contact Roger Martin at (p) 1.617.365.4311  (email) roger@realestateinmassachusetts.org or (blog site) www.realestateinmassachusetts.com

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