Termites are a common pest found in Texas. In fact, the three most common and damaging termite species in Houston include:
- Formosan Subterranean Termites, which are very aggressive. They build nests underground and eat through the wood above their nests, causing millions a year in structural damage.
- Native Subterranean Termites, which are extremely destructive. They are black in color and can nest underground for years before emerging to find food.
- Drywood Termites, which are very social and live within large colonies. They are commonly found in attics or crawl spaces, and prefer dry wood.
The possibility of termite invasion in your Houston property is very high. If they make their way into your home via the
foundation, you may experience extensive structural damage that could end up costing you thousands.
Your risk will depend on the type of foundation your house rests on because this will determine how easy it is for those pests to tunnel through. Termites can’t and don’t eat through concrete, so the damage isn’t being done to the actual foundation material. However, termites will squeeze through tiny cracks in the foundation to build little cities that make your house’s substructure vulnerable over time.
Concrete Foundations
The most secure foundations are poured-concrete foundations with rebar-reinforcements, but even those can feature cracks. The least secure are concrete-block foundations, as mortar is usually present, which is easier for them to burrow through.
Once they gain entry, then will start building a series of mud tunnels, designed to protect the worker termites as they go. They will slowly widen those tunnels as they work, which puts pressure on the cracks and causes weakness in the structure. As you may imagine, it’s nearly impossible to know this is going on right under your nose, with the effects of their handy work often not known till many years later.
The more immediate risk to homeowners, though, is to components that surround the actual foundation, such as floor joists and wooden structural supports. Foundation access can also provide direct lines to food sources such as window frames in the basement as well as nearby porches.
Pier-and-Beam Foundations
Another type of foundation is the pier-and-beam foundation, which can experience immediate and extensive problems when it comes to termite infestation. This type of foundation is commonly seen in homes with crawl spaces, giving termites an irresistible food source within the actual foundation material, unlike concrete foundation homes.
Good news is, you can treat foundation infestation and damage. You could install termiticide barriers in the soil around the foundation. You can treat foundation-adjacent wood with pesticides. Or you could drill into the foundation to inject pesticides into holes and cracks. These are all good preventive measures that keep termites from getting inside in the first place.
But it’s always a good idea to call a foundation repair professional in Houston TX to diagnose your particular termite problem and suggest ways of treating it.
Contact Aftermath Structural Repair
If you suspect you have a termite problem in your foundation and need repairs or advice,
contact us at 281-231-8904.
