If you plan to build a custom home, nothing can spoil the celebration of new beginnings like discovering your home has termites. Besides the risk of termite-transmitted diseases and a structurally compromised home structure, termite treatment options can become astronomically expensive in a flash and are generally not sustainable solutions.
So, what preventative measures can you take to ward off household pests capable of mass destruction? First, realize that once the structure is already built and the concrete slab is placed, your termite treatment options dwindle. However, there are ample opportunities for pre-construction termite prevention. By enlisting pest control experts like these, you can successfully shield your home from ravenous invaders like termites.
Remember, pest control procrastination should never be your go-to strategy. After all, property damage can inflict undue wear and tear on your wallet. Not to mention, most homeowner’s insurance policies refuse to cover your costs.
So, how do you spot (and eradicate) these disease-ridden visitors? For those with minimal pest know-how, termites typically bury themselves into furniture and walls. Unfortunately, homeowners don’t realize a termite stakeout is in progress until these pests become fully mature, giving them free rein to inflict damage—if left undetected and untreated. For these reasons, you should consider pre-construction termite prevention when constructing a house or other structure.
Strategies for pre-construction termite prevention
While it’s impossible to prevent pests with absolute certainty, pretreating your property can significantly reduce the chance of termite invasion. There are many effective strategies for pre-construction termite prevention that can spare you from the headache of termite-induced property damage.
Use soil pretreatment
Pretreatment or pretreat is the most common method in preventing termite damage. You can stake your claim over these insect invaders by saturating the soil with conventional liquid treatments or termiticides. Note that soil pretreatment is conducted in stages, from constructing the foundation through the final grading of soil. For best results, complete the final application stage after the final grading to avoid disturbing the treated soil.
After the soil is treated, construction can commence. For those torn between treatment options, the benefit of soil pretreatment is that it guarantees full-coverage protection from these structurally devastating insects. It also blocks termites from intruding the most common access points such as pipe penetrations, cracks, and control joints in concrete and crawl spaces.
Use perimeter treatment
Perimeter treatment is another strategy for termite prevention that is similar to liquid treatments. To do so, start by drilling holes in the adjoining slabs. Then, funnel these termite-eradicating chemicals into the soil around the foundation to form a chemical barrier.
After applying the chemicals, the holes are filled with cement and become unnoticeable. Because these chemicals are non-repellant, the termites will carry these chemical-infused remnants back to their nests, exterminating the termite colony.
Install physical termite barrier systems
Unlike the soil pretreatment and perimeter treatment strategies, a physical termite barrier system doesn’t depend on pest-clearies chemicals. Instead, this system relies on material strength to block termites. By installing a protective layer underneath the structure or around the perimeter, you can deny access to hungry pests seeking refuge. Thus, it offers a long-term solution without the need to load up your property with dangerous chemicals.
Go green with integrated pest management
The next strategy to consider is integrated pest management (IPM). This option is a collection of best practices to effectively protect your property from termites while eliminating the use of pesticides. The objective of the IPM strategy is to use environmentally friendly methods to control pests.
Reduce moisture in crawl spaces
Adequate ventilation must be provided in crawl spaces to help reduce moisture build-up, as termites are attracted to moisture. By installing vents and vapor barriers, you can minimize existing moisture, and in turn, termites.
Achieve a termite-free home
If done correctly, a pre-construction termite prevention treatment can last from two to five years. Although these treatments are effective, it’s best to conduct periodic inspections of your home to check for signs of termites. This way, you can make sure that your property is protected from any infestations before they begin.