Understanding The Importance of Termite Inspections

Like most pests, termites don’t make things easy on homeowners. One of the trickiest things about termites is how difficult it is to determine whether or not you even have a termite infestation. Those buggy pests damage wood from the inside out, leaving the exterior of your wood looking quite normal and untouched.

Looking for termites on your own is only recommended if you used to be a termite inspector. All others should hire a pest control company to do a thorough termite inspection, and if needed, professional termite treatment. It’s the smart move to make.

Termites – The Silent Destroyers

Termites feast upon the wood of your home, and they do it silently. You won’t realize it’s happening as they attack the structural supports of your home. Those awful pests can even destroy exposed wood without you knowing it because the outside of the wood is left intact while the bugs go to town on the inside of the wood.

If termites are given enough unchecked time, they can compromise the physical integrity of your home, but it’s not just the structure they’ll go after. Termites can even destroy your paneling, carpet, furniture, and drywall. They give significant meaning to the term ‘pest.’

Termites Act Fast

A colony of termites can eat up to a pound of wood per day, and because you can’t see the termite damage with the naked eye, termites can eat away at the wood of your home for years, leaving a structurally unsafe building with a weak outer shell.

The only way to fully combat this? Stay on top of termite control. Hire a professional termite inspector to help you catch a termite problem before it becomes too severe.

Professional Inspection

A trained professional knows where to look when inspecting a home for termites. The professional can find those difficult-to-access, and even hidden, places where termites spend their time. The professional knows the most vulnerable places in a home, and conducts a thorough inspection.

Signs of Termites

Termites do leave slight clues as to their presence, if you know what you’re looking for. Termite wings near light fixtures and window sills are a giveaway, as are termite droppings.

And if you see these particular signs in your home, it’s likely late in the termite game:

• Sagging floors
• Bubbling paint
• Damaged and crumbling wood trim
• Loose tiles
• Pinpoint holes in drywall

A professional inspector can study the signs and determine how severe your problem is. Professional inspectors thoroughly examine your home, from the foundation up, looking at all the cracks and crevices along the way. Unfortunately, termites can ruin the foundations of your home and therefore, it’s important to get foundation repair in the case this does happen. You can click here to learn about Foundation repair in Austin if you’re having issues with termites and your house foundations. If the foundation is small, for example, for a shed, you can try and replace the foundation yourself. A gravel foundation is particularly easy to install. Just checking out this guide on how to build a gravel shed foundation should help you in your endeavors, but always contact a professional if you feel like it’s out of your hands.

Can You Prevent Termite Damage?

Homeowners can take several actions to minimize and prevent termite damage.

As established, getting a yearly inspection is critical in the prevention of termite damage. In addition, make sure your downspouts and gutters are diverting water away from your home’s foundation, and don’t let your sprinklers hit stucco or wood siding on your home. Otherwise you could not only be looking at termite damage, but also water damage to the siding of your home, requiring pest control, and also a repair like this hardie siding installation, for example.

Make sure you have proper ventilation in crawl spaces, and don’t allow vines, hedges, and bushes to block vents. Keep an 18-inch gap between any wood portions of your home and soil.

And finally, store firewood 20 feet away from your home.

Find a Professional Company You Trust

There’s just no smarter way to combat termite damage than to hire a professional to inspect your home. Find a company with a good reputation who will do a thorough job on your most important asset – your home. In the Austin area, that company is Barefoot Mosquito & Pest Control. Call us today at (512) 400-2008 or request a free quote online!

 

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