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What is the builder actually doing for under $1000? Not much, I would guess.
What is the builder actually doing for under $1000? Not much, I would guess.
Prospector
Not a scaredy cat anymore
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OK, confession time here. Over the last 30 years we had an annual inspectors out three times, for our new house. On the last inspection I was so disgusted with 'the lack of inspection' that I realised this was actually a pointless exercise and more a rort by the pest companies. And the final straw was when the guy said the Inspection guaranteed nothing - just that termites were not present at the time of inspection. 
Julia
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No, indeed not that much at all. I'd thought all of the window frames were affected and would have to be completely removed and replaced. But that's not the case and only four sections have to be cut out, replaced and painted.
Less than a day's work.
Prospector, that doesn't surprise me at all. The barrier protection which has been done today is 'guaranteed for five years'. But they still say you need to have an annual inspection. I've heard several stories in the past few days about an inspection having given a property the all clear and then only a couple of months later significant damage from termites being apparent.OK, confession time here. Over the last 30 years we had an annual inspectors out three times, for our new house. On the last inspection I was so disgusted with 'the lack of inspection' that I realised this was actually a pointless exercise and more a rort by the pest companies. And the final straw was when the guy said the Inspection guaranteed nothing - just that termites were not present at the time of inspection.
I've been told they can do a lot of damage in a very short time.
There seem to be a few ASF members who know quite a bit about this subject. Could any of you confirm that this is correct? i.e. that a genuine inspection can detect no problem, but an infestation and damage can occur soon after?
I suppose all can be OK, and then an army of termites can move in, the female I'm told laying 30,000 eggs per day, and lay seige to a house.
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I doubt termites survive where I am, though they do have quite a lot of problems in France, not that far away.
I've had three companies in the past three years quote $2k to $2.5k to put a property border barrier on my house in the northern Gold Coast. The last said they'd come back each year and do a 'top up' for $500. I've abstained.
Three years ago - annual inspection in December. In April I had a set of hardwood steps, down from a patio, replaced. When the builder removed the old steps there were thousands of termites! I called the termite man and he said they did not guarantee their work - just that there were none when they inspected! They charged another $400 to come to kill them! He advised the builder to use treated pine rather than hardwood - with keyholes for a yearly poison top-up. So far so good.
The next year I used another company who said the same. They all came back in 6 weeks to check for termites and after that, any inspection cost was $375+. Treatment on top of this!
Julia, in mid January (annual inspection early December) I decided to remove ferns from along a pergola railing so I could re-paint it (freshen it up) as the pergola roof was being replaced. I was horrified when one section of the bottom 'plank' was paint only! (but grateful too, as the pergola runs the full length of the back of the house) The palings are stained, treated pine and were fine. This new (highly recommended) 'termite man' said it would have taken the termites two or three weeks at the most to eat this bottom horizontal section/plank of the railing. (technical term?)
They'd come up a tunnel from a neighbour's fence line - evidence on the retainer wall. A hose had not been turned off and had a slow drip onto the ferns - I guess they had their tunnel nearby from the steps incident!
My house too is brick veneer and inside walls are of cyprus pine which termites don't like. But they all have put some poison there too.
Termites are always a constant threat.
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When I built my house up in northern NSW back in the mid 80's there was a granite boulder in the ground about three meters from the house. On this boulder was a sliver of granite that I eventually jammed a crowbar into with the intention of breaking it off for use as a step into my shower. Imagine the feeling when after breaking it off I discovered thousands of ternites inbetween the sliver and the main part of the boulder. And yes they were "etching" away at the softer parts of the granite.
Julia
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Doris and Lantern: thanks for your comments. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with a problem with the damn things.
I was talking with someone today who had had regular 12 monthly inspections on a rental she owns, always pronounced OK, then suddenly there was a hole in the ceiling. She had to replace the ceiling throughout the house.
Maybe we should get out of the stockmarket and into a pest control business.
I was talking with someone today who had had regular 12 monthly inspections on a rental she owns, always pronounced OK, then suddenly there was a hole in the ceiling. She had to replace the ceiling throughout the house.
Maybe we should get out of the stockmarket and into a pest control business.
I own a pest control business. In over 5 years we have not had a complaint about our prices (we are independent and not a ripoff franchise) or our service. Im happy to share what our company does to comply with Australian Standards. In fact if we dont comply, our insurance is null and void.
First rule as a consumer: check what the inspection actually is. We offer a visual termite inspection. Thats the crux of it - it is visual. Ordinary human beings do not have xray vision to see inside walls, boulders or anything else. Some inspectors use thermal cameras to detect the heat of the termites. If our inspectors suspect some kind of activity in the walls we will need the owner to give permission IN WRITING for walls etc to be gouged to check.
