Insect Damage Repair

Damage from wood-destroying insects is quite common in Central Virginia. The most common problem is damage from termites, and all lenders require a recent termite inspection before granting a loan. Powder Post Beetles are another common source of structural wood destruction.

Termite damage is easy to detect during an inspection but often goes unnoticed for years, since it occurs in the crawl space of the house. This is a part of their house that few homeowners ever see.

The structural elements of the house located in the crawl space are:

• Joists - These are horizontal pieces of wood, usually 2x8 or 2x10, installed vertically, which hold up the floor
• Sill - This is the wooden plate on the foundation, on which the house rests
• Band - This describes the board on the exterior of the house, and attached to the ends of the joists.
• Center beam - Most houses have a beam in the middle of the house, holding up the joists, so that the span, or length, of the joists can be reasonable short

Insects attack all of these parts of the structure. Once the threat of active insect damage is treated, the structure can be repaired by reinforcement or replacement of the damaged pieces. Weakened beams and joists often cause settlement in the house. Symptoms include:

• Sagging or bouncy floors
• Sheetrock cracks
• Doors and windows out of square and hard to open or shut.

If you believe that your home has insect damage, please don't hesitate to contact us today: 804.690.1686