February 2009 / Vol.6 / Issue 2

Hello and Welcome to the February Greenpest News. Each month we aim to provide you with some useful information, keeping it short (well not this month), sweet and pertinent.

Contents

1. Pest Talk - Building a termite resistant home.

Pest Talk

Australia is a savage country.  In one area we are experiencing horrific bushfires whilst simultaneously in other areas our country is in flood.  After sending out our DIY e-mail reminders this month we received an e-mail back from one of our customers in Traralgon South, Victoria which reads as follows:

Hi Jerry just a short note to advise you that I have been happy with your service but as my home was destroyed in Saturday’s fires I have eradicated any termite problem that I may have had.  I intend to rebuild on the same block and may require a new set of baits when we get our home built.
Cheers Ed Schoo

No doubt, the loss of one's home and belongings is a most devastating event.  The loss of life on top of that would multiply the tragedy several fold.  We can't help but notice a certain sense of dark humour in the above e-mail which once again demonstrates the strength, resolve and resilience of the Australian spirit.

We also received an e-mail from another customer who is intending to build a new home.  He requested some ideas on how to make the home more secure from termites.  It's a good question.  Many new home owners think that when they buy a new home it is automatically termite proof and nothing could be further from the truth.  Certainly, a range of termite measures should have been implemented during the construction of the home; however in some cases these measures are either poorly installed or insufficient to ensure that the home is safe from termites.

Considering that termites do more damage each year to homes across Australia than fire & flood combined, high performance termite preventative measures are as important as good general house insurance (which by the way doesn't cover you for termite damage).

We are a company that manufactures a product to protect existing homes from termites, so it may seem counter-productive for us to discuss ways to build a home that is secure from termites, but as you will see shortly, even the most diligently constructed home might still be susceptible to termite damage.  Over the years, we have observed termites conducting their business in some very unusual places.  We once treated some Coptotermes termites two stories up in a shopping centre in Brisbane.  The shopping centre did not contain any timber whatsoever in its construction, although timber formwork was used during the construction.  Most of the timber had been removed when the building was finished but some of it was left lying around on the bare earth in the subfloor.  There was also an existing termite nest on the site.  In desperation the termites cleaned up all of the scraps of timber left in the subfloor.  The nest was about the size of a small bar fridge, in other words it was a very big nest.  With nothing more to eat they turned their attention on the building but there was nothing to find.  They explored through minute cracks between the floors and walls and eventually travelled underneath some carpet squares in a chemist until they found a cardboard display bin which they then attacked.  It wasn't long until they were noticed.  The point we try to make here is that termites can still do damage and cost money even when the building contains no wood whatsoever.

The obvious way to construct a home that is safe from (subterranean) termites is to build it from metal and concrete and skip the timber.  This sounds good, but this style of home tends to be ugly and lack any character or warmth. You will need to be very clever and have a lot of time and money to spend on non-timber alternatives for every other part of the house also.  You’d be surprised how much timber is still used in a metal frame home.  For example, timber is used in the smooth edge that holds down the carpet.  Cabinets are often timber or timber composite. 

A side benefit of a non-timber home is that it might be a little less susceptible to fire, but if it is in the path of the sort of fires Victorians have recently experienced, we doubt that would necessarily make a difference.

The vast majority of new homes are built on a concrete slab.  This is a perfect scenario for termites to quickly exploit if proper termite control measures are not implemented.  There are dozens of ways to protect homes constructed on concrete slabs.  There are physical barriers and chemical barriers and combinations of both.  There is plenty of evidence to show that termites still manage to find their way past these barriers given half a chance.  The barriers only inhibit their activity.  If it's a chemical barrier, then one day the chemical will wear off or breakdown/biodegrade and the home will become more susceptible to termite attack.  Reticulation systems (usually made from plastic) that are designed to replenish the chemical are a great idea so long as the system works.  Like everything they are susceptible to failure over longer periods of time.  Physical barriers may not last forever either.  Concrete can crack.  Plastic can harden and crack.  Metal ant capping can rust through or termites simply go around it. There are other factors that can also come into play when a house is built on a slab.  Nearby trees may have roots that penetrate the barrier or crack the slab to create new penetration points for incoming termites.

It is not our intention to sound like it’s all doom and gloom.  We just want to make the point that any house constructed on a concrete slab will always be at a fairly high risk of termite attack even if the very best chemical and physical barriers are installed.  If it is well constructed, the risk is low especially in the early years, but in 30 years time the risk will have increased considerably as these barriers/treated zones come under pressure from the wear and tear that time places on everything.

