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How Do You Prevent Termites When Building a New Home?

When building a new home, one of the best methods to prevent termites is to treat the lumber used to construct the home and utilize termite-resistant materials. When new homes or buildings are built, builders often look to use certain materials that will stand up against termites.

To prevent termites when constructing a new building, it’s best to apply treatment before, during, and after the property is built.

New home construction with termite resistant materials - learn how to prevent termites when building in tennessee

Some of the common methods used to prevent termites when building a new home in Eastern Tennessee:

  • Treat the lumber used in the build
  • Use termite-resistant materials instead of or in addition to wood
  • Apply chemicals on all points of contact where wood directly touches the ground
  • Implement preventative safety measures to ensure the new home is protected

Pre-Build Termite Prevention

Many termite species need earth-to-wood contact or contact with the soil in order to thrive. There are a few actions builders can take to prevent termites in the pre-construction phase:

  1. Treat the soil to form a chemical barrier
  2. Use pressure-treated or termite-resistant wood, such as resinous woods
  3. Limit or eliminate wood-to-soil contact throughout the entire foundation by using a concrete base as a barrier.
  4. Ensure the home will receive proper ventilation to prevent excess moisture and humidity.
  5. Build the home in such a way to create proper drainage. This is best achieved by sloping the soil away from the foundation.
  6. When building crawlspaces, be wary of keeping wood above ground to avoid contact with soil.
  7. Use a galvanized steel or concrete barrier in the build which can help block entry points.

Termite-Resistant Building Materials

Additionally, some building materials are more termite-resistant than others. Using any of these building materials can significantly decrease the risk of extensive termite damage:

  • Brick and masonry elements
  • Concrete
  • Fibre cement
  • Bug-resistant woods like cedar and walnut
  • Pre-treated lumber
  • Metal

Can Termites Be Prevented in New Buildings?

Prevention methods can help prevent termites when building a new home, however, it’s important to implement ongoing prevention services with a professional pest control company to keep your home protected. This includes eliminating excess moisture, fixing leaky water pipes, removing dead or rotten sources of wood, keeping firewood away from the home, and being cautious of any wood contact with the ground.

To keep your new home safe from the destruction of termites, we recommend working with an experienced termite exterminator such as Johnson Pest Control.

How do you prevent termites when building a new home in Eastern Tennessee? in Sevierville TN

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