Disadvantage of living in the south. Up here in Northern Michigan we don't usually have termite problems but still some fungus but not the damage I see here.
@jenette16 The upstairs floor was a little bouncy. But surprisingly, it's not too bad. The flooring somehow is keeping it together. Thanks for watching.
See the link that I included in that post at the bottom of it… Explains what rats labs are and how they work and he has lots of pictures… Basically a rat slab is nothing more than a floor slab… But non-structural thinner slab…
That place is toast.. I’ve done a couple termite repairs, the damage gets much worse when ya tear into it. Seen termites eat painted wood baseboard and leave like a cardboard (beer case cardboard) thick skin all along the outer painted surface. Base looked fine until ya tried removing it and it just crumbles. As you show in your video they will eat the entire inside while leaving an outer “shell” making the piece of timber look almost untouched. The damage you show makes me think repairs would be over the value of house.
Will termites eat treated lumber? I noticed they go after the OSB which contains chemicals. Would this entire problem have been prevented by using all treated lumber and better ventilation? You say you are in the Carolinas, I don't think you get hard freezes there, so why use insulation between the floor joists? I see many of your videos show de-humidifiers, but those aren't easily serviced by the homeowner. Why not use high velocity fans mounted to the outside wall of the crawlspace? Doesn't all that plastic trap moisture? SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS. I WATCHED A FEW OF YOUR VIDEOS AND I AM TRAUMATIZED.
Thank you for watching. Pressure treated lumber would be ideal. Termites won't touch it. Carolinas is perfect for subterranean Termites due to mild wet winters. The clay here holds a lot of moisture, which Termites love. Crawlspaces produce many gallons of water a day from ground humidity. Vapor barriers are needed unless there is a more expensive solution. Many homeowners do different things like dehumidifiers,fans, and concrete. It's up to your budget. Crawlspace homes are very tricky depending on the landscape around you. Thanks for watching.
@@virginiamoss7045 No, no - I meant at the very start of construction - when the foundation was open and it was obvious. Whoever the original owner was could of - at that time - chosen to drop concrete there (on top of drainage tile)...for what? !-2% cost of construction?
@@virginiamoss7045 Like a rat slab - non-structural - with drainage tile beneath it, depending of the elevation of the grade adjacent to it. What I meant is that I have a hard time understanding why in a part of the country where termite damage is high, humidity and rain are high - thus mold and other issues abound, why you would not - when constructing the building - simply not drop a rat slab in that crawl space and simply eliminate so many of those issues, when the cost of doing so would be 1-2% of the cost of construction (especially considering what it would buy the homeowner(s) going forward). We live in New England, and the home we just purchased had two rooms with crawl spaces beneath them, plus another inaccessible crawl space adjacent to the main basement. During renovations, I had them rip out the floors and subfloors of the two rooms, yank all the insulation, and then I painted/sealed the joists with three coats paint (previous owners let it slide and it was like a mouse petting zoo)., before dropping rigid, foam sealed, then mineral wool, then the sub and new floors. In the basement I had them saw cut one wall open and I had them pour a rat slab in there as well. I'm an architect - and what I see in so many of his videos are homes where so much of the infrastructure was neglected and/or poorly put together in the first place - opting instead (I'm guessing from his description of the property) to focus on the materials and more, um, 'visible' parts of the home. It's just ticks me off because so many people purchasing homes have NO IDEA what they're getting into - and you know the real estate people ignore it just to close the deal. That's all. =) ratslab.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rat-slabs/
Another great. video - thank you !!
I've never been in a crawlspace & after watching this, i never will. It gives me the heebee- jeebees. Thanks for the tour.
They suck. Ick-a-bug everywhere. Tight and dusty. That's just mine and I don't have any infestation.
Disadvantage of living in the south. Up here in Northern Michigan we don't usually have termite problems but still some fungus but not the damage I see here.
Thanks for watching Michigan.
Suprising nobody fell thru. That would be really traumatic.
Actually, watching more im wondering what keeps the house from collapsing.
@jenette16 The upstairs floor was a little bouncy. But surprisingly, it's not too bad. The flooring somehow is keeping it together. Thanks for watching.
Wow! Those termites are BAD!!!
Yep
ouch!!! what did the home owner say when you showed them??
Just a cold blank stare.
