Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

88 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasant.Pet | www.MountPleasantBuilders.com feature the wood and spray foam insulation and ate their way to the third floor to reach water from a bathroom leak, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage throughout the home. Beware that even if you have in- ground termite control in place, you could still be at risk. “Thirty percent of infestations now are aerial,” Leilich warned. “Formosan termites can start colonies above ground, which are called ‘cartons,’ and they can eat through your roof to enter your house. We have found multiple basketball-sized cartons of termites in the walls of even million-dollar houses, and there are very few visible clues that there is an infestation.” Leilich can find cartons inside walls by using a special infrared camera that detects even a 6-degree difference in a wall void. How can homeowners protect themselves from termites that can attack from the ground or the air and cause an incredible amount of costly damage while going undetected for years? “Homeowners’ insurance does not cover termite infestations, so the best way to protect yourself is to get a termite bond. Call an exterminator and get an inspection and evaluation of your house to determine what kind your house qualifies for, and find out if it is full coverage or a liability bond. Once you have termites, you can’t get a full coverage bond,” Leilich explained. Termite bonds often do not cover aerial infestations, so be sure you understand all the details of your policy. Leilich treats clients’ homes and returns semiannually or annually to do a re-inspection. “We walk around the house, take pictures and make recommendations on what needs to completed to guard against an infestation: rotten soffit or fascia board, trees that need to be cut back, shrubs cut two feet back from the house, any foliage close to the house. Even faulty gutters and items stored against the home are invites for termites,” he explained. The best way to protect yourself is to keep your property clean, make timely repairs and have a termite bond in place. That way, as swarms of insects fly around your exterior lights like moths to a flame this summer, you will have a bit more peace of mind knowing your home is covered. r l estate PET TURF • ARTIFICIAL LAWNS • PUTTING GREENS GOLF TURF • PLAYGROUNDS • ATHLETIC FIELDS SALTWATER RESISTANT TURF For a FREE Estimate, call Marty at 843.618.6611 today! PalmettoMoonSyntheticTurf.com