Our forefathers had the right idea.  They built their homes off the ground on timber stumps – you know the ones; those beautiful colonial homes, Queenslanders etc.  To protect the home, metal plates known as ant capping were placed between the stumps and the bearers.  The termites could eat the timber stumps but not the house.  To get into the house they had to expose themselves by muddying around the outside of the metal ant capping.  Regular inspections could easily reveal termite activity.  Although it’s not effortless, it's better to replace a stump than to rebuild a house.  The other advantages of building a house on piers is that there is less trouble with floods and in general they are cooler because the air is able to flow under them as well as over them.

So, in essence, here is the (first choice) answer that we give to anyone who asks us: "What is the best way to build a home that is safe from termites?"

Answer: “In our opinion (and others may disagree), we suggest that you build the house off the ground.”

If you are going to do this, there are a few things you can do to ensure that is safe from termites.  Although metal poles/stumps (like stilts) are considered to be very ugly by many, they are a much better option than timber stumps.  Even treated timber stumps allow termites easy access because very often the treatment is not thorough and has not penetrated to the centre of the stump which means that if termites find their way into the stump they can easily eat their way up through the centre until they find their way into some other part of the house.  If the stump is properly treated it is still possible that the stump will split open in some places and that termites will find their way up through the stump by building mud leads in the split.  Brick or concrete piers are both excellent options too; however both are prone to cracking with age.  These cracks can offer termites concealed access to the top of the pier, so once again it is vital that long-lasting rustproof ant capping is correctly installed between the pier and the bearers.

Metal stumps/piers cannot be eaten by termites.  If termites want to get into the home they will have to build their mud leads up the outside of the metal post before they can reach the house.  Since some species of termite will actually do this, it's important that all the metal stumps/piers can be visually checked with ease.  Of course there needs to be access to the house and this is done by front and back steps.  Once again the steps should be constructed from a metal frame and easily accessible for inspection.  The rest the house can be built from the most beautiful timber you desire or any other style of construction material that suits your lifestyle and beliefs.

One disadvantage of building a house on piers is that far too many modern builders can't do it!  Trade skills are being lost and some builders can't actually build a home from scratch; they can only assemble the prefabricated parts.  Their method of constructing a home is to employ one gang to pour a concrete slab and then they simply assemble the prefabricated timber components delivered on site off the back of a truck.  Specialist trades are brought in for each part of the construction; brickies, plasterers, plumbers and electricians.  The builder is more like the conductor of an orchestra.

Building a home on piers is much more difficult because the builder needs many more skills to create a floor supported by bearers and piers which need to be positioned perfectly from the outset.  So, one of the immediate disadvantages of building a home on piers is that it is likely to be more expensive than a house built on concrete slab.

If you have ever seen a home built on metal piers then you'll know it is quite ugly.  To conceal the piers some people will foolishly cover it with a wall.  The wall veneer may be constructed from bricks or a timber frame and sheeting.  What this does is now connect the ground to the house in a way that allows termites access and very often conceals their activity.  There is a simple remedy.  Don't do it!

There are several ways to conceal the ugly metal stumps.  The best and simplest way is to plant some lush native bushes which will conceal the piers and beautify the home simultaneously.  Another way is to attach lattice ensuring that the lattice is at least 15 cm clear of the ground.  It is a mistake to plant a climbing vine on the lattice because eventually the plant itself may conceal termites and/or provide access from the ground to the house via the lattice.

In general if the block of land is steep, there is a good chance that the home will be built on piers anyway because it is usually more difficult (hence expensive) to create a flat slab on a steep slope.  Even if you do, the resulting cut into the side of the hill is quite ugly and very often the cause of drainage problems later on.  In some cases the soil that is cut from the side of the hill is compacted and used to create fill.  Beware, because later on this fill becomes a perfect medium for termites to enter the home. We strongly recommend that if you decide to build your new home on a sloping block; choose to build it on piers and not on a concrete slab.

It is tempting when the home is on a steep block of land to build one side of the home at ground level and have the rest of the home up on piers.  Don't do this.  It is better to ensure that the lowest point of the home is at the least 60 cm off the ground so that the piers can be visually checked on a regular basis.  Obviously, the shortest piers are also the shortest route for termites to reach the house from the earth.  It may surprise you to know that termites can gain entry in under a week by building their mud access tubes up the shortest pier.  A good way to reduce this problem is to ensure that the concrete that supports the pier is kept free and clear of soil and other debris.  Check the short piers regularly.

When a house is built on piers, sooner or later someone gets the bright idea of closing it in underneath to create a garage, tool shed, workshop, granny flat etc.  Don't do it.  Or if you do decide to do it, make sure you discuss your design with your builder and pest controller first.

