I come across many instances of termite damage during my site inspections of old houses. Most of the time the home owner does not know that termites have been eating away at their structure until it is brought to their attention. Sometimes termite damaged studs or floor joists are found during renovations. One simple sign that most home owners miss is ants crawling inside their home. A typical home owner’s first response to ants inside their home, or to termite damage, is to call the exterminator. This is a mistake and a total waste of their money, not to mention the environmental hazards of the chemicals used. Exterminators can eliminate ants inside or outside the house perimeter for a short period, but this is not a long term solution. Ants and other insects are not supposed to enter your home. And if they do, that means there are hidden cracks and holes in the exterior of the house. Long term solution is to find the cracks and holes where ants are entering the house and then properly closing those entry points. You can start by walking around the house foundation wall looking for ants. If you see ants, you can follow their path and find the entry point. Other times it is not so easy and the remediation involves excavating around the foundation wall. Just keep in mind that it is less expensive to close cracks and holes than to rebuild walls and floors.
Tile Shopping
Have you gone tile shopping recently? New tile stores are popping up in every neighborhood. It is a lucrative business these days because of beautiful and cheap Chinese tiles which are flooding the U.S. market. Recently I had to select tiles for a bathroom with a shower. It was not an easy task because I was looking for tiles made in the U.S. There are basically two established American companies, Datile and American Olean, with web sites where it tells you where the tile is manufactured, charts that have thickness of the tile, and recommended grout thickness. Their selection is limited and they do not have huge mosaic selection. They are behind and are not competing with the foreign made tiles. There is a demand for more varieties and Chinese companies are responding to that demand. Last but not least, want to tell you why I prefer tiles made in the U.S. Living environment has to be safe and free from toxins. Companies in the U.S. have to abide by many standards, but I do not know if the same standards exist in a foreign country, most likely not, or if it exists, it is just on paper. Here is my tip. If you go to a web site and cannot find the origin of the tile, it is a good assumption that it is not made in the U.S. And, ask the store. If they can not tell you right away where the tile is made, most likely it is not made in the U.S. I just wish American companies start competing in the market.