During a visual inspection we inspect the roof void, interior & exterior walls, subfloor if you have one, fences & grounds. We charge less than $200 for the average house. You will get a letter outlining live termites found, old damage found, risks & recommendations. Whether you decide to do anything is up to you, just because we inspected your house doesnt mean you wont get termites further down the track. For a prepurchase inspection which is $250 you get the paperwork required by your bank and/or solicitor - it is a legal document for which we are held liable.
It is true that the inspection is valid AT THE DATE OF INSPECTION. If you dont have physical or chemical barriers and your house is inspected today what on earth makes you think termites wont set up a nest tomorrow and start munching on your house? The inspectors say so? Why would you blame an inspector, he cant give you a guarantee that termites wont move in if you have no protection. He should however be able to point out all the risk areas around your home and make recommendations to reduce the risk of termite attack. We usually encourage our clients to have inspections every 12 months for the average property - a termite riddled place that has been fixed up we would probably recommend every 6 months until we were sure 12 monthly would suffice without risk to the home.
What types of protection? New homes are built with termite resistant materials and underslab reticulation, older homes are protected with chemicals or physical barriers are installed by builders - some people replace their homes' wooden stumps with steel ones for example. Are your ant caps if you have them, still doing the job or have they rusted away?
Our inspectors EDUCATE homeowners on what physical signs to look for, we give recommendations to reduce the risk of termite attack etc... The best thing YOU can do as a homeowner is get educated. A decent inspector will assist you to maintain your home to deter termites. A shonky one will make it all seem a mystery and just want your money.
Yes a chemical barrier needs to be inspected every 12 months to ensure it has not been breached. We do not give a guarantee of how long the barrier will last as such, how can we, we dont manufacture the chemicals used. The termiticide we use has a chemical lifespan of 8 years and our clients are made aware of that. Hopefully they will get 8 years. We also pay heavily to carry termite insurance in case an ineffective batch of chemicals is used in a barrier. It is important to check the barrier every 12 months.
Most inspections do not specifically look for drywood termites, but usually our experienced inspectors will find these during an inspection. Drywood termites do not need moisture as do other species, they also live in very small colonies making them harder to detect. If you have drywoods in your timber floor you will need a builder to replace the timbers. Chemical treatment is ineffective for drywoods. Other termite species need moisture, so you would not have a leaking tap against the building for example. That would be inviting trouble. Here are some other tips: use only treated timber in your landscaping, do not have garden rubbish lying in your yard or loose timber, store timber on corrugated iron or off the ground, make sure any water outlets are directed away from the house (eg hotwater), make sure there are no water leaks around, keep any weepholes clear, do not have heavy foliage against your house and maintain a 75mm clearance around the perimeter of your house at all times.
Forget about expensive termite monitoring systems that you pay big money for and have to have inspected every 3 months for an expensive fee, throwing some cardboard on the ground is just as an effective monitor.
Dont believe anyone that wants to sell you a "natural" termite system. We had an old couple phone very distressed because they spent thousands on "the natural way" only to have their house eaten out later. No such thing, only termiticide will kill them, not tea tree or citrus oil or some such rubbish.
Its a shame that some pest controllers give the rest of us a bad name, we pride ourselves on our reasonable prices and helpful service. We make it our mission to educate you to look after your home, which of course does not allow us to rip people off. It is very empowering for clients to be in control of their own assets rather than complain about being ripped off. We make our money through word of mouth referrals because of our company philosophy.
If you would like any more info please ask, I dont mind sharing because Australia is riddled with termites, there will always be termites for us to find and treat in peoples homes and gardens, we wont run out of work. Vigilance is the best thing for the homeowner to employ against the little buggers.
First rule as a consumer: check what the inspection actually is. We offer a visual termite inspection. Thats the crux of it - it is visual. Ordinary human beings do not have xray vision to see inside walls, boulders or anything else. Some inspectors use thermal cameras to detect the heat of the termites. If our inspectors suspect some kind of activity in the walls we will need the owner to give permission IN WRITING for walls etc to be gouged to check.
During a visual inspection we inspect the roof void, interior & exterior walls, subfloor if you have one, fences & grounds. We charge less than $200 for the average house. You will get a letter outlining live termites found, old damage found, risks & recommendations. Whether you decide to do anything is up to you, just because we inspected your house doesnt mean you wont get termites further down the track. For a prepurchase inspection which is $250 you get the paperwork required by your bank and/or solicitor - it is a legal document for which we are held liable.
It is true that the inspection is valid AT THE DATE OF INSPECTION. If you dont have physical or chemical barriers and your house is inspected today what on earth makes you think termites wont set up a nest tomorrow and start munching on your house? The inspectors say so? Why would you blame an inspector, he cant give you a guarantee that termites wont move in if you have no protection. He should however be able to point out all the risk areas around your home and make recommendations to reduce the risk of termite attack. We usually encourage our clients to have inspections every 12 months for the average property - a termite riddled place that has been fixed up we would probably recommend every 6 months until we were sure 12 monthly would suffice without risk to the home.
