Which is?Big Boy wrote:This advice is contrary to advice given on house security threads.ste860 wrote:keep vegetation plants 2 metres away from your building
Keep vegetation within 2 metres?
Termites
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malcolminthemiddle
- Guru
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- Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2005 1:56 pm
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Re: Termites
Keep vegetation within 2 metres?
Re: Termites
We must be quite lucky I guess. Never used a single chemical on the property, and in the 5 years the house has been built, no termite damage at all. 
Don't try to impress me with your manner of dress cos a monkey himself is a monkey no less - cold fact
Re: Termites
...that you know of. Unless you've had it inspected regularly, you may not know about it until a cabinet falls off the wall or something else falls apart. They eat from the inside out and can stay hidden doing their damage for years before it is discovered if you are not diligent.in the 5 years the house has been built, no termite damage at all.
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
Re: Termites
If anyone is contemplating building it is worth considering the following-
If using on ground concrete slabs make sure they are poured in monolithic form, avoiding any joints continue the slab work out beyond the house for patios if possible incorporating step downs. This reduces attacks on patio/entry timber doors which is one of the most common weak points in a building.
Expose the outer edges of the floor slabs to the outside if possible try not to paint or render them. This will force any termites to expose themselves if they are heading on up into your building , they hate being forced out into the open air and light.
Avoid floor penetrations thru the slab eg floor wastes , pipework, conduits as shrinkage/movement can occur around these points allowing the little critters access. We have used thru the wall penetrations for this stuff and route thru observable ductwork to keep an eye out for any activity.Seal of conduits if possible so not to provide a perfect freeway entry into your place.
Keep as much water as possible away from the exterior walls. DON'T install garden taps on outside walls.DON'T plant gardens against outside walls. Run all rainwater and house waste well away from the building. Ramp pathways away from the structure. Termites need a moist environment.
If your place is under attack try and knock off the source of the problem ie the nest with appropriate baiting,toxic chemical treatments around the house tend to have weak points rendering the whole treatment suspect .
If you get someone in to sort out termites be wary if they brag about warranties.Just see what happens when half your house happens to get eaten away- try hanging a claim on them. Any half decent company will tell you straight up that you can never guarantee anything when dealing with termites.A good company will do a thorough assessment of your situation including setting up baiting and monitoring points.
If using on ground concrete slabs make sure they are poured in monolithic form, avoiding any joints continue the slab work out beyond the house for patios if possible incorporating step downs. This reduces attacks on patio/entry timber doors which is one of the most common weak points in a building.
Expose the outer edges of the floor slabs to the outside if possible try not to paint or render them. This will force any termites to expose themselves if they are heading on up into your building , they hate being forced out into the open air and light.
Avoid floor penetrations thru the slab eg floor wastes , pipework, conduits as shrinkage/movement can occur around these points allowing the little critters access. We have used thru the wall penetrations for this stuff and route thru observable ductwork to keep an eye out for any activity.Seal of conduits if possible so not to provide a perfect freeway entry into your place.
Keep as much water as possible away from the exterior walls. DON'T install garden taps on outside walls.DON'T plant gardens against outside walls. Run all rainwater and house waste well away from the building. Ramp pathways away from the structure. Termites need a moist environment.
If your place is under attack try and knock off the source of the problem ie the nest with appropriate baiting,toxic chemical treatments around the house tend to have weak points rendering the whole treatment suspect .
If you get someone in to sort out termites be wary if they brag about warranties.Just see what happens when half your house happens to get eaten away- try hanging a claim on them. Any half decent company will tell you straight up that you can never guarantee anything when dealing with termites.A good company will do a thorough assessment of your situation including setting up baiting and monitoring points.
Complexity is so simply overrated