When was the last time that you had a termite inspection done on your Victorian, craftsman, Spanish revival or modern home? If you’re like many of us, that might have been a day or two before you moved into your newest home—even if it has been decades. Unfortunately in Southern California, it is generally termite season 365-days a year and none of the various treatments available last forever although some are more effective than others.So you need to watch out for signs of new termite infestations. At Helfrich Associates, we’re licensed engineers specializing in structural issues and we routinely encounter termite infestations and damage. We see them or sadly the damage they’ve already caused most often when we are a part of large renovation projects involving classic homes, such as aging Victorians with their intricate decorative trims or craftsmen with their rustic natural style.… Continue Reading Preventing Termite Trouble
Category: Termite Damage
Double Trouble: Termites & Water
Dark staining means that the roof sheathing has been wet in the past from leaks. In this case, the insulation covers the evidence of the roof leak.
You may not think about it much, seeing as how it’s over your head most of the time, but the roof is an important part of every building. The roof provides shelter from the sun, from hot and cold temperatures, and from water leaks. A roof also provides large interior spaces for warehouses and other large buildings with walls and columns. Roof structures also support important building safety systems such as interior lighting, utilities, fire-proofing assemblies, insulation, roof-mounted air-handling equipment, and fire-suppression systems.
When things get tough it’s easy to start down the path of deferred maintenance (that’s putting off fixing that leaky roof until you “have more” money to fix it) but it’s important to make sure that your building’s roof is properly maintained – otherwise you could be looking at more costly repairs than if you’d fixed it sooner.
Common Signs of Home Damage and Deterioration
Do you know the common signs of home damage and deterioration? It’s important to be aware of changes around your home or property that could be signs of deterioration. These signs could be sagging beams, discoloration on ceilings/walls, cracks in floors & foundations, rust on steel stairs, tipping of retaining walls or slope movement.
Let’s face it, home or property repairs are never fun. They’re costly and time consuming. Most of us want to get them done as quickly and economically as possible. Yet there’s one thing you should never exclude from your project — a consultation with an experienced construction engineer about the signs of home damage.… Continue Reading Common Signs of Home Damage and Deterioration
Termite Damage and HOAs
Hearing your property has a termite infestation can send chills down any property owner’s spine. The cost of ridding a property of termites can be out of budget for many folks. Dealing with them is also inconvenient because most cases involve fumigation to make sure that you’ve rid a structure of the whole colony. It’s no wonder that many opt to put off the problem. That’s especially easy to do because it’s a problem that is often occurring out of sight – making it easy to put it out of mind.… Continue Reading Termite Damage and HOAs