How to Determine if a Home Has Water Damage or Termite Damage

1/25/2021 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: Termite damage and water damage can have similar characteristics. SERVPRO of Carrollton advises Carrollton homeowners on how to determine the difference between water damage and termite damage.

SERVPRO of Carrollton has provided water damage restoration services for the North Dallas area for years. Their team of professionals carry numerous certifications and possess years of experience. They are skilled at identifying water damage. Some water damage is hidden between walls or under flooring, secluded in dark crawl spaces, or disguised as termite damage.

Termite damage and water damage can share similar characteristics and mimic each other. With the right information, homeowners can distinguish if the damage to their home is from a water intrusion or from a termite invasion. Some species of termite prefer a diet of water-damaged wood. As a result, some cases of water damage restoration also require termite extermination services.

What Is the Difference Between Water Damage and Termite Damage?

Water damage and termite damage can exhibit characteristics that make it very difficult for the homeowner to discern the difference. It is easy to understand how the untrained eye of the average homeowner can confuse water damage and termite damage. Termite activity creates nests that are high in moisture content. Evidence of termite damage often resembles evidence of water damage. For example, both termite activity and water intrusion can cause paint to bubble and peel.

Treatment and repairs for water damage and termite damage are very different. Chemicals used in the extermination of termites require special certifications, licensing, and protective gear. When termite damage is involved in a water damage incident, SERVPRO of Carrollton professionals can manage the entire project, including having a licensed and bonded exterminator mitigate the termite infestation and damage.

How to Tell Water Damage From Termite Damage

Water damage

Wood that has undergone water damage develops square-shaped cells in the wood. The formation of this cell pattern can also be referred to as “cubicle rot.” The pattern created by these cube-shaped square cells is also referred to as “alligatoring” because they resemble an alligator’s back. These square-shaped cells are caused when the wood expands and cracks with the increase and decrease of water content. Here is an easy way to remember the key to identifying water damage. Alligators live in water, so an alligator pattern in the wood signals water damage.

Termite damage

When subterranean, or underground, termites devour wood, they feed along the softer springwood, avoiding the harder summerwood. Inspection of a cross-section of a tree reveals lighter-colored rings, which are springwood, and darker-colored rings, which are summerwood.

An inspection of a cross-section of wood that has been damaged by subterranean termites reveals darker-colored summerwood exhibiting a honeycomb appearance after the springwood has been eaten. Looking at the cross-section lengthwise, the remaining summerwood has the appearance of thick sheets of paper after the springwood has been consumed by the termites.

Drywood termites consume wood along and across the grain. They carve out large cavities or galleries for their nests, and these galleries are connected by tunnels. Drywood termites have smaller colonies, so they typically cause less damage. They usually are not as fast-acting as the subterranean termites.

Some termite species only feed on wood that has already suffered water damage. When a water damage incident occurs, homeowners should keep an eye out for a termite infestation as the wet wood may attract the voracious pests. Lingering to resolve an ongoing water or moisture issue could result in a dual property damage issue — water damage and termite damage. When both termite and water damage occur in tandem, the homeowner will need to address the water issue and termite infestation simultaneously before repairing the overall property damage.

Homeowners should note that taking immediate action to resolve a water damage issue can prevent advanced secondary damage, which may be much more extensive than the original damage. The restoration process may be more involved and more expensive. Insurance companies have a vested interest in homeowners identifying and resolving water damage issues without delay. Failure to act promptly on the part of the homeowner could impact the insurance company’s willingness to pay the full claim.

SERVPRO of Carrollton provides twenty-four-hour emergency service, and the company’s highly trained restoration technicians are trusted professionals in the restoration industry. The most advanced technology, the best techniques, and years of experience work together to provide customers with the industry’s premier restoration services. Because SERVPRO of Carrollton is locally owned and operated, they have a vested interest in and concern for the community.

For more information about water damage restoration in Carrollton, TX, contact the office by phone at (972) 446-0383 or by email at office@SERVPRO10952.com.