Wood Destroying Organisms- More Than Just Termites
There are three ominous letters that seem to worry just about everyone who owns a home or is looking to buy one: W.D.O. When we hear “Wood Destroying Organisms” or “WDO” the first thing that comes to mind is almost always a giant colony of termites swarming behind the walls, quickly trying to devour the entire house. While termites are one of the organisms that destroy wood, and generally the most destructive, there are other things for which to be on the look out. Wood Destroying Organism refers to specific biological causes of damage to wood. Generally inspectors are concerned with the ones that infest and/re-infest the property causing on-going damage.
What are the different WDOs?
According to the University of Florida IFAS Extention the list is as follows:
- Subterranean and Dry-Wood Termite Varieties.
-As their names suggest, Subterranean Termites live in the ground and generally come up through cracks or gaps in the foundation. Dry-Wood Termites often fly to the site and set up shop behind walls.
- Powder-post Beetles: Lyctinae (true powderpost beetles), Anobiids (deathwatch beetle group), Bostrichids (false powderpost beetles), and Old house borers.
-The acronym LABO is used in the industry to help inspectors remember which varieties are reportable. Only the above beetles re-infest, meaning they reproduce and the next generation will also stay on location and cause further damage.
- Wood Rot aka Wood-decay Fungi: Brown Cubical Rot and Water-conducting Fungi
-For the fungi to be considered “live” two conditions must be met. The moisture content of the wood must be greater than 30% and there must be fruiting bodies present.
Which loan type require an inspector to declare the home free of WDO?
As a rule, VA loans require a clean WDO inspection. Some FHA loans and certain financial institutions also require the WDO report to be clean. This type of inspection is not typically included as part of the basic home inspection. It can be added if the inspector is properly licensed to do the WDO inspection. If the inspector you chose is not licensed, a separate WDO inspection may need to be completed based on loan type and lender.
If WDO is found, the cause must be eliminated and damage must be repaired. The house must then be reinspected and declared “clean” or clear of WDO.
How can you prevent WDO?
The most common form of WDO in our part of the U.S. is Wood Rot or Wood-decay Fungi. To prevent its growth, simply eliminate moisture and the source of the moisture. The easiest way of preventing wood-rot is to keep all wood surfaces painted and covered. Check out our previous post about the importance of painting the exterior of your home http://www.jacksonvillehomes365.com/put-a-coat-on/ . Splashing water often finds its way into unpainted wooden surfaces. Properly installed siding and roofing will be less likely to be affected by wood-rot, but in Florida it is almost impossible to totally prevent it. The creepy crawly WDO can be prevented and eliminated using routine pest control treatments. Bait stations are a great way to battle subterranean termites. Pest spray treatments will prevent beetles and dry-wood termites from infesting.
