What Does a WDO Inspector Actually Look for in a Spring Hill Home?
You scheduled the inspection and now you are wondering what is actually going to happen when the inspector shows up. What are they looking at. Where do they go in the house. How do they find termites when you cannot see them yourself. Understanding what a WDO inspector does during the inspection helps you know what to expect and how to prepare the home so nothing gets missed.
The Exterior Perimeter First
Most WDO inspectors start outside. They walk the full exterior perimeter of the home at a slow pace looking at the foundation from top to bottom. They are looking for mud tubes which are the thin brown tunnels subterranean termites build to travel between the soil and the wood in your home. Mud tubes can be found on the concrete block foundation, on stucco surfaces near the ground, on exterior wood framing near the soil line and anywhere that connects the ground to the structure.
They are also looking at the exterior wood elements of the home. Fascia boards, soffits, window and door frames, wood trim near the ground and any wood decking or steps that have direct soil contact. They probe suspicious areas with a tool to check for hollow or soft wood that indicates feeding damage behind the surface.
The soil conditions around the foundation get attention too. Wood debris buried in the soil near the foundation, mulch beds built up against the siding, wood to soil contact at fence posts or deck supports all get noted because they create conditions that attract termites to a structure.
The Interior Walkthrough
Inside the home the inspector moves through every room systematically. They are pressing on baseboards and door frames throughout the home checking for soft or hollow wood. They are looking at the paint on walls near the floor line for bubbling or uneven surfaces that can indicate moisture from termite activity behind the wall. They check window sills and the framing around windows and doors for soft spots that give under pressure.
Bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens get extra attention because moisture is higher in those areas and termites and wood decay fungi both favor moisture damaged wood. The inspector checks under sinks and around plumbing penetrations for soft or stained wood that indicates moisture issues.
Closets and utility rooms that do not get regular attention also get checked carefully. Termites tend to work through areas that are undisturbed and closets that have not been emptied in years are exactly the kind of environment where damage builds up without anyone noticing.
The Garage
Garages in Spring Hill homes are one of the most common entry points for subterranean termites because the concrete slab often creates direct or near direct soil contact with the wood framing above it. The inspector checks the walls where they meet the slab, the door frames, any wood storage directly on the garage floor and the wall framing throughout the garage interior. The garage door frame gets probed for soft wood because it sits close to the exterior soil and is a frequent termite entry point.
The Attic
If the attic is accessible the inspector goes up. In the attic they are looking at the wood framing directly, the rafters, the joists and any other structural wood. They look for mud tubes running along framing members, for wood that shows the characteristic hollow galleries of termite feeding and for evidence of wood boring beetle activity which shows up as small round exit holes in wood surfaces. The attic inspection is one of the most valuable parts of the WDO inspection because termite and beetle activity in the attic framing often goes undetected for years before it shows up anywhere the homeowner would notice.
If the attic hatch is blocked or inaccessible that gets noted on the report as an area that could not be inspected. Make sure the attic is accessible before the inspector arrives.
What Gets Documented on the Report
on your Spring Hill home.
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Everything the inspector finds gets documented on the official Florida state WDO inspection form. Active termite activity, evidence of previous termite activity, wood boring beetle findings and wood decay fungi are each documented separately with the location noted. Areas that were inaccessible during the inspection are also noted.
If nothing is found the report documents that no evidence of wood destroying organisms was observed at the time of inspection. That’s the clean report your lender needs to proceed with your loan.
Call us and we’ll get your inspection scheduled quickly. Our thorough WDO inspections in Spring Hill are licensed and completed on the official Florida state form so you get the documentation your lender needs to close on your home.