Hunting for Elephants - AND FINDING ONE

[Erby Crofutt]

To paraphrase from someone else (but don't remember who)

I'm always hunting elephants during an inspection. Usually I just finds the lions and tigers and a few bunny rabbits.

Here's an elephant I found yesterday. I know what did it. Do you?

Experienced guys should give the others a chance first!

[Gary T. Heller]

Was the insulation removed when you got to the site or did you remove it? Was there earth to ground contact on the other side of the wall?

[Jae Williams]

Originally Posted by ecrofutt

To paraphrase from someone else (but don't remember who)

I'm always hunting elephants during an inspection. Usually I just finds the lions and tigers and a few bunny rabbits.

Here's an elephant I found yesterday. I know what did it. Do you?

Experienced guys should give the others a chance first!

Oh, heck Erb... that one's easy.


An elephant peed on the wall.

[John McKenna]

Originally Posted by jwilliams4

Oh, heck Erb... that one's easy.


An elephant peed on the wall.

Smells like it to me...

[Jae Williams]

...all the way to Teksas??? WOW!...that's some powerful smeller you got, John.

[John McKenna]

It takes years of practice

Sorry for the thread drift.

[jkogel]

Originally Posted by ecrofutt

To paraphrase from someone else (but don't remember who)

I'm always hunting elephants during an inspection. Usually I just finds the lions and tigers and a few bunny rabbits.

Here's an elephant I found yesterday. I know what did it. Do you?

Experienced guys should give the others a chance first!

Bump. The 4th pic tells the story. If your question is what caused this invasion, I'll wait and see what the others say.

John Kogel
www.allsafehome.ca

[Scott Gilligan, CMI]

Originally Posted by ecrofutt

To paraphrase from someone else (but don't remember who)

I'm always hunting elephants during an inspection. Usually I just finds the lions and tigers and a few bunny rabbits.

Here's an elephant I found yesterday. I know what did it. Do you?

Experienced guys should give the others a chance first!

Where is picture two in relation to the house in picture one? It that the garage, bedroom, living room?

[Larry D. Kage]

Ooooh, there appears to be a nice looking dead spot on the left side of the garage roof up against the dormer.

[Erby Crofutt]

Picture two is the back left corner of the unfinished basement.
Note the concrete foundation wall, the insulation in the I-joists above, the light string for the basement light, the hinges of the door to the exterior, the insulation installed with the exposed facing (for later finishing), etc.

Larry, it was properly sloped, flashed etc. Not there, though that is always something to check. They build a bunch of them that way around here and it's not always done right.

[John Allingham]

Originally Posted by gheller

Was there earth to ground contact on the other side of the wall?

Huh?

[Erby Crofutt]

No fun no more.

See the brick in picture 2.

Gary: Earth to Ground???

[Jay Markanich]

Erby - here they usually separate the brick and wood structure by an inch or so, to allow drainage, with weep holes in the brick (above the grass/dirt line). Also, there is some kind of wrap between the brick and wood framing. Did the insects/andorelephantpee eat the wrap? Do builders there not put wrapping these days (you know, Tyvek, Amoco, etc.)?

[pdoane]

Originally Posted by jmarkanich

Erby - here they usually separate the brick and wood structure by an inch or so, to allow drainage, with weep holes in the brick (above the grass/dirt line). Also, there is some kind of wrap between the brick and wood framing. Did the insects/andorelephantpee eat the wrap? Do builders there not put wrapping these days (you know, Tyvek, Amoco, etc.)?

Ditto

[Erby Crofutt]

Tyvek not required (according to the local code guru(?)).

Spacing is there. But look where the soil height is. Lines right up with the rot inside the structure.

See all them there termites, carpenter ants and carpenter ant eggs. (Picture 4, OP) Boy did the ants start scurrying away with their eggs when I pulled the insulation off of them.