radiant heat pipes under bathtub?

A word of advice... Take this very seriously. Research termite companies that do drilling in slabs, find out how many Eichlers they've done and then see if any complaints have been lodged against them.
If the termites are in the master bath they are most likely in a lot of other places as well. You should seriously investigate. If you have paneling pull it off and see what is behind it. If you have drywall, cut 4 from the floor up at least 4 inches along the wall, and again at the tops. Subterranean termites started in our master bath, worked their way around the framing that separates the bathroom and the first hall room, along the hall closet, through the screed boards to the main beam in our living room. Let's not forget that they also made their way around the master bedroom and the previously mentioned hall bedroom.
I'd suggest a company that uses Termidor. They will basically have to drill holes along all framing walls, the exterior, and atrium if you have one, to prevent traveling.
If you are lucky the infestation has just started and you can get control of it quickly.
Good luck.

I know it can be tedious to go through all the posts on the board with the search term " termites" but I highly recommend it. You will get a broader sense of the problem and possible solutions.

I, as well as many others, have detailed their experience on this front. As an earlier poster has noted, when we repost the same information it just makes the search trail longer for those who are willing to search.

Therefore, I will say that
1) the question/concern is not new
2) try a search using the term"termite" to see previous postings
3) my personal experience was several years ago, but at least one of my many posts on the subject can be found at:

http://www.eichlernetwork.com/chatterbox_lounge/viewtopic.php?t=506

Good luck.

Jake

thanks for posting the link to the older post along with your search recommendation -- a very constructive way address the issue.

I did in fact read those posts and as I indicated in my message, I'm actually more interested in the process of finding the radiant heat pipes so I can instruct my termite company on how to properly locate and avoid them. So my question really isn't the one you answered before, but more specifically, should I expect to find pipes present under the bathtub? It is fine if the answer is "yes" or "maybe" but if it is definitively "no" that would be a great help to me.

All I can find is a reference to an east bay termite company that has done this work in the past but not any insight into how they can be sure they're drilling safely. Unfortunately, this company does not service my area.

I realize that the title of this topic doesn't really reflect my question, so I've updated it accordingly. Agan, sorry if I've offended because it is clear that people not searching properly strikes a few nerves here. I assure everyone that I will be sure to point out that I have searched before asking questions in the future.

Thanks in advance.

-n.

I, as well as many others, have detailed their experience on this front. As an earlier poster has noted, when we repost the same information it just makes the search trail longer for those who are willing to search.

Therefore, I will say that
1) the question/concern is not new
2) try a search using the term"termite" to see previous postings
3) my personal experience was several years ago, but at least one of my many posts on the subject can be found at:

http://www.eichlernetwork.com/chatterbox_lounge/viewtopic.php?t=506

Good luck.

Jake

If you are not the first owner of this house there may be something that you can look for.
Look around on the floors near walls, and see if you notice any filled in 1/2 diameter holes. A lot of Eichler owners have had their slab drilled before to treat for termites. If this has been done in the past, you have a template to work with.
I've mentioned in previous posts that there are a lot of people out there who can map out you radiant heat system.

Bottom line: there are no radiant heat pipes under my hallway bathtub.

I own a circa 1960 Jones&Emmons, peaked roof, atrium Eichler in the Fairglen tract (Willow Glen, San Jose). When we found subterranean termites about 5 years ago, we ended up choosing to drill and inject. We had heard about laying wet newspaper and turning on the heat to help map the pipes. (We might have even tried it) But we didn't need it. The company we used had drilled in Eichlers before and, though not guaranteed, had not hit pipes yet. They were also successful with us.

They drilled 1/2" diameter holes about 2 feet apart and 6-7" out from the wall along the inside of the wall that had the affected beam and the adjacent wall which separated that bedroom from the master bath They also drilled and injected into the dirt alongside the outside of that wall. (The following year, I realized I should probably have treated the entire perimeter of the house and I did.)

In my model, the laundry closet is in front of the wet wall to the hallway bath. I had previously had the back of the closet open to access the plumbing for the tub/shower. I had been surprised (and a bit unhappy) to find that there was nothing but dirt below the tub--no slab, let alone radiant pipes. I had read about using fine sand or fine mesh screen to help block termites. But when we found we actually had them and had to inject elsewhere anyway, it just made more sense to have them shoot some chemical in there as well--so we did.

If you are interested in the contact info for the company I used, you can post your email and I'll send you the info.

Good luck.
Jake

P.S. A neighbor has recently been told they should drill *within* the main field of the room as well as the perimeter "to be sure". ( I'm no expert, obviously, but I'd question the legitimacy of that. Since the chemical is meant to go back to the nest, and subs return to their nest on a regular basis, treating in the area of known activity should yield a reasonable rate of success.) The company representative was very clear about it not being his company's responsibility if a pipe got punctured. In fact, to make his point, he mentioned another Eichler homeowner who had paid to have their pipes mapped and the termite company's applicator hit a radiant pipe on the first drill. I'd steer clear of any company like that...