Termite Damage

The word "termites" strikes fear into the hearts of homeowners worldwide. and with good reason. Every year, termites cause many millions of damage to homes and commercial buildings throughout the United States and around the world.

Termites go about their work very quietly and very efficiently. Very often, homeowners do not even realize that they have a termite problem until thousands of dollars worth of damage has occurred. Termites often attack from within walls, in the gaps between a house's framing and the exterior brick veneer, or inside ornamental columns or posts. Left untreated, termites can cause severe damage that threatens the structural integrity of a building and the safety of those who live or work in it.

Slab houses are particularly vulnerable to termite attack both because of the close proximity of wood to the soil, and because of the difficulty of inspecting structurally inaccessible areas. In addition, building slabs in temperate climates must have expansion joints, through which termites can gain easy access to the wooden superstructure of the house.

 

Photographs of Termite Damage

 

How do Termites Damage Wood?

Termites damage wood by eating it. Unlike carpenter ants, who excavate wood as a nesting place, termites live in the soil and travel to the wood to feed. So wood that is in close contact with the soil (or with a cracked slab that is over soil) is most vulnerable to termite attack. Eliminating wood-to-soil contact wherever possible is one step that homeowners can take to reduce the risk of termite infestation.

When they need to, however, termites will commonly build shelter tubes between the soil and the wood upon which they are feeding. These tubes protect the termites from light, air currents, dehydration, and predators; and are one of the signs a professional exterminator will look for when inspecting a home. Termites have also been known to build tubes past treated lumber and metal "termite shields" to get to the wood they crave.

 

Other Types of Wood Damage

It's important to note that not all wood damage is due to termites, however. Many homeowners mistake damage due to other insects (or damage due to moisture or dry rot) for termite damage.

	Moisture damaged wood usually appears "soggy" or even sponge-like or may have mold, mildew, or fungus growing on it, but does not have any clearly defined galleries. Many of the mold, fungi, and other microorganisms that grow on water-damaged wood have health implications and should be evaluated by a skilled environmental health technician. (Photo courtesy of Randy Penn, Envirochex, Dallas, Texas.)
	Termite-damaged wood is characterized by rough galleries, often containing mud or other debris. You may also see mud tubes leading from the wood to the ground, sill plate, basement floor, hollow block walls, or some other route to the soil. Remember that it is not at all uncommon to find termites or other wood-destroying insects in wood that has also been moisture damaged.
	Carpenter ant damage is characterized by smooth galleries that often appear almost sandpapered. They are usually clean of debris. Remember that carpenter ants excavate galleries in which to lay eggs and rear young, so they tend to be compulsive about housekeeping. Carpenter ants frequently infest wood that has already been water-damaged, so the two conditions may exist simultaneously.
	Damage due to powderpost beetles may be difficult to see at all, as quite often the only visible evidence is tiny holes on the exterior surface of the wood. They do their damage from the inside. The picture on the left illustrates what severe powderpost beetle damage looks like behind the outer skin of the wood. Over time, these beetles can devour an entire piece of wood from the inside-out.

Choosing the Right Exterminator

Termites and other wood-destroying organisms can necessitate many thousands of dollars of costly repairs. If left untreated, they can eventually cause enough damage to threaten a home's very structural integrity and threaten the safety of its occupants. If you have some sort of wood damage in your home and are having difficulty figuring out what it is, don't take chances. In the Greater Boston area, contact us for a professional inspection.