Are you a new homeowner or just want to reduce the chance of having your home invaded by termites? Does the thought of having to spend thousands of dollars to repair termite damage to your home make you want to be extra vigilant in protecting your home? Something as simple as using a yellow or amber light bulb instead of a while light bulb in your out door lamps can keep the termite swarmers away from your home. There are many things you can do to help make your home less appealing to termites without having to resort to major reconstruction or remodeling.
Start protecting your home by looking for excessive moisture in and around your home. Do you have a basement or crawl space? You should keep these areas as dry as possible. You also want to monitor the area around your foundation to confirm that no water is building up and there is adequate drainage. Take the time to repair any leaking pipes, water lines and fixtures that could possibly wet any wood around your home. Even the slightest drip from a leaking pipe can cause major water damage and invite the termites in.
Termites eat wood, so keep any excess loose wood away from your home. Stack firewood and lumber away from your house. You should also keep all wooden playground equipment in the yard and not attached to the house. Always think twice about where you use wood, you may believe that those wooden flower beds are increasing your homes curb appeal and value but they could actually be drawing the termites into your home. Wooden flower beds should not be touching your foundation or any other parts of your home. Even if the planters claim to be pressure treated, do not take a chance, plant your flower beds and other frequently watered ornamental plants away from the perimeter of your home.
Termites can sneak up on you at any time. Take a look at your home right now, do you have wood-containing mulch in the area around your home? Decorative wood chips and wood-containing mulch are just as inviting to termites as standard wood. You may need to read the ingredients in the mulch to determine if there is any wood in the product and if you want to be extra diligent you can always assume that wood is included in the mix. The size of the wood chips does not matter, keep all loose wood products at least one foot away from the foundation of your home. You may want to replace any wood chip decorations at least once a year to decrease the possibility of a termite infestation growing and attacking your home.
Any wood that you connect to your home, such as a wooden deck or porch, always needs to be pressure treated and inspected at least once a year. You do not need to be fearful of wood in your home, you just need to monitor the situation and reduce the appeal of your home to the termites. By keeping excess wood away from your foundation and making sure all the wood in your structure stays dry, you can reduce the possibility of attracting termites.
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