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Louisiana real estate law:
Termite certificates

Most lenders require a Wood Destroying Insect Report (termite certificate) before approving a loan. However, the report has significant limitations as to the termite company's responsibilities. Very few people ever read their certificates until it is too late. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
 

How do I know if I have termites?

Look for thin, packed-dirt trails along the foundations, concrete or brick piers, interior or exterior wall and around doors and windows. These mud tubes range from about a straw's thickness to a finger's. If termites are active in the tubes, you will see them when you scrape away the dirt.

Related Topics

 Super termites
If termite problems have not been bad enough in Louisiana, we now have the Formosan termite to contend with. Pay close attention to your termite certificate, Formosans are excluded from coverage in many cases.

For detailed information on Formosan and other Louisiana termites, visit the LSU AgCenter termite page.

 
I'M BUYING A NEW HOUSE. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Have it inspected.

Most lenders require a Wood Destroying Insect Report before approving a loan. But the report has significant limitations, and includes this boldface warning: "The inspection described herein has been made on the basis of visible evidence in readily accessible areas and this report is submitted without warranty, guarantee or representation as to concealed evidence of infestation of damage or as to future infestation. This is not a termite-free certificate. . ." Taking that into consideration, here are some tips for getting the most out of a termite inspection:

Check references and complaints with the Better Business Bureau before choosing an insepctor.

If the house already is under contract, call the pest-control operator and get the pest history.

Arrange to accompany the inspector and make notes about any possible problems and inaccessible areas that weren't inspected.

Make sure the attic is accessible for inspection. If there are no steps or stairs, make sure a ladder is available.

During the general inspection take note of any leaks or moisture problems and make sure your termite inspector checks them out thoroughly.

Make sure the inspector can get under a house built on piers to check joists, supports and interior piers for signs of termites.

If there's an area of specific concern, work with the sellers on removing obstacles so that it can be more thoroughly checked.

If there is evidence of prior infestation, the buyer should ask the seller to certify that the house has been treated by a licensed pest control operator and that the infestation has been eliminated and all structural repairs were done properly. Make sure your structural inspector is aware of the reported damage and any repairs.

If you accept the seller's termite report and close on the house, you are generally assuming the costs of any repairs or future treatments, so read the report and disclosure statements carefully.

Decide whether you want to continue with the seller's pest control company, or hire your own. The seller's company may be willing to let you assume the annual renewal payments without paying the cost of a new treatment. But a new company will want to install its own treatment system to put the house under contract.



Portions reprinted from the Times Picayune. For the full article, go to http://www.nola.com/speced/homewreckers/day1bugbites.html

 

Look for mud trails along foundations and near doors and windows.

If a swarm comes from somewhere inside your house, it's a sign of infestation. But if swarmers merely fly in from outside, it just means a colony is nearby, common in the area.

Look for soft or rotting wood with no explanation, buckling wood floor boards or unexplained small holes in sheetrock. All may be a sign of activity.

Beneath raised homes, inspect cracks between the subfloor boards and look for mud tubes, or residues of a fine dirt-like material stuck between them. Probe the floor boards for soft spots. Inspect the interior piers of the house for mud tubes.

For a complete guide on identifying the type of termites you may have, including the Formosan, see the Termite Species of Louisiana ID Guide.