@@homeinspectingI think I personally would break down in tears 😅
Get out quickly from the crawl-space before the rotting beams collapse on you. 😊 Hope not but can never say about the timing right?
@Gengingen on some of them I do wonder🤣thanks for watching
See the link that I included in that post at the bottom of it… Explains what rats labs are and how they work and he has lots of pictures… Basically a rat slab is nothing more than a floor slab… But non-structural thinner slab…
Gotcha. Thank you
That place is toast.. I’ve done a couple termite repairs, the damage gets much worse when ya tear into it. Seen termites eat painted wood baseboard and leave like a cardboard (beer case cardboard) thick skin all along the outer painted surface. Base looked fine until ya tried removing it and it just crumbles. As you show in your video they will eat the entire inside while leaving an outer “shell” making the piece of timber look almost untouched. The damage you show makes me think repairs would be over the value of house.
That was hard to watch. It's crazy how these Termites can tear something up the way they do. Thanks for watching.
Will termites eat treated lumber? I noticed they go after the OSB which contains chemicals. Would this entire problem have been prevented by using all treated lumber and better ventilation? You say you are in the Carolinas, I don't think you get hard freezes there, so why use insulation between the floor joists? I see many of your videos show de-humidifiers, but those aren't easily serviced by the homeowner. Why not use high velocity fans mounted to the outside wall of the crawlspace? Doesn't all that plastic trap moisture? SORRY FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS. I WATCHED A FEW OF YOUR VIDEOS AND I AM TRAUMATIZED.
Thank you for watching. Pressure treated lumber would be ideal. Termites won't touch it. Carolinas is perfect for subterranean Termites due to mild wet winters. The clay here holds a lot of moisture, which Termites love. Crawlspaces produce many gallons of water a day from ground humidity. Vapor barriers are needed unless there is a more expensive solution. Many homeowners do different things like dehumidifiers,fans, and concrete. It's up to your budget. Crawlspace homes are very tricky depending on the landscape around you. Thanks for watching.
you cant fix this without disassembling the house above it.... yikes
@@johndonovan7018 yep
You can. The question is if it is worth the money to do so (It isn't).
@@Cragified i mean yes thats the context here.
So maybe a bi annual inspection from a pest control company is a good thing. Kinda like them 20k mile oil change intervals..lol.
@@steveoh9838 you ain't kidding. Thanks for watching. Sad situation.
Do not walk; RUN from that house! Geeze. All for the want of a couple of thousand in concrete...
@@Graffenwehr yeppers
Do the concrete and you have water leaks and mold growth. It's hard to know what to do.
@@virginiamoss7045 No, no - I meant at the very start of construction - when the foundation was open and it was obvious. Whoever the original owner was could of - at that time - chosen to drop concrete there (on top of drainage tile)...for what? !-2% cost of construction?
@@Graffenwehr Can you describe what you're alluding to? Drop concrete where and how? Like a basement floor?
@@virginiamoss7045 Like a rat slab - non-structural - with drainage tile beneath it, depending of the elevation of the grade adjacent to it.
What I meant is that I have a hard time understanding why in a part of the country where termite damage is high, humidity and rain are high - thus mold and other issues abound, why you would not - when constructing the building - simply not drop a rat slab in that crawl space and simply eliminate so many of those issues, when the cost of doing so would be 1-2% of the cost of construction (especially considering what it would buy the homeowner(s) going forward).
We live in New England, and the home we just purchased had two rooms with crawl spaces beneath them, plus another inaccessible crawl space adjacent to the main basement. During renovations, I had them rip out the floors and subfloors of the two rooms, yank all the insulation, and then I painted/sealed the joists with three coats paint (previous owners let it slide and it was like a mouse petting zoo)., before dropping rigid, foam sealed, then mineral wool, then the sub and new floors. In the basement I had them saw cut one wall open and I had them pour a rat slab in there as well.
I'm an architect - and what I see in so many of his videos are homes where so much of the infrastructure was neglected and/or poorly put together in the first place - opting instead (I'm guessing from his description of the property) to focus on the materials and more, um, 'visible' parts of the home. It's just ticks me off because so many people purchasing homes have NO IDEA what they're getting into - and you know the real estate people ignore it just to close the deal.
That's all. =)
ratslab.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-rat-slabs/
Termites in a house whose structure is 80% wood should be a reason to declare it uninhabitable or selected to be demolished.
shouldnt home owners isnurance cover this
Excludes Termites