The Hidden Nature of Termite Damage

Terminix takes advantage of that fact when its customers have termite damage.

Birmingham, AL.

One of the most frustrating aspects of termite damage for home and business owners is the fact that the worst of the damage is almost always hidden. Termites destroy wood by eating from the inside out, and most everyday people simply are not trained to know the subtle clues that reveal a property has a termite problem.

We like to use the good old iceberg analogy: the evidence you discover of a termite problem is just the tip of the iceberg. Sadly, if you can see visible signs of termite damage, you likely have a catastrophic termite problem.

One way that Terminix cheats customers in the claim process is purposely underestimating the extent of damage in the properties it has had under termite prevention agreements. Its nationwide policy for claim handling is to go to properties where a customer or Terminix technician saw evidence of termite infestation or damage and then only look at that area “of concern,” instead of carefully examining the whole building. This is an unfair practice for customers because Terminix and other companies know that most termite damage is hidden and difficult to find.

Take a quick pause from reading this article to view this video. Here a seemingly perfect piece of wood with no visible signs of damage turns out to be hollowed out and destroyed by termites.

In the commercial building shown in this video, Terminix said it would “make repairs” in a few areas. What that means at Terminix will brace or replace only wood that is no longer capable of fulfilling its structural function and will stop when it looks like the damage is petering out to the non-expert eye. The problem is that while termite damage may appear to be ending, the termites can be tunneling through holes that are only 1/32nd inch wide. Termite damage investigation and repairs should be done like cancer surgery. You should cut out until you know you are removing good wood like an oncology surgeon knows she is cutting out good tissue.

In this structure, Termite Tom’s experts carefully inspected the whole structure and saw that a truss system that is holding up a light concrete floor system is eaten up by termites. The wood looks completely solid. However, when you tap it, the tell-tell sign of hollowness is easy to hear. When our expert probes the joist, the wood falls apart.

If your termite company recommended the right treatment to prevent termites and maintains that treatment when the chemicals are known to wear off, termites should be prevented almost 100% of the time. That means if your home or business has termites, the odds are overwhelming that your company faked termite prevention service or that they recommended a bogus prevention service like a “baiting system.” And if you have been cheated by paying for a fake termite prevention system, the odds are that the company will lie to cover up the extent of the damage its bad business practice caused. At TermiteTom.com, we see the devastating consequence of this all the time.

In this case the building does not need minor repairs. It needs to be torn down completely. When determining the extent of termite damage to your property, you should be skeptical and get an independent and thorough inspection. Nobody wants to believe that their home or business is extensively damaged, and termite companies take advantage of the homeowner’s wish for a minor problem in order to get away with only making minor repairs.

Don’t allow Terminix to victimize you a second time. Our entire legal practice is built around termite damage claims, and our goal is to make our clients whole again. You can reach Termite Tom and the team at Campbell Law PC at [email protected] or toll-free at 877-586-7582.