We inspect many homes in the Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill markets for termites every week. During our inspections, we will find termites in several of these homes. Typically, we will find termite tubes in the garage, termite damage behind a front porch or garage trim, termite evidence in wood debris, etc. But once in a while, we run across houses like this that have major structural and siding damage.
These termites have eaten and damaged multiple areas of the siding, trim, and structure. In the lower area of the house, you can see that the 2″ X 4″ stud wall, bottom plate, rim joist, and sill plate have been damaged. These structural elements of the house will have to be replaced to ensure the wall does not sag and/or fail.
In the garage, we find very large termite tubes on the foundation wall going under the finished walls in many places. There was very little damage noted in the garage trim or sheetrock. However, on the adjacent exterior wall, the siding, window trim, and window sill were eaten to the point that they would crumble when touched.
This video gives a better look at the damage that was found.
