Building AZ Homes with Termite Resistant Materials

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Before a home is infested with termites and the homeowner has to pay a lot of money for ongoing treatments to eradicate the pests in Queen Creek, the builder can choose materials that are resistant to termites. Those materials will protect the home and prevent the termite infestation from happening in the first place.

If you are planning a new home build, it is important that you talk to the contractor about using some of these materials, or at the very least, getting a new home build termite treatment. If you are renovating your home, you can use some of these materials or even replace some of the materials in your home with them.

Treated Lumber

Treated lumber is perhaps the most important termite-resistant material you can use. Wood is used to frame out the house, to cover the floors and the roof, to cover the exterior walls, and to use as trim around windows, doors, and walls. Termites love to eat wood, so with so much of it around your house, there are plenty of alluring spots for termites to settle down and make themselves at home.

Treated lumber has chemicals in it that prevent rot and that make it unattractive to pests. By using treated lumber wherever possible in the house, termites will be less likely to set up shop. Treated lumber may be a little more expensive, but homeowners will find the cost to be well worth it in the long run, not just in the amount they save on termite treatment and eradication but also on the hassle that they avoid.

Cement Block and Stone

Many homes in Queen Creek are covered with stucco and other concrete or stone materials that are resistant to termites. The pests cannot eat through this material since it is too hard, but the materials are not impenetrable. In fact, many subterranean termites get into Queen Creek, Arizona homes because the stucco extends past the foundation to the ground for cosmetic reasons, and the termites burrow behind the stucco to get to the wood framing. Termites can also fit through tiny cracks in the cement or stucco, and they can easily burrow through limestone mortar.

Using cement block to frame the home instead of wood can make it more termite-resistant. Using harder mortar and stone materials can also protect the home. If stucco is used, it is important that several inches of the foundation are left exposed for termite treatment and easy termite inspection in Queen Creek.

Siding

Wood siding should be avoided, even if it is treated. But if you like the look of that siding, you can use cement-fiber siding that is designed to resist termite infestation. The composite material is not attractive to termites, and it does not decay over time. Yet it looks very much like wood siding. You can only tell the difference when you are close to it and touching it.

Other types of siding are also good choices, such as vinyl. Just make sure that you use the proper pretreatment on the wood frame before you apply the siding. Otherwise, the termites will just come up under the siding to get to the wood.

Pretreatment

Termite pretreatment can be used on the foundation, the wood frame, the floors, the roof decking, and other places throughout your home. The pretreatment provides a barrier of protection between the ground and your home.

The foundation pretreatment must be applied before the building begins. Pretreatment for the framing must be done before the interior or exterior walls are put up. That’s why this pretreatment has to be applied when new construction is happening or when a major remodeling project is being undertaken.

Choosing termite-resistant building materials is a good way to protect your home, but it is not foolproof. Termites will eat any material containing cellulose, so they will work hard to bypass all these other materials to get to your flooring inside, for example. The only way to get rid of them for sure it to hire a company for termite pest control in San Tan.

Varsity Termite and Pest Control in Arizona has effective termite treatments for homes and businesses. We offer new home build termite treatment to give the home the right start against termites, and we offer termite pest control in San Tan for older homes that already have a termite problem. If you aren’t sure what you’re up against, you need to schedule a termite inspection. We’ll let you know what termite treatment is the best option to keep your home clean and safe.

Published By:

Varsity Termite and Pest Control – Tony Kaufman

West Valley Location:

Office: 602-560-6021

East Valley Location:

Office: 602-757-8252