House Repair Questions

Factual Questions
1

I just bid on a house and had the inspection the other day.
(The house is located in Northern New Jersey)

There are various problems with the house, including (1) termite damage to several joists in the basement; and (2) a leak from the shower into the basement. Also, the house has had water problems in the past - the basement now has a drain and sump pump, which currently seem to be doing their jobs.

The house is located on a hill - there is higher ground in the backyard, and the front lawn slopes down to the street.

My questions are as follows:

(1) Assuming we treat for termites and repair the termite damage, will the house always have a stigma as a house that has had termite problems? (i.e., will it be hard to re-sell?)

(2) Similarly, if the house has had water problems in the past, assuming they are fixed, will the house be stigmatized somehow?

(3) Roughly speaking, how expensive is it to replace a shower stall? The inspector said that there is a “lead shield” that needs to be replaced, and that it would be quite expensive - perhaps 3 thousand dollars. A contractor who looked at it estimated it at about $1200.

(4) Roughly speaking, how expensive is it to treat for termites? (It’s a ranch style house on about 1/3 acre.)

Thanks in advance.

2

  1. There should be no “stigma” attached to a house due to previous problems, if said problems are completely corrected.

  2. See above

  3. What floor of the house is the shower on? Is the $1200 to repair the water damage as well? $3000 to replace a shower stall is insane.

  4. I don’t have a clue, we don’t have termites in WI.

How old is the house? You do realize that you can require these repairs to be made before you make an offer, right?

Good luck with everything.

3

(3) Roughly speaking, how expensive is it to replace a shower stall? The inspector said that there is a “lead shield” that needs to be replaced, and that it would be quite expensive - perhaps 3 thousand dollars. A contractor who looked at it estimated it at about $1200.

I had two bathroom leaks in my house that I bought. we had a number of people come through and look at it and range in price from around 3k to 10k. The 10k was Sears. We have tile in the shower so that is different than just a stall. I can see the tile being more expensive than just plastic. I’m not even sure if they ever put a lining under the plastic kind and they do not use the lead shields any more, ours is just concrete.

As for the termites in MD you always have to tell the next buyers if there was damage to the house. not sure how bad it might be since mine didn’t have the damage.

4

It’s a 1950 house, and the shower stall is right above the basement (it’s a ranch)

If we proceed, I plan on squeezing a few bucks out of the sellers.

I agree that $3000 seems high, but the inspector claimed it was very expensive to replace a “lead shield” (don’t ask me why - perhaps you don’t want superman peering in.)

Oh, and the water damage from the shower leak is minuscule.

Thanks for your thoughts.

5

Yep about 3k is what it was to put in a new shower & bathroom floor for us in Calif in 80’s.

I don’t know about the termite thing because I can’t see what they did, they are pretty common though. Call a termite comp & ask for the rates for a tenting.

6

Apparently I need to get into the shower installation business. Even with nothing existing except a drain, I think I could frame up an enclosure and install a shower for less than $500.

handy was there an existing drain, or did you need new plumbing done?What kind of floor and how many sq. ft.?

7

Lead sheet isn’t used any more AFAIK, lead being an environmental and health no-no. Perhaps there is some cost associated with properly disposing of the old lead shield?

You could certainly make the purchase contingent on the seller repairing these problems to your satisfaction.

8

thought this said “horse repair questions”

9

True enough. But I can’t be too greedy because it was understood all along that I was buying a house that needed some work.

Ultimately, I asked for $3000 to repair termite damage; $500 towards boiler repair (there was an exhaust leak); $500 towards repair of rotted windows; and $1100 for termite treatment (or evidence of recent treatment).

(I got an estimate on the termite treatment for $1100.)

In any event, I have reason to believe that the house is currently under a termite contract - we’ll see.

Oh and August, I suspect that if you are a half-decent workman, you could make a killing in northern New Jersey. Apparently, until 6 months ago, it was difficult to even get a contractor to return a phone call. Even now, they are all very busy. Of course, you will need the extra money you make to pay your exorbitant rent/mortgage payment. :eek:

Thanks so much for the info, guys.

10

When we moved into our house there was termite damage discovered at the home inspection. The previous owners had a termite contract and the bug company had to pay to fix the termite damage. ($2500 - main beam) (The bug man had his brother’s home improvement company do the work…and they did a poor job. I smell a kickback…)

I’ve had the house under a termite contract ever since.

However, I don’t think I’m responsible for informing any potential buyers of problems that were fixed prior to the sale to me. Only for problems that existed in the sale to them. Since the termite problem was fixed prior to our settlement, I am under no obligation to tell any future buyers of the house. If that were the case, then when you bought a house, you’d have a list of every problem ever fixed in the history of the house! I am not a lawyer and these statements are purely my assumptions - not based on anything else.

I’d recommend checking with your settlement attorney.

11

August West, it was a tile shower, tiles everywhere. The owners told me what it cost them.

Might have been better to search here first as home inspection has a few messages on it already. Then you would have seen my idean of getting an ice pick & going around & poking the wood to see how much ROT & termites the house has.

12

How timely. We just (i.e. finished three days ago) had our shower fixed. We too have a ranch with the shower above the basement. It was a tiled shower with a concrete-ish base. It had leaked and rotted out the floor underneath and was threatening the joists.

We opted to go with a plastic shower stall and floor. Grand total was $1700.00. That included about $700.00 in materials and the rest in labor (at $40.00 an hour). There was some unexpected tiling expense at the end to blend in the old with the new. Looks great.

13

My knowledge of this is specific to Austin, Texas.

(1) Where I live it is assumed that each and every house will eventually get termites. It’s just a matter of time, but a good treatment will last for years. So why don’t they just treat for termites when they build the house? Well, I asked my termite guy that question he gave a reasonable answer but I’m afraid I forgot what it was. Sorry. Anyway around here there is no stigma attached to a house that has been treated for termites since they all have been or will be.

