There are two termite treatments commonly used in Georgia: barrier treatments and baiting. Let’s take a quick look at both methods and consider the pros and cons of each.

Barrier treatments: These methods have been used extensively for many years. Chemicals are injected into the ground around the perimeter of the home forming a barrier that repels and/or kills the termites. Holes are drilled in concrete where necessary (driveways, garage floors, basement block walls, etc.) and are patched after the chemical is injected. The treatment remains effective for up to 5 years.

Barrier treatment advantages:

• Proven history of effectiveness
• Control is more rapid than with baiting systems
• A single treatment generally protects the home for five years

Barrier treatment disadvantages:

• May have an unpleasant odor that can last days or even weeks
• May contaminate nearby water supplies (wells or ponds near the home)
• May not kill the colony but just repel it
• Drilling into concrete may leave cosmetic blemishes
• Requires professional application

Baiting systems: These have been used in this area since 1995. The concept is simple and has been proven effective. Bait stations, consisting of wood blocks, are placed around the perimeter of your home every ten to fifteen feet. Technicians monitor the stations about four times a year for signs of termite activity.

When wood at a station indicates termite activity, the wood block is replaced by a piece of wood treated with a chemical that prevents termite maturation and reproduction or a chemical that prevents digestion and starves the colony. Eventually the colony will be substantially reduced or eliminated.

Baiting system advantages:

• May be installed by the homeowner
• No odor
• Safe for water supply
• Kills or reduces colony size
• Does not require drilling into the concrete

Baiting system disadvantages:

• Requires active maintenance by homeowner or expensive professional monitoring
• It relies on termites finding the stations – will not work if they bypass the station
• Is visible in the yard

Using Both: Sometimes both methods are used to take care of an infestation. The barrier treatment works rapidly to eliminate the active colony and the baiting system helps prevent future colonies from attacking the home.

Georgia Wood Infestation Report

Previously, a standard clause in most real estate contracts required the seller of a property to provide an Official Georgia Wood Infestation Report (commonly called a Termite Clearance Letter) which indicates that there is no active termite infestation. This letter will also note indications of previous termite activity.

Currently, it is the responsibility of the buyer to obtain a Wood Infestation Report. Only a few lenders currently require this clearance letter prior to closing. Despite this change, I still recommend that you inspect 2-3 times per year if you know where to look (or get a professional to check your home on a regular basis).

These reports cover other wood destroying situations as well, such as powder post beetles, wood boring beetles, dry wood termites and wood destroying fungus. These other pests are not as common and are not as damaging as the subterranean termites.

Treatment, Prevention and Questions: If you have any questions, or think you may have an infestation, be sure to seek profession guidance to make an accurate diagnosis. You may want to maintain a termite bond on your home and have it inspected professionally each year.

First, you must take into account that a home with polybutylene plumbing will sell for $4,000 – $5,000 less than a home with copper plumbing with all other things being equal. Ask your REALTOR® to help you determine a fair offer based upon sales from the neighborhood that likely have the same polybutylene plumbing.Do not depend on winning any potential damage claims from the class action lawsuits to compensate you. If you win a damage claim, great, but you need to purchase assuming that you and you alone will be responsible for any corrective action required after completion of the sale.

Jeff’s Note: Enjoy peace of mind, while reducing the risk of damage to your home and personal property, by replacing the plumbing immediately after purchasing the home. Do not wait for it to fail. On the positive side, you will recover most of the expense when you sell the home.

Lets take a quick look at the exterior and interior systems:

Exterior System:

The polybutylene exterior main water service line is a single pipe usually blue in color (although occasionally it is black or grey). It connects the main line in the street to the home plumbing system. There are warning signs when an exterior system fails and cost estimates on repairs.

When the exterior system fails:

• Lower water pressure
• Soggy area in the yard between the water meter and where the line enters your home
• Visible surface water runoff or higher than expected water bills (although this can also indicate a malfunctioning and continually running toilet)

The replacement cost for an exterior system that has failed for a typical home is between $1000 and $1500 dollars for PVC and $200 more if you replace it with a copper line.

Interior System:

The interior polybutylene plumbing system consists of piping and fittings. The fittings are attached to the piping using two different methods. The most common connection method is crimping a copper or aluminum band around the pipe at the joint. Less common are threaded compression fittings. While the piping is made of polybutylene, the fittings are usually acetate or copper. There are warning signs when an interior system fails and cost estimates on repairs.

When the interior system fails, you may see:

• Water spots on walls, damp ceilings or puddles in the floor, depending on the location of the leak
• Substantial damage to the home if the leak is large and it is not shut off quickly
• Damage and/or loss of personal property if the leak delivers a great deal of water into the interior of the home

It is obvious when this system fails and springs a leak. It is critical to immediately turn off the main water valve any time you see indications of a water leak.

