5 important things you need to know about termites
Thinking of buying a house? Need a professional pre-purchase house inspection in Adelaide? Give us a call today. We will help you to identify hazards and give you solutions. There are number of things that need to be considered before you sign that final contract, and one of them is termites. Read this article to learn more about this hazard.
What are termites?
They are a very tiny pest also known as white ants that are found all over Australia. Even houses with the most advanced termite proofing solutions are still vulnerable to termite attack if proper care and maintenance is not in place. If termite attack goes unnoticed for a long period of time then the damage can be extensive and in the worst cases the house may be condemned. They will eat anything made out of wood such as floor boards, floor, wall and roof framing, cupboards, window and door frames, etc.
What to look for to identify termites?
Sometimes the first signs of termite damage inside the home come too late and the damage may be unrepairable. Often the termites won’t break the surface of the wood and their tunnels below the surface go unnoticed for a long period of time. Termites don’t like the sun and to protect themselves from other insects will always travel in mud-encrusted tunnels. Mud tunnels rising from the ground up the concrete slab will often mean there are termites. Piles of fine sawdust under window frames and around cupboards may be termite droppings. Termite bait/monitor stations installed around the property will often give advanced warning of a termite attack and they may be used to chemically eradicate the entire colony before a termite even reaches your house.
What are the causes of termite attack?
Major termite damage will almost always be caused by lack of maintenance and neglecting to carry out routine visual inspections. Termites can travel very long distances underground from their nest so the nest may even be several houses away. Therefore, it is not always about how clean the property is kept from timber material that termites can feed on, although it does help to keep timber objects around the home to a minimum, unless the timber is treated.
How to treat termites?
To treat termite damage first the termite nest must be exterminated. To do this, chemicals can be placed in a bait station where the termites are feeding. The termites will carry this poison back to the nest where it will kill the queen and when queen dies, the entire colony dies as well. Or a chemical barrier can be applied around the perimeter of the home to prevent termites from entering.
New houses will have termite chemicals sprayed under the concrete slab or the penetrations through the slab will be protected with a termite proof stainless steel mesh or plastic flange.
Remedial/ structural repairs, timber affected by termites will have to be replaced. This includes framing and structural members, which can potentially be an extensive and very expensive job. Therefore, it is better to protect your house or identify the hazard at the early stages.
Planning to buy a house in Adelaide and would like to get it inspected by a professional family business? Give us a call today!
