Wood form - termite invitation

Wood form - termite invitation

Newer construction with brick is merely a facade.  These days, any brick work seldom is structural.  As such, during construction, it must be supported.  Builders need to be exceptionally careful to remove these forms once they are no longer needed.  If they do not the wood becomes an invitation to termites to come near to the house.  Depending on the specie a termite only needs a gap between 1/32" to 1/64" to get inside.  So why invite them to come near to the house?  How do I know that sometimes these forms are not removed?  Because a couple of years after construction the soil has settled, sometimes 6" or 8".  That typically brings the soil level down below the brick line and the forms are revealed.  If you are building a new house with a brick facade, be sure the builder has removed the forms prior to grading the soil against the house!


Jay performs inspections Monday through Saturday, throughout Northern Virginia, from his office in Bristow to Leesburg and Centreville, to Great Falls and Vienna and everywhere in between!