There are also some regulations regarding termite treatments. Under my sink are two stickers documenting when each treatment was done and what poisons were used. The stickers are not to ever be removed.

(2) I doubt it. It’s fixed, right?

(3) Before you install a new shower make absolutely certain the problem is not just a small gap in the tile somewhere. Almost all shower leaks are because of this, and this is a cheap and easy recaulking effort. Generally the problem is where one type of material meets another, e.g. where tile meets fiberglass tub. I’m very suspicious of this “lead shield” thing.

(4) It’s very expensive. As I recall, one of my duplexes cost $800, and that was 10 years ago.

14

If I may ask, in what part of the country is your house located?

Thanks

15

Termites are common in Northern Jersey. I live and work in Rockland County, NY. I’m in the termite field, and believe me when I say the Hudson Valley area is termite territory.

handy, tenting for termites isn’t really done in this area. Soil treatments are adequate. California has formosan and drywood termites, which may necessitate tenting, but the colder climes of the northeast are too harsh for anything but eastern subterranean termites.

Back to the OP:

When you sell a house, you’re dealing with more than the buyer. You have to contend with the lender. If the inspection reveals a termite infestion (not damage), the bank probably won’t issue a mortgage. Once the seller produces documentation that the property was treated, the bank usually says OK.

Of course, the buyer is another story. Anyone who is not a first-time buyer will probably have enough experience and savvy to realize that no house is perfect, and termites come with the territory. They will most likely adopt the attitude of the bank. “It’s been treated? OK.” But neophytes looking for the storybook house of their dreams may become spooked by it (irrationally, as it turns out, and hopefully they’ll wise up over the process of shopping). There’s nothing you can do in that case except produce proof that the house was treated and hope they find that acceptable.

If you’re going to have the house treated, do yourself a favor and do your homework. Check out the pros and cons of liquid barrier treatments vs. baiting systems. There are more than one baiting system available, and they are not all the same. Make an informed decision.

Second, find out about the terms of the contract. What does the company guarantee? Termite guarantees are not the same as guarantees on other goods and services. None of them ever state that you’ll never get termites again. Most of the guarantees say something along the lines of re-treating the area of a re-infestation. Make sure you understand this.

And don’t let the contract lapse. Most termite contracts are for one or two years, with an annual renewal fee thereafter to keep the contract (and the guarantee) viable. Do not let the contract lapse. Also, find out ahead of time if the contract is transferrable to a new homeowner. In most cases it is, since the property is what’s under contract, not an individual. There may be a transfer fee, though, so look into that as well.

You didn’t say how bad the damage is. Keep in mind that the wood members of a house can sustain a certain amount of damage before their structural integrity is compromised. Repairs may not be necessary, except for cosmetic purposes.

The cost for termite treatment is usually done based on the lineal footage of the house. Shop around and ask. Ranches are usually in the neighborhood of 175 to 200 lineal feet, so I’m guessing in this area of the country, between $1700 and $2400. Anything lower and the guy is not treating adequately. Anything higher and you’re being ripped off. Didn’t the original owner have it treated, or did you buy a house that has an active infestation?

16

Connecticut. And forgot to mention, it took about 3-4 days total.

17

DAVEW0071, I’m in California & we have a redwood house. Termites are supposed to NOT eat redwood but the owner said that there is one type that does & they are eating like crazy, hungry little buggers. Do you know what type it is?

18

handy, have you confirmed that it’s termites chompin’ yer domicile and not some other wood destroying insect? Ya gotta know yer enemy before you plan a strategy of attack.

That said, are there any physical signs of an infestation? Mud tubes? Small brown pellets? Any sawdust-type residue? Small circular emergence holes?

Alas, since I’m trained only in northeast sector bugs, I only know from them. Formosan termites and drywood termites aren’t this far north.

But I’ll give it my best shot, and maybe you can do some scouting around. BTW, the internet is great in this regard. Lots of universities have websites and if they have entomology depts you can find a lot of useful info without feeling like they’re trying to sell you something. Check it out.

Anyway, here are some symptoms and their related pests:

You’re right that termites aren’t real gung-ho on redwood and cedar. Not that they’ll avoid them like the plague, but they’ll utilize another food source first. I don’t know about formosans, but eastern subs leave mud tubes on exposed surfaces such as foundation walls or basement/garage slabs. If you find a mud tube and break it open, you might actually see the little white buggers traipsing around. Formosan colonies are larger, and more aggressive feeders. And for all I know, they may not mind redwood as much as the eastern subs.

Drywood termites actually nest in the wood (people have bought furniture that’s already infested with drywoods). They leave small, oblong fecal pellets, beige in color. If you see any of these, think drywood termites. Again, I don’t know about their feelings on redwood.

Powder post beetles get into trees before they’re milled, lay eggs in the grain and then the larvae hatch and eat their way out, leaving tiny round emergence holes and a powdery residue. I’ve seen them in the fir used in framing and in oak floors, so they may not discriminate much as to flavor.

Carpenter ants I assume you can figure out for yourself. If you’re seeing huge black ants parading all around, that’s them. And they leave a coarse wood residue that may also contain body parts. When they clean house, they clean everything, even the dead guys.

I wish I could be more helpful, handy, but there aren’t a heckuva lotta redwoods in southeastern New York.

Two final suggestions, 1) do a search on “termites” (the University of Toronto has an informative site, IIRC) and 2) call a reputable company and ask for an inspection. Usually they’re free. Then at least you’ll know what you’re up against from someone who has seen firsthand and also knows the critters in your neck of the woods (so to speak).

19

I am having a very similar problem as a seller but rather than hijack this thread I started this one