What types of protection? New homes are built with termite resistant materials and underslab reticulation, older homes are protected with chemicals or physical barriers are installed by builders - some people replace their homes' wooden stumps with steel ones for example. Are your ant caps if you have them, still doing the job or have they rusted away?
Our inspectors EDUCATE homeowners on what physical signs to look for, we give recommendations to reduce the risk of termite attack etc... The best thing YOU can do as a homeowner is get educated. A decent inspector will assist you to maintain your home to deter termites. A shonky one will make it all seem a mystery and just want your money.
Yes a chemical barrier needs to be inspected every 12 months to ensure it has not been breached. We do not give a guarantee of how long the barrier will last as such, how can we, we dont manufacture the chemicals used. The termiticide we use has a chemical lifespan of 8 years and our clients are made aware of that. Hopefully they will get 8 years. We also pay heavily to carry termite insurance in case an ineffective batch of chemicals is used in a barrier. It is important to check the barrier every 12 months.
Most inspections do not specifically look for drywood termites, but usually our experienced inspectors will find these during an inspection. Drywood termites do not need moisture as do other species, they also live in very small colonies making them harder to detect. If you have drywoods in your timber floor you will need a builder to replace the timbers. Chemical treatment is ineffective for drywoods. Other termite species need moisture, so you would not have a leaking tap against the building for example. That would be inviting trouble. Here are some other tips: use only treated timber in your landscaping, do not have garden rubbish lying in your yard or loose timber, store timber on corrugated iron or off the ground, make sure any water outlets are directed away from the house (eg hotwater), make sure there are no water leaks around, keep any weepholes clear, do not have heavy foliage against your house and maintain a 75mm clearance around the perimeter of your house at all times.
Forget about expensive termite monitoring systems that you pay big money for and have to have inspected every 3 months for an expensive fee, throwing some cardboard on the ground is just as an effective monitor.
Dont believe anyone that wants to sell you a "natural" termite system. We had an old couple phone very distressed because they spent thousands on "the natural way" only to have their house eaten out later. No such thing, only termiticide will kill them, not tea tree or citrus oil or some such rubbish.
Its a shame that some pest controllers give the rest of us a bad name, we pride ourselves on our reasonable prices and helpful service. We make it our mission to educate you to look after your home, which of course does not allow us to rip people off. It is very empowering for clients to be in control of their own assets rather than complain about being ripped off. We make our money through word of mouth referrals because of our company philosophy.
If you would like any more info please ask, I dont mind sharing because Australia is riddled with termites, there will always be termites for us to find and treat in peoples homes and gardens, we wont run out of work. Vigilance is the best thing for the homeowner to employ against the little buggers.
Julia
In Memoriam
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Farencue, thank you for helpful comments which are appreciated.
I'm happy with the service I've had - it was exactly as you have described you provide plus they have a 'movement detector' device which they hold against the walls. I don't know if this is a gimmick or whether it genuinely demonstrates movement.
You say the perimeter barrier should be checked every year? I have diaried for annual inspection but could you describe actually how the barrier is checked?
There are holes drilled in all the paving around the house, the termiticide injected, and then these have been plugged. Hard to see how you would inspect this or rather what you would or wouldn't expect to see.
I'm happy with the service I've had - it was exactly as you have described you provide plus they have a 'movement detector' device which they hold against the walls. I don't know if this is a gimmick or whether it genuinely demonstrates movement.
You say the perimeter barrier should be checked every year? I have diaried for annual inspection but could you describe actually how the barrier is checked?
There are holes drilled in all the paving around the house, the termiticide injected, and then these have been plugged. Hard to see how you would inspect this or rather what you would or wouldn't expect to see.
Gday Farencue, Hope business is going well for! Because ours is! fixing stuff ups from guys who like using chemical barriers!..
i Shall meet you in three years Julie, did the pesti locate a nest? did he put a sticker in the meter box? i just laugh at pesti's who never kill a nest or have tried to flood it with chemical and the termites have moved on cause they scared them off! And business will always be good for pesti's who never kill the nest cause they attack next door and the colony just keeps getting bigger!
Anyway its no wonder theres more termites then ever lol...cause thats all people think about is barriers...try a system of colony elimination! and i dont know where the nest is! BUT guess who does?!
Cheers David
i Shall meet you in three years Julie, did the pesti locate a nest? did he put a sticker in the meter box? i just laugh at pesti's who never kill a nest or have tried to flood it with chemical and the termites have moved on cause they scared them off! And business will always be good for pesti's who never kill the nest cause they attack next door and the colony just keeps getting bigger!
Anyway its no wonder theres more termites then ever lol...cause thats all people think about is barriers...try a system of colony elimination! and i dont know where the nest is! BUT guess who does?!
Cheers David
inenigma
Oh Sh*t.... That didn't work.
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We could always go back to living in caves....
Some might just have to do that with the GFC and all.....
Some might just have to do that with the GFC and all.....