This is why you hire a Termite Inspector, not just a Home Inspector.

Many states including New York, require you to hire a Certified Termite Inspector to ensure the safety and structural soundness of a property. This is true if you are purchasing or refinancing a Home and applying for a VA (Veterans), HUD (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development), or FHA (Federal Housing Administration) Loan.
While following this rule you should go one step further and hire a company who inspects for Termites and specializes in Termite Mitigation. They are Certified Termite Inspectors who have the capacity to inspect and treat for any underlying termite issues.
This has added benefits and is solid advice even if you are using a conventional loan or just buying cash.
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Termites are the only known insect species that damage wood and consume it for food, causing extensive structural damage when undetected and left untreated. The annual average cost of Termite Damage in the United States is 5 Billion Dollars in property damages. Here's the explanation that will save you Thousands of Dollars and keep you Stress Free.

Some Termite species have been around for over 250 million years, so this is not a problem you can run from or want to prolong. With almost 30 years of experience, we'll happily share what we've encountered while dealing with Subterranean Termites in the New York City Region.
When hiring a Certified Termite Inspector, he/she would look for signs of an infestation of Termites and other Wood Destroying Insects (WDI).

There are several species of insects that damage wood. The most common species is Termites but the list includes Carpenter Ants, Carpenter Bees, and Wood Boring Beetles.
The main signs the Termite expert will focus on includes evidence of Wood Damage, Mud Shelter Tubes, live Termite Swarmers or loose translucency wings or Termite body parts.
One other thing the Certified Termite Inspector will look for is the placement of wood piles close to the exterior of the home, this can be deemed as conducive conditions that attract Termites.

The Certified Termite Inspector is trained to spot these types of damages to a structure because Termites usually damage wood from the inside out making the wood still look intact and catching these signs are very hard to an untrained person.
The Termite expert also inspects for Wood Destroying Organisms (WDO) which includes Fungi and Algae. This is important because WDI/WDO activities can be visible or have hidden attributes. 
This data is noted in a concise manner on a specialized Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report known as the National Pest Management Association (NPMA-33) Inspection Form.

​On the other side of inspection, hiring a general Home Inspector is important on its own. The Home Inspector looks at the overall state of the property, its plumbing, electrical, the condition of the roof, heating and cooling devices, safety issues, and everything within the top and bottom levels.

The Home Inspector may have some knowledge of Termite signs but the Certified Termite Inspector has advanced and specialized training to identify subtle Termite activity which can be difficult to detect, by an untrained eye. 
Again, the Certified Termite Inspector’s sole purpose is to inspect the structure of the property, especially the wooden parts in the basement, crawl spaces, garage, flooring and walls and focusing on wood-to-soil contact points, to ascertain the absence or presence of Termites.

In the New York region, we have Subterranean Termites which live in the soil. A typical Subterranean Termite colony can contain between 60,000 to 1 million Termites. New studies show in the Northeast Region you can have up to three separate Termite colonies affecting one home. Think of the destruction power if left unchecked over a few years. Can you imagine that? Don’t be a part of that damage statistic mentioned above, remember it’s 5 Billion Dollars.

While the Home Inspector has to concentrate on a myriad of tasks in one property, many times, that inspector does not have detailed experience with WDI/WDO identification and mitigation procedures. 
If a potential Termite problem is found, the Home Inspector will then suggest that you get the professional advice from a Certified Termite Inspector, thus bringing you back to where we started, hiring a Certified Termite Company.

Important to note, not all Termite Inspectors have the capability of administering treatments, if a treatment is necessary. Therefore, when seeking a Termite Inspection, make sure your Certified Termite Company has the capability of treating Termites.
Oftentimes, we've been called in to help treat homes for Termite damage, in a renovation stage, right after purchasing that home. The Home Inspectors didn't notice the signs of Termites and the Homeowner was left to spend thousands of dollars on repairs, as well as, the cost of the Termite mitigation.​

This can become overwhelming but we hope this five minutes read will cast away any stresses when it comes to Termite control.

In conclusion, no one plans for Termite damage but knowing the signs, helps. Information is crucial! Home renovations are costly, do your due diligence - Do not purchase your home without a Certified Termite Inspector from a company that provides WDI/WDO Mitigation Treatments and a Professional Home Inspector, on your side. 
Together they will make sure the property is of sound structure and your purchasing power is within the knowledge gained from these important inspections.
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Written by: Neil A. Bacchus | Operating Manager | Citi Termite Control Inc.

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