Hello,

I recently purchased a 10 year old home. I treated the house for termites which involved digging a trench around the perimeter. When I dug the trench, concrete from the foundation came off in two different locations. Each maybe a 6"x6" portion that happened to cover straps in the foundation that connect to the wood framing of the house. The metal straps appear to be highly corroded to the point of failure. Is this anything to be concerned about? Are these straps only for initial construction?

Those are tie straps from the foundation to the wall plate. They are permanent and are designed to hold the wall to the foundation. There isn't much you can do without tearing open the wall and use another type of tie. I would get some concrete patching compound and fill in the bad spots.

Get 3 estimates, or more, from local contractors who do foundation work, and you will at least have FACTS to address your concerns, and make a decision for a plan going forward. I don't even know what you mean by highly corroded and at the point of failure is since the nature of metal is to take on a coating of rust over time with exposure. Crumbling foundations though is something to be concerned about, and remedied immediately.

Even new homes are subject to settling and shifting, but you should at least explore at some future time all that happens in the home you just bought, and the options to maintain it. So NO, rusty straps in a 10 year old home would not be at the top of my concern list, or a priority for expensive replacement costs at this time.