WDI Inspections In Cleveland

Why You Need A WDI Inspection For Your Property

Of course, you know that you’ll need a pest inspection when buying a home if you’re taking out a mortgage, but even if you’re purchasing your new home in cash, it’s vital to avoid skipping the Wood-Destroying Insect (WDI) inspection. Though you’re not usually obligated to have a WDI inspection if you’re not taking out a home loan, these inspections are a vital part of the home-buying process regardless. Without them, your investment and the roof over your head could be at risk. 

You might think that a new home pest inspection is just another hoop mortgage companies make you jump through because homeowners are already legally required to disclose existing infestations. However, you can’t always trust that home sellers will be honest. It’s very difficult to prove that a homeowner knew an infestation was present if they failed to disclose. 

What’s more, it’s also easy for honest homeowners to make an innocent mistake. Termites, carpenter ants, and other wood-destroying organisms can fly under the radar for months and even years without the residents of the homes they infest knowing. This means home sellers might sell you an infested house without being aware of that fact; you just find out later. 

For all these reasons, it’s vital to have an expert come in and inspect your home even if you don’t need a home pest inspection for a mortgage. The costs of not doing so could run into the thousands. The good news is you have friendly neighborhood experts on your side. Here at LongPro Pest Control, we can sniff out even the sneakiest termite and carpenter ant infestations so you can be aware of any issues before you sign on the dotted line.

Our WDI Inspection Process

Here at LongPro Pest Control, our experts know how to protect you from unknowingly purchasing an infested home. The first thing we do when we come out to the home you’re looking to purchase is to walk the property looking for the most obvious signs of wood-destroying insects. We’ll look for signs of termites, including:

• Mud tubes
• Frass (termite sawdust)
• Swarms or evidence of swarms
• Warped walls
• Buckled floors
• Sagging ceilings
• Wood rot
• Tunnels in wood

These signs can indicate an advanced termite infestation. We’ll also look for signs of carpenter bee and carpenter ant infestation, such as boreholes and live ants wandering around. 

If we don’t see more obvious signs of infestation, we’ll begin performing a deeper home pest inspection to look for infestations that may be at less advanced stages. We’ll tap on wood throughout the entire house, looking for wood that sounds hollow. We’ll also test the wood for brittleness and breakage. Looking for signs like these allows us to ensure we catch infestations that are in earlier, less obvious stages so that you don’t wind up with problems months or years after you purchase your home. 

We’ll compile all our findings into a report that we can share with you and your mortgage lender. This way, you can know the home you’re purchasing is free of wood-destroying insect infestations, or, in the event we do find evidence of an infestation, you can decide whether you want to back out of the purchase or negotiate a deal with the seller.