Damage-Free Inspection Service Allays Homeowners Fears

Bill McInarnay of Alachua, Florida had plenty of worries about the structural integrity of his 1800 sq. ft., timber frame home. The two-story house was made entirely of wood with 4x12 pine beams on 4 centers, 2 x 4 conventionally framed walls and ceilings made of tongue and groove wood. To top it all off, the house supported a cypress shake shingle roof.

The Challenge

It was the roof that really shook Bill into action when he prepared to replace $17,000 worth of shingles. Several years ago, he had discovered the presence of powder post beetles and old house borers and, when removing the old roof, he found drywood termites. So before applying the shake shingles to the steeply pitched roof, he wanted to be sure the integrity of the beams was sound. Because these large beams were placed on 4 foot centers, if just one beam were damaged, there would be significant structural damage.

The Solution

McInarnay called the University of Florida entomology and nematology department for a reference to someone who could perform an effective inspection. Ray Meyers was recommended and promptly met the challenge armed with high tech equipment and years of experience. Ray came right out. I was a little concerned about drilling a lot of holes to do this inspection, but I was really impressed with the equipment he used and how few holes were drilled, according to Bill.

Fortunately for Bill, Ray found very little damage from drywood termites. I was totally reassured after the inspection. It was quite a relief to know that the house was sound and I could proceed with the new roof, explained Bill.

When we knew about the drywood termite infestation, we set up a protocol for testing and top of each timber and down 2-4 feet on the inside and outside of the rafter tails. That way, our data would be consistent throughout the structure and give us the best idea of the presence and/or extent of damage, explains Ray Meyers, owner of RJM Contracting. Performing the inspection following these protocols enabled us to determine that there was no damage to the area of structural support. We left no visible evidence of our investigation because the probe holes were incredibly small.

The RJM Experience I was so impressed with Rays knowledge, his equipment and the fact that he could ascertain the integrity of the beams in my home without damaging the house in the process, Bill says. Rays a great communicator and spent time explaining to me what he was doing and learning from the various charts produced by his Resistograph.

Bill can rest assured that there was only minimal damage caused by previous beetle infestations and the drywood termites found during the roofing process.

RJM Contracting provides damage-free inspection services for historical societies, pest control companies, inspection companies, home and business owners and others.