Do I have Termites?

[JoeyGee]

In our master bath, we have little piles of dirty sawdust (no, not from me) along the baseboards. There are ants crawling all over them, so I assume it's the ants, but I don't know if ants would do that or not.

This is a second floor bath, if that makes any difference. We had a termite inspection when we moved in 2+ years ago, which came out with no evidence of termites.

[pelligrini]

Sounds like carpenter ants.

[docrowan]

It's carpenter ants, which can be as serious as termites. Unlike termites, they do not actually eat the wood, but remove it to build their tunnels. End result for a homeowner is the same, however. They only chew moist wood, so you've also got a moisture problem. Sorry for the bad news.

[just started]

A moisture problem can also mean a mold problem, so be sure to wear a good mask when you start digging into the drywall.

[LinuxRandal]

I am not an exterminator (IANAE), but from observations, termites, don't like the light. They make tunnels in which they can go up in the darkness. Carpenter ants will come out in the light.

[cabinetman]

If you can find one of the buggers, this is a carpenter ant:
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This is the difference between termites and flying ants:
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[JoeyGee]

It's carpenter ants, which can be as serious as termites. Unlike termites, they do not actually eat the wood, but remove it to build their tunnels. End result for a homeowner is the same, however. They only chew moist wood, so you've also got a moisture problem. Sorry for the bad news.

Well, Chris, you nailed it. Thanks, I guess...

It looks like the shower is leaking from somewhere, or is splashing out. I looked everywhere in the shower, and can see no cracks or holes in the grout or anywhere else--I know, with water it's the holes you never see...

When discussing the situation with LOML, she says she sprays down the shower with the hand held sprayer, including (especially) the glass doors, so I am HOPING that's it.

I can't see any water behind the wall, so I figure it had to come from the front, possibly channeled down the drywall end piece--the plastic "ediging" or whatever it's called.

I was VERY careful, and I did not see any evidence of mold, just wet green board. Nothing appeared discolored and I did not see any spores.

Next question, some ants were coming out on the other side of the shower. I checked that DW and it's all dry. Would they have migrated to a dry area, or should I gut the whole room? Please God, no...

Thanks for all the help. I probably would have let this go without the incredible help.

[docrowan]

Ask This Old House aired an episode just a few weeks ago where Tommy helped a homeowner with a leaking glass shower door in a bathroom on the second floor. I'm sorry I can't remember particulars, but from what I recall it would be worth you seeing if you can look up some info on their website.

[Uncle Cracker]

You may also have a leaky shower pan. In older houses, this was an actual pan made of metal or plastic. Eventually, many of them ended up leaking. Nowadays, they're actually like a rubber sheet, and are much more durable. Unfortunately, replacement is a real PITA, and involves re-flooring and re-tiling your shower.

[eezlock]

do I have termites?

I don't know which one you have, sounds like carpenter ants and they are just as destructive as termites. In any case, would be the time to call Terminix or Orkin or someone else who knows how to deal with these pests!

I had carpenter ants destroy a huge oak tree in my front yard a couple of years back, they ate the heart right out of that big oak from the ground up
to about 12 feet from the ground! Had to have that one taken down before
it could have fallen on the house! eezlock

[mdutch]

Carpenter ants will only eat wood when moisture is present. They are a forest floor critter, going up into dead cores of diseased or otherwise damaged trees (not healthy ones) or eating structural timber in houses and barns where weather or plumbing leaks cause moisture.

Fix the moisture and you lose the ants. However, any damage caused by the ants needs to be dealt with. You may to really take a look at where the water has been going, as it may have crept under the subfloor, soaked the slab, crawlspace, etc.

Assuming you have your plumbing problem fixed and want to attack the ant problem yourself without soaking your house in poison to drive off a few insects that will go away anyway once things are dry, the best low-human-toxicity means is to soak the area thoroughly with a boric acid solution. Boric acid powder is sold as a roach-proofing powder by many hardware stores in plastic squeeze bottles. You can mix it with hot water (sometimes it will slurry more readilly in rubbing alcohol, which can then be mixed with water) and then sprayed on the affected wood, allowing it to soak in. Then put a blower fan on the whole thing and dry it out for SEVERAL DAYS until it is bone dry. You can also pour salt on the wood which will wick out the moisture nicely, then shopvac it out of there. (Be sure to wear a dust mask)

[JoeyGee]

I did see the episode of ATOH that showed water damage caused by a faulty door seal. That led me to my overly optimistic diagnosis. I have since discovered a tile in the shower that is "squishy" with water coming from underneath it when I push on it.

It looks like I will (AT LEAST) be pulling up some tiles. Is there any hope that this one tile/caulk is bad and causing the whole issue? The tile is between the damaged wall section and the drain, so the wall is "uphill" of the suspected bad tile.

I was hoping to build some Adirondack chairs this weekend, but it looks like I am demo-ing, fixing and tiling. Oh joy...

[JoeyGee]

So, I have now discovered my "squishy" tile is firmly embedded. I took the grout out around it, and about half of it is soft and mushy, like it never cured--or maybe wasn't sealed properly.

Anyway, any chance water could have gotten under the grout and migrated to my troubled area? Yes, I am being very optimistic. I may re-grout it, seal it and test it. I would much rather do that than rip everything out.

I thought this thread was on ants and termites. Who hijacked it, anyway?

[MK]

Joe,

Did you ever get to the problem of your troubles? The phot you posted up looked just like the same area of my shower though I don't have any ant problems. I just know there's mositure behind there somewhere as the base wood trim shows some SLIGHT discoloration and the paint meeting the trim is starting to bubble.

I went over the inside of my show with a magnifying glass and there's nothing that I can spot. No squishy tile(s) either. I wonder if the leak is migrating from elsewhere.

-Mike

[JoeyGee]

Mike, I am sorry to say I have not completely found my trouble spot. I did fix the bad grout and waited a week or so to use the shower. When I tested and looked for water, I didn't find any. After using the shower for a week or so, the space behind the wall is wet again--but not nearly as much.

I haven't spent much time on it. I have a lot of other stuff going on, but honestly, I just don't want to mess with it. We have another shower .

Good luck on yours. Let me know how it turns out.