I was doing a rough framing inspection today for a kitchen remodel on an older home. While looking at the top plate and framing on the wall next to the garage, I saw mud tubes and damaged wood. I went outside and saw that there was wood to ground contact at the corner of the garage door. The mud tubes looked old and so did the damage, but I let the homeowner and the contractor know that they might want to look for additional damage and have a pest control professional inspect the front of the house. The strange thing was that neither the contractor nor the homeowner recognized the mud tubes and damage until I pointed it out to them.
Here are some good rules of thumb to help prevent termite damage in your home:
Limit wood or siding contact with the ground, make sure that you have anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of clearance between wood or siding and the ground around your house. (This includes mulch, pine straw and debris like leaves, they love the moisture that these items hold in the ground.)
Keep your outdoor hose bibs and rain gutters in good repair, leaks will soak the ground close to your foundation and give termites the water that they need to survive.
Have a pest control professional inspect your home at least once a year to look for termites and other pests that can cause damage and treat for them if they are found.
As one long time resident of Georgia once told me, “It’s not if you get termites, it is when you get termites!” So, be proactive and you will save yourself lots of time, money and headaches!