The reason a house built on piers is so safe from termites is because it can be easily checked for evidence of termite activity.  Of course, if one doesn't remember to check the home, then this safety feature is wasted.  We have seen several homes where the termites have built their mud access tubes up the piers into a home.  They got away with it, simply because nobody ever bothered to check.  In one case, the termites were coming from a large heavily infested tree just 2m away from the house and had persistently attempted to build their mud tubes up one particular metal pier.  After knocking their access tubes down several times the owners came up with the bright idea of painting the metal pole with old sump oil.  It appeared to work, so they stopped checking.  12 months later the termites still managed to build their mud access tube over the top of the sump oil.  They had also moved up the hill to a shorter pier and gained a second point of access to the home.  The bathroom that was above these two piers was almost totally destroyed, and all because 5 minutes a month worth of vigilance was abandoned, forgotten & neglected.

The important point we are making here, for all homeowners, is that one of the key methods of termite prevention is simply vigilance.  If your house is built on piers it is easy to walk around once a month and check for termites.  If your house is built on a slab it is not so easy. 

We have written a book first published in 2006 called “Termite Inspection for Homeowners -- A Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual for the Beginners”.  It is available as an e-book as well as a printed manual and can be purchased from our website or by calling our office. 

A note of caution:  This book is not designed to replace a thorough termite inspection conducted by a qualified professional at least once a year.  It is designed to allow you to regularly check your home between professional checks.  How frequently you do this is up to you.  The book simply gives you the knowledge you need to do a more thorough job and to know what it is that you are looking for.  It also contains many useful tips to help you reduce the risk of termites in the first place.

Here's the good news.  Until recently we printed this 140 page book ourselves and the price of toners and other printing costs meant that we had to sell the book for $77.00 or as an eBook for $66.00.  Strong sales have encouraged us to find a printing company to produce the book in a quality ‘perfect bound’ format and we are now able to offer it at the new price of $49.50 including GST.  Consequently the price of the e-book has been reduced to $38.50 including GST.  We will have stock of the new book arriving from the press around mid-March.

Back to the topic; it's understandable that not everybody is prepared to build a home off the ground on piers.  If you are going to build a home on a concrete slab you still have a large range of options when it comes to termite management.  There are arguments in favour of every termite protection system and equally there are arguments against each system.  One of the more simple ways to protect a house on a slab from termites is to ensure that the slab is fully exposed the whole way around the perimeter plus installing appropriate termite collars on all the penetration points. Finally be sure that the concrete is the latest ‘crack-proof’ concrete, then the house should be pretty safe.  Once again it's vital to remember to check around the outside of the home on a regular basis.  Make sure the edge of the slab remains exposed.  That means don’t build garden beds up against the walls!

For all other new homes built on a concrete slab we recommend adding a Green Termite Bait System after all the landscaping is completed.  The advantage of the baiting system is that it compliments any existing termite control measures that are built into the home plus it is giving you the opportunity to destroy potential termite threats before they get a chance to test the limitations of the home’s standard termite defences.

Statistically, a full-service Green Termite Bait System has a 99.5% success rate at protecting existing homes from termite damage.  It is not a stand-alone system and the current Australian Standards do not allow for any brand of termite bait system to be the sole means of termite protection for a new home.  There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that the Australian Standards stipulate what must be built into a new home to protect it from termites.  Presently this consists of a physical barrier, chemical barrier, a renewable chemical barrier or some combination of all three.

Physical barriers such as metal piers or exposed slabs will last the life of the home unless they are damaged, enclosed or breached in some way.  Sadly, this happens all too often – usually through ignorance and lack of awareness about the high risk of termite threats.

Chemical barriers need to be renewed because they wear out.

Termite baiting systems need to be maintained for the life of the home and are an ongoing form of protection that should be looked upon in the same way as your house insurance which you renew each year.

To sum up, our recommendations to anybody who wants to know how to build a termite safe home are as follows:

• Build the house off the ground on metal piers and remember to check the piers regularly.
• Or build with a metal frame or quality anti-termite treated timber and consider a termite baiting system to go with it.
• Build with an exposed concrete slab and consider a termite baiting system to go with it.

It's not rocket science.  The best way to prevent termites is to stop them from reaching the home in the first place.  A good physical barrier, a good chemical barrier, a good termite baiting system or a combination of these three will help a great deal.  Vigilance, maintenance and regular inspections will ensure that the new home remains free from termites.

Prevention is better than cure.

There’s a lot of money tied up in a home and you don’t want a bunch of hungry bugs eating it!

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The Greenpest News is Published by J & A Furnell Nominees P/L; Shop 23a Franklin Square, 60 Railway Street, Mudgeeraba, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of Jerry Furnell. The reader is encouraged to seek further information from appropriate government and statutory departments before taking any action based on this material alone.

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See you again next month.

Always... At your service,

Jerry Furnell
Green Pest Control & Green Termite Bait Systems.
Phone 1800 6 12345.

Copyright 2009 Green Termite Bait Systems & Green Pest Control. All rights reserved.

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