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Rot, termites, ants or beetles in the framing.

A licensed pest control operator should handle treatment, and a structural engineer should judge any member replacement.

Customers put it like this

  • the wood is soft
  • flying ants in the house
  • mud tubes on the foundation
  • holes and powder in the beams
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Stop first if

  • Soft or hollow wood sits at a bearing point or carries a floor or roof.Keep added load off it. Call a structural engineer.
  • Framing looks unstable or is moving.Leave the area and keep people out from under it. Call emergency services and a structural engineer.
  • Someone plans to apply pesticide, fumigant or wood preservative.Stop. Leave that to a licensed applicator.
01

Ask on the call

5

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Where is the damage, and is it near water?
  2. Is the wood soft, hollow, powdery or full of holes?
  3. Have you seen wings, mud tubes or live insects?
  4. Are there leaks or a damp crawlspace?
  5. Has it been treated before?
02

Bring

5
  • Pick or screwdriver
  • Moisture meter
  • Ruler for hole size
  • Flashlight
  • Phone for photos
03

Check on site

6
  1. Start where water collects: sills, the wall-foundation joint and wood near plumbing.
  2. Pry suspect wood and rap along the member, then map chunks and dull spots.
  3. Measure moisture and name the water source.
  4. Probe past the visible damage until wood is sound.
  5. Identify the insect by tubes, galleries, holes and debris before paying for treatment.
  6. Note damage at bearing or high-load spots for an engineer.
04

Keep on the record

4
  • Map of damage and its extent
  • Moisture readings
  • Photos of galleries, holes and debris
  • Water source notes

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.