Category Archive: Termite Damage

Repairing Termite Damage

Termites are insects that can wreak havoc in your home. They are tiny but dangerous. The house or structure will not be safe if there are termite infestations. Termites can cause damage to your structural wooden foundation, floor, wooden posts, ceiling and even your drywall. Termite damage can be hard to detect. It usually starts within the wood, that is why it would look the same outside but the truth is, there is already termite damage within. When we are sick, we find the symptoms and determine our illness. It is the same with termite damage; we need to know the signs so that we can find the proper termite control.

Common Signs of Termite Damage

Some of the signs of termite damage that you should look out for are discoloured or sagging sheetrock on the ceilings or walls. The floors are buckling or sagging. The tiles are loose. The hardwood floor pops up. The paint peels easily. Wood crumbles easily. There is a hollow sound when you tap the wood.

Structural Damage from Termites

Damage from termites can range from very minimal to major structural damage. Minor damage would mean a part of the wall is hollow, or there are small holes in wooden furniture or cabinets. The major damage would be collapsed ceiling or wall. This would mean repair expenses that are why it is crucial to have early detection of termite infestation to minimize the cost of repairing termite damage.

Termite Damage Control Cost

There are two things one has to consider when dealing with the termite damage cost. The primary cost is about the damage caused by the wooden furniture and structure. The secondary cost is the treatment of the areas where the nests of the termites are located. Both costs are important because you also need to control the termites so that there would be no more further damage to the structure.

The cost of the treatment will be computed based on the area being treated. Chemical or fumigation extermination is more expensive than bait or heat extermination. For larger areas, it would be more expensive and costly. The computation for the cost of the termite damage control cost is based on the suggestion of the National Pest Association Management.

Termite Control Treatment

There are several ways to control the termites. There is the chemical or fumigation termite control. This is considered the most costly treatment; because the chemicals used here is very expensive. Only an experienced pest controller can do this kind of treatment. The assurance that dry wood termites will be eliminated is high. Aside from the chemical, the wear and tear of the machine used is also included in the cost.

The bait treatment can be done either by a professional pest controller or it can be a do-it yourself project. Baiting can be a bit cheaper because it may take longer to take effect. The areas of infestation may not be covered thoroughly and would need for a repeat of the treatment.

There is also the heat treatment that will drive out the termites. These are some of the termite control you can use to get rid of termites.

Repairing Termite Damage

If the damage caused by the termites is too extensive already, then there are several ways on how to repair the termite damage. The pest controller would need to stop the invasion first. One has to check that the colony has been eliminated to proceed to the next step. It would be useless to replace the wood if the colony of termites is still present. It would just destroy the new wood. The inspector gives a green light for the repair then that is the only time to proceed to the next step.

The worst that could happen is a total demolition of the destroyed parts of the structure. Plumbing and electrical wires may be affected. You will need to turn off or disconnect the utilities in order for you to gain access to the damaged areas. It can really be costly if one has no experience in changing the damaged parts due to the termite infestation.

If the utilities are not affected by the termite damage, then you might just end up changing some of the wooden walls that were affected by the termites. You can just add a new piece of wood next to the damaged wood. The new wood you have put up would serve as support to the structure.

Termite damage is a costly undertaking. One is not sure how big the damage will be. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable that a thorough inspection should be made of the area if there is already suspected termite infestation. If one is already aware of how big the termite damage is, then it is time to think of what will be the best termite control to be used, and how to repair the damage caused by the termites.

Do Termites Damage Drywall?

Do termites damage drywall? Well, termites have been causing a ruckus to homeowners on home management which is why asking such question is too common for anyone to overlook. Drywall, also known as sheetrock, is one particular type of construction material used on ceilings and walls. It is partly made of cellulose making it vulnerable to termite attacks. In order to prevent any infestation, necessary preventive measures must be made and strict home inspection schedules must be adhered.

As homeowners, you must be constantly vigilant with what’s happening to your property. Look for termite evidence so you can immediately call on professional exterminators for termite treatment. Termites attack just about anything that is wood and has cellulose. Do termites damage drywall also? Yes. So as part of termite control, look for early signs of termites before ultimately risking your home to further costly damage.

Termites have signatures all over wood structures when they are slowly devouring your properties. One sure sign of their annoying existence would be the presence of mud tunnels lining within or on the exterior of your walls, on the foundation of your house, ceilings or floor beams. Because termites, particularly subterranean termite species, rely on soil and moisture in order to thrive, they build mud tunnels as their ‘highway’ to their food source. The most active termite species typically attack wood from within. This explains why another sure sign of infestation is hollowed walls. If you look within that hollowed area, you will find that it is already chewed out and evidence of mud tubes behind the walls are visible. Termite damage drywall. One sure giveaway to termite damage is the appearance of tiny ripples on the surface of the drywall. It shows a distinct trail of termite infestation. Termites sometimes make tiny holes on drywall paper, the size of a pin, as their exit back to their nest. Subterranean termites use soil to fill in the holes they are digging while drywood termites do not.

After asking yourself ‘Do termites damage drywall?’ and finding out the answer, it is high time for you to contact your trusted specialist so that a termite inspection can be done before any significant damage is done to your property. Termite extermination may cost you a great deal of money, but it is an investment on your property, nonetheless. What’s good about it is that most termite control companies offer warranties on the services they provide, a follow up inspection and check up and of course, reliable tools and methods in treating termites. It is hassle free and saves you time. However, if you prefer doing the treatment yourself, there are available do-it-yourself termite control kits available for you to use. Termite treatment uses toxic chemicals in order to effectively get rid of termites. This fact alone can be very dangerous if done improperly. Untrained hands and eyes can considerably affect on how effective the treatment is on termites. A failed treatment equates wasted money, time and effort. You do not want that. So unless you are confident enough of doing the treatment yourself, you may be better off with a professional dealing with your problem.