Dry Rot or Termites?
Both leave you with wood that crumbles, and both turn up at the eaves. They are different problems with different fixes, and treating one as the other wastes money.
Telling them apart
- Dry rot — wood is cubed and crumbly, often darkened; fungus needs moisture; no insects present
- Subterranean termites — mud tubes running up foundations or framing, hollow-sounding wood
- Drywood termites — small pellet droppings that look like coarse sand beneath the damage
- Both together is common, because the same moisture that feeds rot attracts termites
Who does what
Termite treatment is pest control, and requires a licensed pest control operator — not a contractor. We do not treat termites and will tell you plainly if that is what you have.
Repairing or replacing the damaged wood afterwards is carpentry, which is our work. Many homeowners need both, in that order: treat first, then rebuild.
Common questions
Do I need a pest inspection or a contractor?
If you see mud tubes or pellet droppings, start with a licensed pest control operator. If the wood is simply soft and crumbling with no insect signs, it is almost certainly moisture and rot, which is carpentry.
Will you repair termite damage?
We repair the wood once the infestation has been treated by a licensed pest control company. Rebuilding before treatment just gives them new material.