A termite infestation is every homeowner’s nightmare. This is true whether you want to keep the house or you want to sell. You don’t want your forever home damaged. But if you do hope to sell the home someday, a termite infestation can cause damages that must be repaired first, and the history of infestation could scare away many potential buyers.
And unfortunately, there’s no 100 percent, guaranteed methods you can use to ward off termite problems. But there are things you can do to greatly reduce the odds that you’ll ever experience a termite problem. These ten tips can discourage termites from taking up residence and then chewing up your home.
- Repair problems with the roof, like rotting shingles, fascia, and soffits
- Regularly clean gutters, remove clogs, and make sure they’re all working properly to drain water away from the house
- Identify and resolve moisture issues outside, like standing water around an AC unit
- Repair leaking pipes and faucets inside
- Regularly replace weather stripping and mortar around windows and the foundation
- Check all exposed wood on a regular basis, and repair any rotted areas
- Store firewood and debris piles far from the house
- Create an 18-inch gap between the wood structures of your home and soil
- Look around your foundation to identify “dirt trails” which are an almost surefire sign of termites
- Call a termite inspector to schedule regular inspections, and consider purchasing a termite bond to protect the property
It’s important to remember that termite damages are typically not covered by your homeowners insurance policy. So this is a maintenance issue to monitor carefully. Unfortunately, do-it-yourself treatments aren’t effective for termites, so call us first thing if you suspect an infestation. We can help you resolve the issue quickly and then prevent a recurrence of the problem.