Help - Termites are eating my house

[sparkysalmon]

Hi, does anyone know anyone around the Perpignan, France area, who is a builder/carpenter/mason/ anything house related, and ideally understands English?
I came to stay in our holiday home, to study an intensive French language course, and now have a huge structural repair undertaking to organise!
On the off chance-anyone?

I know an English speaker near Perpignan who does small building works/ odd jobs - it's possible that he might know someone, though I doubt he would do anything structural himself (you'll want a registered builder with a decenniale). You are welcome to PM me with some details and I will pass on the enquiry.

You could also try the local English speaking groups on FB, though beware of British builder syndrome - many of them are not properly registered and not reliable and so desperate for money that they will take on jobs they are not qualified to do. (My contact mentioned above is pleasant and reliable and won't take on work he isn't able to do properly.)

Also, beware of scams. If you've been told you have termites following a speculative visit by a travelling salesman, it may well not be true. They prey on the elderly and the unaware to get them to do unnecessary work.

That said, I believe Perpignan is in an area affected by termites, but I would want an assessment done by a local builder with good references before panicking.

Thank you so much for your replies. Sadly, my termites are all too visible, I opened a cupboard door and about 20 were there! The trails they leave and the holes in the ceiling too, so no doubts here, unfortunately.
I have had the inspection done by a termite company but there will be lots of work to put right after, as the ceilings will be pulled down! I will PM the pp with contacts, thank you again.

Termites are fuckers. I'm in Australia and in termite territory. My house is made almost entirely of wood and had termites before I bought it, but minimal damage. I have a chemical barrier and annual inspections to keep it all at bay. There are other methods, e.g. bait and check.

Once it's cleared, it's vital not to store wood on the premises or let the house get damp. My house is on stumps, so has air circulation under the floors. No mistake that the the termite damage was where the house was nearest the ground - house built on sloping ground.

It is not cheap to rectify, but absolutely vital.

Good luck.

Thank you! I'm dreading what we are going to find when they start pulling ceilings down.