Why are the unfinished basements useful for the termite check?
The basements in Clintonville are mostly unfinished, so the foundation walls, the sill and the joists can be read without opening anything. The inspector checks each wall for mud tubes and the sill for damage, and records the wood on soil at each corner.
Clay sewer laterals and cast-iron drain stacks run through many of these basements. The penetrations are recorded and sealed where the gap lets insects in, and the report notes any section that is hard to reach.
How do the bungalows and foursquares differ for sealing?
Bungalows have wide eaves and deep soffits, and the joints under the eaves are where the boxelder and leaf-footed bugs gather in the warm weather. Foursquares are two storeys with a large roof, and the attic vents are the points the visit checks first.
Cape Cods have steep roofs and small attics. The eave and the gable are sealed with a material suited to the roof, and the attic is checked from the hatch.
What about the river and the ravines?
The Olentangy River and the ravines of Adena Brook and Rush Run cut through the neighbourhood. Houses near them can have more wood close to the ground and more damp at the lowest part of the lot, and the outside walk notes each one.
The sources do not link the ravines to a pest pattern, so the visit reports what it finds on each lot and does not assume a cause.
When is the best time to book in Clintonville?
A sealing visit is best finished before the first warm spell of autumn, when the boxelder bugs and the stink bugs look for warm sheltered places. A termite inspection suits a dry period when the basement and the soil line can be reached.
A homeowner with a finished attic or a finished basement should say so when booking, because the access and the visible area change the walk.
What about the ravines and the river bend?
The ravines of Adena Brook, Rush Run and Glen Echo cut through the neighbourhood, and the houses near them sit on slopes. The walk reads the grade and the downspouts on the low side, and the report records any standing water or soil washed against the wall.
Whetstone Park and the river bend sit at the north end, and the lots there are checked as part of the same walk.
Many of the Clintonville bungalows sit with a porch that is only a few feet off the ground. The porch piers, the lattice and the steps are checked for wood on soil, and the report recommends lifting any timber that rests on the ground.
