Carpenter Ants / Mold / Foundation Issues

[Mathew Hilton]

Got an inspection report back from a property with the above titled issues. Here are the quotes/pics from the report:

Re carpenter ants:

In the EXTERIOR section: "There is missing siding at the SW corner and the old wood siding is exposed at that location. There is damage to the old trim board from carpenter ants. There may be more damage under the siding in that area or other areas that we can not see"

1. Anyone have experience with carpenter ants? Is this a problem that must be fixed immediately?

2. Would I need an exterminator to tear open all the siding to identify the affected wood?

3. How much has it cost you to fully inspect and exterminate carpenter ants?

Re mold:

"- There is a biological growth present on the roof decking above the improperly vented bath vent. - (See Photo 8) - (See Photo 12) - (See Photo 13)"

1. When you see/read this--would this warrant a more thorough inspection? Or does this seem like a straight-forward, fix the ventilation issue in the bathroom to avoid the moisture build up that leads to the mold?

Re: foundation:

"- The North foundation wall has a bow in the middle area of the brick. The SE corner foundation is cracked. - (See Photo 1) - (See Photo 6)"

1. How bad do these foundation issues seem? Is this an ASAP fix or good for maybe 3-5 years? I don't see any evidence in the report of walls demonstrating any vertical or horizontal cracks. Inspector did make a comment that the siding on the south side wall is bowing out but not sure if that's related to any of the above.

Any thoughts or feedback is appreciated. I'm still trying to get a hold of the inspector to talk through the issues on the phone and I'm just trying to get as many eyes on this as I can.

[Pat L.]

Your bowing foundation issue would concern me the most. 

But carpenter ants 'we have seen a few' & it required ripping out the walls, studs etc of a room to eliminate them. The addition was built without pressure treated & termite treated wood. So they got in & nested for many years & the damage was extensive although from the condition of the outer walls it was not apparent. We then discovered them in the original stairs into the building so they all had to be rebuilt. What we assumed was dry rot in the steps was in fact carpenter ant colonies.

Good luck