Termite damage isn’t only a nuisance to fix, but it can be quite expensive, amounting to more than $5 Billion in property damage and affecting about 600,000 homes in the US per year. Not only is termite damage costly, but it’s generally excluded in homeowners insurance policies, too, so not only does your Taylorsville home gets damaged, but you normally won’t be able to claim insurance money to repair the damage.
Luckily, there are agencies that allow you to add extra coverage (include termite damage, earthquake damage, and flood damage) to your homeowners insurance for your Taylorsville home, but it would be a good idea to simply take these precautionary steps to avoid going through the trouble of insurance and repairs altogether:
Annual Inspection
The first step in termite prevention is detecting vulnerabilities as well as possible ongoing infestations. Home in areas with dense forestry and wood may be prone to termite infestations more than those living in urban and suburban areas, so annual termite inspection should be mandatory. An annual inspection allows for you to fix any vulnerabilities, as well as to address any infestations early as it is a lot easier and cheaper to deal with termites and termite damage. If you’re too busy or simply prefer to have a professional do it, it’s best to have a licensed exterminator (preferably part of the National Pest Control Association, or any local pest control associations) to do it for you.
Remove Food and Water Source
Termites thrive where there are food and water, as such, it’s important to place them as far away from your house as possible. If you’re using firewood for your home’s fireplace or for cooking, you should store them at least 20 feet away from your home as they attract termites as much as moths are attracted to light. You should also ensure that sprinklers are away from your home’s foundation, and downspouts should be facing away from the foundation as well. Foliage should be about three feet away from your home. When deposing of cellulose-based materials such as wood, make sure that you dispose of it in bins away from your home, or check your area for wood recycling facilities.
Minimize or Eliminate Wood-to-Ground Contact
Termites can latch on to the wood and infest your home like wildfire, as such, you’d want to avoid your home’s wooden features to come into direct contact with the ground where termites can enter from. As such, you’d want to put concrete bases on your house’s wooden features such as crawlspace foundations, wooden decks, and such. To prevent termite contact, any wooden feature should be at least half a foot (6 inches) above ground level.
Termite Pre-treatment
If your home is still under construction, one of the best things you can invest in is pre-treating your home for termite prevention. Pre-treatment involves setting up a termite barrier with the use of termiticide prior to construction.
Fill in the Cracks
Termite can enter your home through cracks in concrete, as such, it’s important to include checking on your foundation’s exterior and your basement’s walls for cracks and other entry points. You can either fill in the tracks with concrete or apply termiticide at possible entry points and other vulnerable areas.
Conclusion
Termites can wreak havoc to your home and your finances, which is why it’s recommended that you follow these tips to prevent termite damage and infestations. However, if you do discover that you already have an infestation, it’s best to have it professionally taken care of by a licensed and well-reviewed exterminator.
