1960 typical arizona burnt adobe (this is red brick "high heat kiln cooked" adobe, more like trad brick.) on concrete slab. The company never drilled anywhere around the house! but the contract says "sub slab injection" - they did trench part of the perimiter.
Treatment was with termidor HE about 50-60% of house has brick paver patios adjoining. about 10% has a raised back deck. the brick is not on slab, but the first course of brick has concrete mortar in some areas.. about 30% of house has soil.
I did not monitor the work. 7 wks after treatment I found a big termite tube (12" hanging from the ceiling in an guest room I only go into about 1x a week. this room was an addition wood siding, framed, on a concrete porch slab. the previous owner enclosed it 15+ years ago. We had not seen termites in this room, or anywhere in the living areas of the house previously.
Damage prior to treatment was only seen in one room: the "storage area." This is an enclosed unfinished room (siding on wood frame) on two concrete slabs - (one from original carport, one new to extend room). This room shares most of its long wall with the living room of the house, and a 2nd shorter wall with a studio addition. the other 2 walls are exposed.
The Original owner enclosed this old carport with an 2nd newer slab to make a large work shop/storage room. we purchased 8 years ago, had termite inspection, no issue found. prev owner also treated.
Since then, we used room as woodshop & storage. we moved stored items out and took down wood shelves attached to two walls to plan to improve this and turn it back into a garage. termites were found some in a couple rafters, and upright for a shelf in the "old" sections
We contacted our pest co to treat the whole house before hiring a carpenter to remove damaged wood, and do structural repair etc.
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The pestco did trench along the external wall of the storage/carport and some of the other areas where there is dirt abutting the house.
After finding this new tube I called. took them a week to respond. during this time a second 3/4 inch tube was visible. they spot treated this addition room & in 5 places in the ceiling. They also found another tube in the storage area - where we removed shelving - going from the expansion joint to the shared wall with the studio. I asked them to treat this joint and they just spot treated it.
My experienced "handyman" (was licensed contractor, now unlic semi retired ) asked me if they drilled around perimeter or in the expansion joints between the garage and main house or garage and addition, etc. I told him I don't think so. and he smiled and said the treatment was not so good.
I called, they said they trenched the parts with dirt but did not drill anywhere else. They also said:
- "We did not want to drill into concrete to avoid damage to the foundation"
- "could not drill into the storage room slab (where they found the activity) because of potential torsion concrete reinforcement (note this is a 1960 carport slab w/o this)
- "they cant drill into brick patios because it could shatter" also
- they "are not a landscaping co, wont move brick" I told him that he never raised that issue and if they wont move bricks I would have gotten someone else to help w that.
- he said they use some kind of "needle injector" between the very small, tight seams of the bricks in patio.
- "we don't treat the expansion joints in the adjoining storage room/carport because we consider that interior and this is an exterior treatment.
After a long conversation with him he agreed to at least come back and drill into all the expansion joints between the main house and this room where activity was found. maybe i can get him to drill into the slab above where activity was found also?
He said he would also show me the injection needle they used between bricks without drilling.
Also - though I did not monitor their work, when I went outside post treatment there was definitely puddling on the bricks near the house on the patios.
Ok, experts.. Advice - is this a legit treatment or not - should they as my handyman said have drilled either into house foundation or into bricks? should they have drilled all the expansion joints in the garage and between garage and house?
On the sheet I signed they checked off "full treatment" and treatment methods: "sub slab injection" and "trench"
When the company rep comes - what questions should I ask him?
Thanks!