Termites — Important Homeowner Information
It is of vital importance to the homeowner when maintaining termite protection that the method of protection used on their building is identified and understood.
Three basic methods of building protection against termite infestation
There are three basic methods of building protection against termite infestation; they are:
- chemical barriers
- physical barriers
- the use of termite resistant materials.
Treatment Notice
The information which spells out which method is used on any building can normally be located on a “Treatment Notice” in either the electrical meter-box, or in a kitchen cupboard. It has only been a relatively recent addition to the Australian Standards that treatment notices be installed, so unfortunately in some cases there may be no treatment notice installed (although in this case it is probably best to assume that the barrier is no longer current).
1. Chemical barriers
A “Treatment Notice” indicating a chemical barrier, should also indicate the name of the chemical used, and the life expectancy of the chemical as applied. This should give the homeowner a good idea when the chemical treatment should be re-applied, as modern day termiticides have a finite life span.
When inspecting buildings, it is remarkable just how many buildings have expired chemical barriers, and therefore zero protection.
Chemical barriers MUST REMAIN UNDISTURBED TO REMAIN EFFECTIVE. This means:
- do not remove soil from a treated zone
- do not add untreated soil to a treated zone
- do not provide a means of bridging over any treated zone.
2. Physical barriers
Physical barriers are many and varied, but basically they DO NOT STOP TERMITES. They are designed to deny termites the ability to gain concealed access to the building, and therefore are reliant on regular inspection by a competent specialist.
In the case of buildings under builder’s warranty, it is normally a condition of the warranty that regular inspections are carried out in accordance with the product’s specifications, otherwise you breach the conditions of your warranty. The relevant information is available from the builder’s hand-over information pack.
There are normally a lot of conditions that apply to maintaining physical barriers, for example you should maintain a 75mm inspection zone below the level of the physical barrier (which normally is at the base of the brickwork weepholes). In other words do not build paths, garden beds, or other obstructions within this 75mm zone.
All the relevant information regarding maintenance of your physical barrier product should be available through your builder, pest control professional, or the internet.
3. Termite resistant materials
The third protection method is the use of termite resistant materials such as:
- steel frames
- concrete tilt slab construction
- cypress pine framework,
to name a few.
Often this protective method only covers the structural elements of the building, and while it is great to know that the building won’t collapse from a termite infestation, it is wise to determine the extent of protection, as non-structural timber elements still cost money to replace.
If you have any questions concerning your method of protection, then it is often best to consult your pest control professional, to avoid the risk of any nasty surprises.
