A Georgia Wood Infestation inspection report (WDO Report) or Termite Letter, as it’s often called, is necessary for most real estate closings.
If a bank is involved, as a lender, a termite letter is generally required before the house can be closed. This form is the bread and butter of pest control associated paperwork.
These reports cover many aspects of a home including termites, beetles, wood destroying fungus, and other pests. For now, I would like to focus on the section of the letter marked “conditions conducive to infestation.” Let’s break down what this section is trying to report.
First of all, conducive means something that may contribute to attracting or sustaining a wood destroying organism. While there are many things that could contribute to sustaining a wood destroying organism, the report limits it to three.
• Insufficient ventilation in a crawl space
• Cellulose material (Wood debris) in a crawl space
• Earth to wood contact.
Since most homes today do not have a crawl space, earth to wood is most often the problem noted on a WDO report. Earth to wood contact is any permanent part of the structure that is made of wood that is in continuous contact with the ground, such as deck posts, siding, lattice, trim steps, etc. Even treated wood does not always meet the specifications for safe continuous ground contact, and when such specifications are not met, I am required to mention that in my report.
If I inspect a home and note that it has earth contact, I try to let the homeowner know what they can do to correct the problem. As a general rule a conducive condition notation does not present a problem with a conventional bank loan. But, if the loan is a FHA or VA, the condition will most often need correction. This is the number one problem I find in my inspections of homes and can cause problems when a homeowner is trying to close a FHA or VA loan.
If you need a Termite Inspection letter or just a FREE ESTIMATE, call us at Canton Termite and Pest Control.
Give us a call today at 770-479-1598 and ask for a FREE 58 Point Pest Analysis of your home or office.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Tim
