Silver Bullet Pest ControlYou pulled up a board, poked a sill plate, or opened a wall, and the wood is soft, crumbly or hollow. Was it termites, a leak, or both? The answer decides who you call, what it costs to fix, and whether it will keep getting worse. Here's how to read the wood yourself — and how we confirm it.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a few close-up photos of the damaged wood to 973-510-2585 — include one of the surface and one broken open if you can.
Termite damage is hollowed out from the inside along the grain, with layered tunnels packed with dried mud or soil, often next to pencil-width mud tubes, while the surface may look almost untouched; water damage (rot) softens, darkens and cracks the wood itself — often in a checkerboard or stringy pattern — with stains, a musty smell and a clear moisture source nearby. The two often show up together, because termites are drawn to damp wood. Silver Bullet Pest Control can inspect the wood, tell you which it is, treat termites and repair the termite-damaged wood ourselves. Call or text 973-510-2585. NJ License 90568B.
| Look at | Termite damage | Water damage / rot |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Often looks fine; thin outer layer left intact, may bubble or blister like paint | Stained, darkened, swollen, cracked or peeling |
| Inside the wood | Tunnels running with the grain, layered like pages of a book | Wood breaks into small cubes, or turns stringy and spongy |
| What's in the tunnels | Dried mud, soil and droppings packed into the galleries | No tunnels; just weak, crumbling wood |
| Nearby signs | Mud tubes on the foundation, discarded wings, live termites | A leak, drip, condensation, bad gutter or downspout |
| Smell | Usually none | Musty, earthy or moldy |
| Tap or press | Sounds hollow; screwdriver punches into empty space | Feels soft and wet, or dry and crumbly |
| Pattern | Follows the wood grain, often starting near the soil | Spreads out from where water hits, any direction |
| Growth | Getting worse as long as the colony feeds | Getting worse as long as the wood stays wet |
No single sign settles it. Look for two or three that point the same way — and when in doubt, have it inspected.
The termites in North Jersey are eastern subterranean termites. They live in the soil, need moisture, and come up into the house through the foundation. They eat wood from the inside out, so the most important thing to know is that bad termite damage can look like nothing from the outside.
Wood that stays wet long enough gets attacked by decay fungi — that's "rot." It needs a steady source of water, so the damage is almost always close to one.
Rot doesn't leave tunnels, mud or wings. If wood is weak but there's no sign of any of those, water is the likely cause — find the leak first.
Check the nearby foundation, pipes and posts for mud tubes, and the floor and windowsills for wings. Then look up and around for a leak, drip line or water stain.
Push into the wood next to the damage. Termite-damaged wood often gives way suddenly into empty space; rotted wood feels soft or crumbles evenly.
Lengthwise tunnels with mud in them point to termites. Cube cracking or stringy, spongy fibers point to rot.
Wet or cool wood, a musty smell, or mold growth all point toward water — which can also be attracting termites.
Photograph what you see, then leave it alone. Breaking open more wood or spraying it makes it harder to confirm live termites.
Text the photos to 973-510-2585 and we'll tell you what it looks like and whether you need an inspection.
Termites and rot aren't the only causes of damaged wood. Two others are common in North Jersey:
Carpenter ants don't eat wood; they carve nests in wood already softened by water. Their tunnels are clean, with no mud. If you see them, there's usually a moisture problem nearby too.
The most damaging wood pest in the area. Termite damage gets worse as long as the colony keeps feeding, so it needs treatment, not just a repair.
Some beetles, often called powderpost beetles, tunnel through wood and leave pinhole-sized exit holes with fine dust. The damage and treatment are different from termites — ask us if you see this.
Very often, the answer is "both." Subterranean termites need moisture, and damp wood is easier for them to chew. A leaky downspout dumping water at the foundation, a sweating pipe in the basement or a deck board sitting in wet soil can cause rot and invite termites into the same spot.
When we inspect, we point out the moisture problems we see — gutters, downspouts, grading, leaks, wood touching soil — along with the termite activity, so you know everything that needs to be fixed.
This is one of the most common questions — and the honest answer is: it depends on your policy, so ask your agent. In general:
Because the cause can matter for a claim, take photos before anything is removed, and keep any inspection findings in writing. If you're buying a home, a wood-destroying insect inspection before closing is the time to find this out — see VA and real estate termite inspections.
A licensed technician checks the damaged wood and everything around it — foundation, sill line, joists, posts, porches — and tells you whether it's termites, rot, ants or beetles.
If termites are active, we treat them first, most often in the soil along the foundation plus the active areas. Options are explained in bait vs. liquid treatment.
After treatment, our crew repairs termite-damaged wood ourselves — sill plates, joists, beams and framing — so one company handles both. See termite damage repair.
We point out the water problems that caused or worsened it. For rot damage with no insects involved, ask us what we can repair, or have a contractor or plumber fix the source.
Free quote after the inspection; same-day appointments are often available. More: sill plate repair · how to get rid of termites in NJ.
Tell us where the damage is, what it looks like inside, and whether you've seen mud tubes, wings or a leak. Photos help.
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Look for tunnels running with the grain that are packed with dried mud, mud tubes nearby, or termite wings. Rot has no tunnels or mud.
Yes. Termites can make paint blister and wood sag the way moisture does, and termites often move into wet wood. Breaking off a small piece usually shows the difference.
Hollow or papery when you tap it. A screwdriver often punches through a thin outer layer into empty tunnels.
No. "Dry rot" is fungal decay that started with moisture; it cracks wood into small cubes. Termite damage is tunneled and filled with mud.
Very often. Subterranean termites are drawn to damp wood, so a leak can cause rot and attract termites at the same time.
No. Treat the termites first, then repair. New wood next to an active colony just becomes their next meal.
Usually not — most standard policies exclude it. Check with your agent about your own policy, especially for water damage.
It keeps getting worse as long as the colony is feeding, though it usually takes a long time to become serious. That's why finding it early matters.
Yes. After treatment, we repair termite-damaged sill plates, joists, beams and framing ourselves.
Often we can tell you what it looks like from a clear close-up, but live termites and hidden damage need an in-person inspection to confirm.
Las termitas dejan túneles con lodo seco; el agua pudre y mancha la madera. Mándenos fotos al 973-510-2585 — hablamos español.
From our base in Garfield we inspect, treat and repair termite damage in Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
