Bad Termite Damage To Window Header
How bad can termites actually damage
a window header? This damage is beyond repair and will need to be
replaced. Not only will the window header need to be replaced but the
top plates above the window header have suffered from severe termite
damage and will need to be replaced.
If you look at the picture close enough, you will see that the window is
new and has been replaced recently. If you notice the two by fours that
are running vertical and attaching to the door header are also new.
I can't even imagine what the two by fours looked like before they were
replaced. This is usually the main freeway for the termites that are
heading from the ground towards the window header and roof materials.
This is a good example of what you get, when you hire someone to do the
job as cheap as possible. I would imagine that the homeowner, like most
homeowners, thought they were getting a bargain. Only to find out later
that the building itself was starting to have problems.
Rarely do you run across wood framing that is damaged like the picture
above. Termites can under the right conditions, destroy your whole home.
In climates like Hawaii and I would imagine other tropical environments,
these little guys really go at it.
In Hawaii, they have to use specially treated lumber, just to slow the
termites down.
The biggest problems with window header termite damage, is that, it
isn't noticeable from the interior or exterior very easy, because it's
covered up by drywall on the inside and stucco or siding on the outside.
Look for large cracks on the exterior and interior walls. These cracks
don't guarantee that your framing is damaged, but if these cracks are
getting larger, there's a good chance that the wood framing is damaged
somehow.