>> Damage-free Inspection Service Allays Homeowner’s Fears
>> Termite/Moisture Inspections Cause No Structural Damage
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Damage-free Inspection Service Allays Homeowner’s Fears
Bill McInarnay of Alachua, Florida had plenty of worries about the structural integrity of his 1800 sq. ft., timber frame home. The two-story house was made entirely of wood with 4x12 pine beams on 4’ centers, 2 x 4 conventionally framed walls and ceilings made of tongue and groove wood. To top it all off, the house supported a cypress shake shingle roof.
The Challenge
It was the roof that really shook Bill into action when he prepared to replace $17,000 worth of shingles. Several years ago, he had discovered the presence of powder post beetles and old house borers and, when removing the old roof, he found drywood termites. So before applying the shake shingles to the steeply pitched roof, he wanted to be sure the integrity of the beams was sound. Because these large beams were placed on 4 foot centers, if just one beam were damaged, there would be significant structural damage.
The Solution
McInarnay called the University of Florida entomology and nematology department for a reference to someone who could perform an effective inspection. Ray Meyers was recommended and promptly met the challenge armed with high tech equipment and years of experience. “Ray came right out. I was a little concerned about drilling a lot of holes to do this inspection, but I was really impressed with the equipment he used and how few holes were drilled,” according to Bill.
Fortunately for Bill, Ray found very little damage from drywood termites. “I was totally reassured after the inspection. It was quite a relief to know that the house was sound and I could proceed with the new roof,” explained Bill.
“When we knew about the drywood termite infestation, we set up a protocol for testing and top of each timber and down 2-4 feet on the inside and outside of the rafter tails. That way, our data would be consistent throughout the structure and give us the best idea of the presence and/or extent of damage,” explains Ray Meyers, owner of RJM Contracting. “Performing the inspection following these protocols enabled us to determine that there was no damage to the area of structural support. We left no visible evidence of our investigation because the probe holes were incredibly small.”
The RJM Experience
“I was so impressed with Ray’s knowledge, his equipment and the fact that he could ascertain the integrity of the beams in my home without damaging the house in the process,” Bill says. “Ray’s a great communicator and spent time explaining to me what he was doing and learning from the various charts produced by his Resist-O-Graph.”
Bill can rest assured that there was only minimal damage caused by previous beetle infestations and the drywood termites found during the roofing process.
RJM Contracting provides damage-free inspection services for historical societies, pest control companies, inspection companies, home and business owners and others
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Termite/Moisture Inspections Cause No Structural
Damage
RJM Contracting, owned by Ray and Carol Meyers of Lake Mary, Florida, specializes in inspections to determine hidden termite and moisture damage in many types of structures.
Meyers was contacted to inspect a 113 year-old historical building called the Leu House in Orlando, Florida. Preserved as a historic structure, the city has maintained it for the past 40 years. Throughout the history of his residence, many additions and modifications have occurred. In addition, many termite infestations have occurred which has compromised the structural integrity and weather resistance of the facility.
Historical buildings pose specific challenges because conventional inspection methods can damage the historical integrity of wall coverings, woodwork, siding and other areas of historical interest.
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Because this facility is of historical significance, an assessment was necessary to determine the extent – if any – of the termite and moisture damage so that appropriate repairs could be made.
The early investigation consisted of a visual assessment of the existing structural members damaged by termites and decay. Due to the delicate nature of this structure, RJM used a method to inspect for damage within structural wood members and wall voids that produced minimal damage to wall coverings and exterior panels. The method involves the use of a Resist graph. This is a probing and graphing device that demonstrates the integrity of wood within structures without removing or damaging coverings. This was used in interior and exterior walls on the first and second floors, the crawl space and attic.
“We found that a major, load-bearing support beam under the house was nearly hollowed out by termites,” explains Meyers. “And we were able to do this without tearing up flooring.”
The joist under a second floor bedroom also showed extensive termite damage. Preserving the ceiling below was very important as was preserving the bedroom floor. Using the Resist graph, Meyers was able to bore a smell hole into the 2x12 floor joist to discover and document the damage.
Moisture Problems also Apparent
“In an effort to maintain a 68 degree temperature in the summer and because of the lack of insulation, a lot of moisture had also built up in the house. This led to rot and provided conditions conducive to termites as well. Meyers tracked and documented moisture at 625 points throughout the building, making it possible to do ongoing seasonal moisture checks without damaging the structure.
Moisture readings indicated a high level of moisture (above 20%) in the exterior walls. This is alarming because these readings were taken in the heating cycle (winter) where humidity is at its lowest point of the year. The primary reason for tracking moisture was to determine the need for a vapor barrier, improved air circulation the wall cavity and insulation.
Armed with the information from this noninvasive inspection procedure, structural and mechanical engineers and architects are able to determine corrective measures to implement in the damaged areas of the structure.
Other uses for damage-free inspections
The damage-free inspections are not limited to assessing damage and can be used to evaluate, photograph and report activity of wood destroying pests within structures. With scientific equipment, RJM can provide critical site data in place of destructive wall removal or guessing as is many times used in damage assessment.
Pest control companies facing extremely difficult termite infestations have taken advantage of this service to determine the exact extent of termite damage and the location of active termite infestations within wooden beams and structures. This type of inspection can also help determine why termite treatments may have failed.
For more information about RJM’s damage-free inspections, call 407-330-0035
or email vespidae@msn.com. Or visit our website at RJMContracting.com.
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Related Articles (external web sites)
- A reliable Inspection procedure of existing Timber structures: the case of Guarini's Towers roofs - Racconigi Castle (Italy) - Marco Lauriola, Massimo Mannucci, and Mario Oschi
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- Condition Assessment of Timber Bridges - Brian K. Brashaw, Robert J. Vatalaro, James P. Wacker, and Robert J. Ross
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- Inspection of Historic Wood Structures - IHW Community
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- [Focus On Termite Control] Telepathy With Termites - June Van Klaveren
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- Termite/Moisture Inspections Cause No Structural Damage - Robert J. Ross, Brian K. Brashaw, and Xiping Wang
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