Termite Prevention Strategies for New Construction

When you buy an older home, you may be concerned about termite infestation. When you buy a new home, though, that is probably the last thing you expect! How can there be termites in your brand new home? The truth is that there are many different ways that termites can infest a home during the building process. Finding a builder with the right pre-construction strategies will help give you peace of mind that your home is protected against infestation.

Building Materials

One important step in keeping a new home termite-free is using termite-resistant building materials. Lumber that has been pressure treated with chemicals can help keep termites at bay, and many building codes require this kind of lumber in any application that touches soil. This doesn’t take the place of comprehensive termite prevention, but it is useful. Builders are also encouraged to use non-wood materials whenever possible, like steel, brick, stone, and concrete, along siding made of materials like aluminum, steel, gypsum, wood-plastic composites, and fiber cement. Keep your building materials dry during all phases of construction, because termites crave moisture.

Additional Builder Guidelines

There are three primary practices builders should follow to deter termites during construction. First, do not allow any wood or cellulosed-based debris to remain near or under the finished house. Prevent wood in the finished building from directly contacting soil. Additionally, take care during all phases of construction to prevent moisture problems. Depriving termites of food, moisture, and warmth will help keep them from attacking the building. Special care must be taken to prevent termites from invading through the foundation, and this begins with properly preparing the site, making sure there are no logs, stumps, or any other kind of wood debris left where the building will be. When the concrete is poured, there should be no grade or bracing stakes made of wood in the cast into it. If they cannot be removed, the stakes need to be made of metal or plastic, because wood left in the foundation provides an easy path for termites to enter the home. Metal shields and mesh, or sand and crushed basalt foundation barriers can add a further layer of protection.

Enlisting Professional Assistance

Even when all the proper precautions are taken to ensure that the construction process does not invite termites, it may not be enough to prevent termite infestations from occurring in the future. That is why it’s important for new properties to be treated by termite control professionals, who can employ various pest barriers to prevent infestations. There are soil treatments, in which insecticides are applied to the soil under and near the foundation, to create a horizonal barrier. Wood treatment with pest control material is possible, even if the lumber used was not originally pressure treated with pest control chemicals.

Trust MightyMite for Termite Solutions

For termite control in the Bay Area, call the termite control professionals at Mighty Mite Termite Services for a free inspection. At Mighty Mite, we’ve earned a reputation as experts in Bay Area termite control. We perform termite inspections to ensure that your home is free of termites and work hard to help you keep it that way, using termite treatments that are naturally derived, eco-friendly solutions. Understanding that your home is your most important investment, we work hard to provide excellent service, utilizing best practices to solve our customers’ termite problems. For more information, email Info@mightymitetermite.com, call us today at 408.335.7053, or contact us through our website.