Termite Damage Signs in Walls: What to Look For at Home

If you have noticed something odd about a wall in your house and gone looking for answers, this is written for that moment. I inspect Sydney homes for termites every week, and walls are one of the places people check themselves before they call anyone. Here is what I actually look for when I am checking walls, so you know what is worth worrying about and what usually is not.

Hollow or dull sounds when you tap the wall

Solid plasterboard or timber has a certain sound when you knuckle-tap it. If a section sounds hollow, papery, or dull compared to the wall around it, that can mean termites have hollowed out timber framing or eaten through the paper backing of plasterboard from behind. Tap along a wall in a grid, not just one spot, and compare. One hollow patch on its own is not proof of termites, but it is a reason to get it checked properly.

Paint that is blistering, rippling, or bubbling

Termites moving through a wall cavity bring moisture with them, and that moisture can show up as blistering or rippling paint on the surface, sometimes mistaken for water damage. The pattern is usually irregular rather than a neat water stain, and it will not necessarily line up with a pipe or a roof leak. If you press gently on a blistered patch and it feels soft or gives way, that is worth noting for whoever inspects it.

Mud tubes or mud leads on the wall surface

This is the clearest visual sign and the one I get the most photos of from worried homeowners. Subterranean termites build narrow mud tubes, roughly pencil-width, running up brickwork, timber, or plasterboard. They use these tubes to travel from the soil to the timber in your walls while staying protected from the open air. If you see a raised, brownish trail like this on a wall, skirting board, or where a wall meets the floor, do not scrape it off before someone has had a look. It is one of the few signs that is genuinely diagnostic rather than just suspicious.

Doors and skirting boards that suddenly stick

Timber that termites have been feeding on can warp slightly as its structure is hollowed out, and nearby doors or skirting boards can start sticking or binding when they did not before. On its own this is a weak sign, doors stick for plenty of reasons including humidity and seasonal movement, but combined with a hollow sound or a mud lead nearby it moves up the list of things worth checking.

Small pinholes in plasterboard or paint

Fine pinholes in a wall surface, sometimes with a bit of fine debris around them, can be an exit or entry point. It is easy to confuse this with other pests, so do not assume the worst from pinholes alone. If you are unsure whether what you are looking at is termite related or something else entirely, a photo and a proper inspection will tell you far more than guessing.

What to do if you have spotted one of these

None of these signs on their own means you definitely have termites, and I would rather tell you that plainly than talk you into panicking. But a mud lead on a wall, or a hollow sound combined with anything else on this list, is worth an inspection rather than a wait-and-see. I use a thermal imaging camera and a moisture meter on every inspection, which picks up temperature and moisture differences behind the wall that you cannot get from tapping and looking alone. I write the report on-site and hand it to you before I leave, so you are not left waiting to find out what I found.

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Common questions

Does a hollow sound in a wall always mean termites?
No. Hollow sounds can come from cavity construction, thin plasterboard, or old repairs. It is one sign among several, not proof by itself.

Can I check for mud tubes myself?
Yes, you can look along skirting boards, brick piers, and where walls meet the ground. If you find something that looks like a mud tube, leave it alone and get it looked at rather than breaking it open.

Why does moisture matter so much for wall signs?
Moisture is one of the biggest factors that draws termites toward timber in the first place, and it is also what shows up in blistering paint or on a moisture meter reading. That is why I check for it directly rather than relying on what I can see with the eye alone.

How is a wall check different from a full termite inspection?
Checking a wall yourself only tells you about that one spot. A full inspection covers the subfloor, roof void, external timber, and the slab edge as well as the walls, because termites do not stop at one room.

Concerned about something you have found in a wall? Call me directly on 0405 790 927 and I will talk you through it.