How To Look At A House
McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of
site-built, mobile/manufactured and modular homes
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
WDO is a acronym that stands for Wood Destroying Organism. Although a WDO inspection is commonly called a “termite inspection,” it also covers several types of wood-destroying beetles and wood-decay fungi (wood rot)—all of which can damage the wood structure of a home over time. The inspection is a visual one, limited to accessible areas of a home; so, inaccessible parts of a crawl space or attic, along with parts of the home behind dense stored items, are not included. The protocol for a WDO inspection in Florida, and the required two-page form for the report, are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Evidence of carpenter ants and carpenter bees, and their damage, is not included in a WDO inspection report in Florida because they do not ingest the wood, and only bore into it for nesting. For more info, see our blog post What's causing those holes in the fascia? and Do carpenter ants cause structural damage to houses in Florida?
To learn more about WDO inspections, visit our blog post Do I really need a termite-WDO inspection? And see our blog post I think I have termites. What does a termite look like? for help identifying a termite.
To learn more about termites, see these other blog posts:
Visit our TERMITES, WOOD ROT AND PESTS page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.
Water Heater Age
Septic Tank Systems
Structure and Rooms
Termites, Wood Rot
Park Model Homes
"What Is The Difference Between. "
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Flat (Low Slope) Roofs
Electrical Receptacle Outlets
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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