I got close and pushed on the area, and it collapsed into powder. I think it might be termites. Has anyone ever heard of termites in Utah? And are they microscopically tiny little black bugs? Cause I saw some of those in the stairwell too. Smaller than a pin head. And I can't find any pictures of termites on google that look anything like that.
It could also just be water damage. We realized some calking had come off on the shower seat right behind that wall and it has probably leaked. But the little holes in the wall make me think otherwise.
AGH! I thought they only had termites in places like Georgia and California and Hades.
Anyone?
I should add that there are two pieces of good news. One - our house is almost 115 years old. And it is still standing. That does bode well, right? Two - our house is made almost entirely of bricks, concrete and plaster. There is very little wood. So unless these are brick-eating bugs, they can't do too much damage. (Knocking fiercely on wood. I mean brick. I mean...Dang it!)
15 comments:
My vote would be water damage, but I am entirely the wrong person to ask. Good luck figuring it all out.
Ya, I would agree with water damage!
Crap-a-doodle! Good luck with figuring it all and and getting it all fixed. Yikes!
Oh yucky and what a horrible sight to see! :(
The internet is amazing. For some reason I felt like I needed to look this up for you.....I'm also very good at rememberingr useless information.
Termites in Utah - I had no idea!
Termites may be found feeding on wood beams, cardboard boxes, the paper attached to sheet rock and a number of other sources in a structure. There is an increased probability for feeding on any of these items if they are exposed to moisture.
sorry to be the bearer of bad news but YES, Utah has termites....i know because they invaded my bedroom when I was younger and still lived at home.
I would definetly have it checked out by th Orcan man....sorry!
You can totally get termites in Utah. They aren't as common, but in older houses I could see it more.
I doubt that you have them though, Termites are almost Ant-like in looks and size and I think they have wings.. ( I can't remember) But termites aren't black, they are like a tan brown color.
You could call Terminex though just to ask.
I really REALLY hope thats not what you have! Keep us posted!
Sorry, here is the link to the picture.
http://tinyurl.com/n79nr6
...looks like water damage to me too...
..and no termites are not tiny microscopic things....we had termites in Vegas! (which is so uncommon!) We did not know until we were having our Master-bath gutted and re-done...they pulled the shower out and the wood had been a feasting area....so we had to pay LOTS of money to fix the termite problem...Before they could finish our bathroom.
I hope it is not termites for you...because seriously it is EXPENSIVE! ...and it gave me the creeps just thinking about those little bugs being there....I was told they actually live in the ground outside of your house...and just come in to "EAT"...then go back out to live...if you treat your house they usually move along to the neighbors! So maybe a neighbor had them!? That is common!
looks like you need to call in some professionals for sure. :(
OH NO! That sucks! According to FIL who is a contractor. Yes we do have termites in Utah. Sorry, I hope whatever it is can be fixed, and inexpensively.
I would go with the water----if I was voting----especially if the wall if soft...
Good luck with it!
You probably know whether or not you have termites by now, but i checked online and learned that you should find sawdust and shed wings on the floor beneath any termite damage. I never heard of or saw any teeny weenie ones. They do indeed look like ants with wings. I also vote for damp plaster into which assorted bugs (not termites) have moved. Or maybe those are dots of mold. Do they crawl or move?
Did it end up being termites?
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