The replacement costs for an interior system can be high, especially if structural and personal property damage is involved as the result of a leak. The replacement of piping inside your walls is a large and messy undertaking. The typical cost to change the polybutylene piping to copper piping in a home with two full baths is $4500 to $5000. Add about $900 per extra bathroom. These cost include the repair and repainting of the walls and sheetrock necessarily damaged to gain access to the plumbing, but does not include water damage to other areas, or replacement of personal property damaged in a leak situation.

Jeff’s Note: Locate the main shut off for all utilities (water, electric, gas, etc.) before you have a situation where you need that information.

Maintenance

Unfortunately, there is no way to maintain and prevent this plumbing from failing. There is no test that can determine how long you may have until the plumbing fails. Polybutylene plumbing is not guaranteed to fail, but it is the least reliable system on the market and does have a significantly higher incidence of problems than other options.

Class Action Lawsuits

As a result of problems with this type of plumbing, there have been two class action lawsuits already settled in this matter which may be of interest to anyone who owns or is considering ownership of a home with this type of plumbing:

Spencer vs. DuPont – Under this settlement, Dupont will pay 10% of the replacement costs and 10% of the damaged caused by leaks. This money is payable for qualified leaks if the replacement is made within 15 years of installation. This settlement is generally for interior plumbing with acetate fittings. Check HERE for updates and more extensive information on this settlement.

Cox vs. Shell Oil – Under this settlement, Shell Oil will pay for 100% of the cost for qualified replacement. Qualifying yard service replacement occurs if there is a leak within ten years from the date of installation. To qualify for interior plumbing replacement, two leaks must occur within 13 years from the date of installation for Acetal insert fittings and 16 years for metal insert fittings. Check HERE for updates and more extensive information on this settlement.

If hardboard is installed properly and if it is maintained consistently then it can hold up well. Virtually all homes in the Alpharetta area built prior to 1997 will have some type of hardboard siding on them. Understand that not all homes that have this type of siding exhibit problems and often any existing problems can be addressed.Make sure you check the responses to questions 11(b),(c) & (d) on the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement. These questions should let you know the status of any claim by current or previous homeowners. Do not purchase a home with damaged siding in anticipation of a class action settlement. There are many factors, which may prevent a successful claim.

It is imperative to get the home inspected by someone well-versed in the potential problems associated with hardboard siding before you purchase.

If the home you want to purchase has damaged siding, it should be addressed during the negotiation of your original contract or with the Amendment to Remove Inspection Contingency. Failing to address this issue during the buying process is risky and ill advised.

Most importantly, with this type of siding it is imperative that you practice excellent maintenance. For more information, see the Hardboard Siding page.

It is critical that your home inspector thoroughly evaluate the condition of the siding. Often they will identify the manufacturer. Moisture is the enemy of this siding and the majority of damage to the siding will occur where it is exposed to water. Pay special attention to:

• Chimneys
• Lower portions of a two story home
• Any joint or seam that is not well-caulked
• Nail heads driven through the surface of the siding and not caulked
• Any spot where a sprinkler system may spray regularly
• Any location where a gutter may overflow

Jeff’s Note: If an area of the siding is significantly damaged and moist, you need to be aware that there may be mold growing inside the wall. See the mold section of this site for more information.

Possible Associated Costs

It is expensive for a homeowner to buy a home in need of corrective siding:

• The cost to replace the siding on a home varies widely depending on the size of the home and the type of siding selected
• For a standard sized family home, costs are approximately $6000 for vinyl and $10,000 for cement-based siding including painting
• If only a small section of the siding is damaged, partial replacement and repairs are possible and will cost much less

Alternative Options

Since 1997, area builders have moved toward the use of cement-based siding or vinyl siding. Some vinyl siding products are good and some are not. Pay close attention to quality and realize that inferior vinyl siding will not be better than hardboard siding. The cement-based products are outstanding. They hold paint well, they resist fungus, and are extremely durable. Some brands offer fifty-year warranties.

Class Action Lawsuits

Many of the hardboard siding manufacturers are in involved in, or have settled, class action lawsuits to reimburse owners of homes with defective siding. The following is a partial listof these companies. The first four on the list made the siding most commonly used in the Alpharetta area.

• Louisiana Pacific
• Georgia Pacific
• Masonite
• Weyerhaeuser
• Abitibi-Price
• ABT Canada/Canexel
• Boise-Cascade
• Temple-Inland
• Jefferson Smufit
• Stimson
• Celotex

You will find the conditions for settlement qualifications on these companies’ websites. Make sure you check the responses to questions 11(b),(c), and (d) on the Seller’s Property Disclosure Statement. These questions should disclose the status of any claim by current or previous homeowners.