Termites can lower the value of your home by more than 25 percent! What makes it worse is that most home insurance policies do not cover it. As termites can be hardly noticeable at first, these pests could have been destroying the wood in your house and garden for years before you even realise it!
Termites could also be hidden inside walls, floors, roofs or behind paint and gradually eat away at your home and expensive furniture, therefore taking preventive measures is always a good investment for maintaining the value of your property.
HOW TERMITES CAN DESTROY A HOME
Termites can easily find a way into your house through several points such as your steps, downpipes, vents, utility boxes or ramps. Depending on the type of termites, some thrive in damp environments while others like it dry and humid. Therefore, termites are usually attracted by the wooden foundations of your home as well as the moisture it holds.
HOW TERMITES AFFECT YOUR HOME’S SELLING VALUE
Weakens the home’s foundation
The most dangerous fact about termites is their ability to weaken the home’s structural pillars and cause serious damage in the ceiling or floors. This poses a risk for people living in such homes as the ceiling or floors could potentially cave in and cause serious injuries.
Reduces the home value
If termites are found on your property, it can reduce the value of your home by almost 20 percent but only if it was found in time to be treated still. Treating your home even before discovering signs of a termite infestation will help preserve the value of your home in the long run.
Incurs additional renovation and repair costs
Home repairs and renovation costs can be costly as compared to paying for a proper preventive treatment to prevent termites from entering the home in the first place.
Damages your furniture
Not only do termites damage your home structures but they love to eat wood and have insatiable appetites. Therefore, they will not only stop at your wooden furniture but also dig into anything highly fibrous with a high cellulose content within your home.
Affects home’s real estate value
The law requires you to disclose any information of any termite infestations to potential buyers. This information will affect how an appraiser values your home and your buyers will be able to use this to negotiate for a lower price if they are still interested in buying the property.
Has a negative market image
Just the fact that your property has had a termite infestation can be sufficient to scare away any future prospective buyers leading to a lower demand and losses on your end.
Getting rid of any potential pest infestation
It is better to engage the services of a pest control specialist to properly inspect your home before putting it on the market. A clean inspection will assure buyers that there are no termites still present in your home and make them more likely to consider purchasing it.
Pestbusters has a comprehensive termite management process which ensures that your homes are well-protected against any potential infestation.
Pre-construction – Conducting termite management when constructing a building can be a very effective and cost saving way of preventing concealed termite entry for the life of the structure and avoid potential limitations after the construction.
This can be achieved using physical termite barriers, one of the most premium and proven ways of doing this is with the poison and pesticide free TermSteel Stainless Steel Termite Management System, this system is installed to all critical areas including services passing through the slab, construction joints and building perimeters. When installed the system will last the life of the structure and requires no ongoing use of poisons to protect the building. This system proudly has 4 ticks, the highest possible mark through the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC).
Another physical barrier is the BioFilm polymer system which is impregnated with the active termiticide Bifenthrin, this system is installed in the same critical areas but mode of operation is to repel termites as they come in contact with the barrier. PestBusters are also trained and authorised to install the Trithor fibre blanket.
Another option is soil treatment where we use registered termiticides to treat the soil areas prior to casting of concrete. The chemical bonds with the soil to prevent termite access but has a limited life and requires ongoing treatments.
Lastly the use of in-ground monitoring stations can be used to monitor termite activity around the structure before they enter inside, even though this option is most commonly used for post construction at times it is used for new structures. Monitoring systems involve installing stations periodically around the structure and frequent monitoring allows our team to identify active termites in the area. Once active termites are located a registered bait is used and the process of elimination is followed to guarantee elimination of the entire termite colony. Baiting uses no registered poisons so is completely safe for all persons.
Eradication methods – When termites enter a property there are a few options to eradicate the Termites
The best and most effective solution is to bait the colony, this is similar to the monitoring system instead the bait is applied directly to the active areas using temporary above ground stations. Once colony elimination is achieved then the stations are removed.
The Dusting process can be implemented by placing termiticidal powder into termites tracks. The infected termites will transfer the product through the colony via grooming and eliminate the immediate activity. Another method uses Foaming which is applied in areas suspected of having termites. Similarly, it is designed to transfer through the colony eradicating the immediate termite activity
Post-construction – whether it be proactive or just after eradicating current infestation it is always strongly advised to protect a structure from termite attack. The options after construction is limited to two options
Slab injection method can be used to inject chemicals into the soil around the perimeter of the structure and create protection of your property, chemical injection does have some limitations depending on the construction type and requires retreatment when the chemical expires.
The more effective solution is to install the termite monitoring system around the property and maintain inspections to the system, and when termites strike a bait is applied to guarantee colony elimination. This option uses no registered poisons making it safe for all persons.
Even after treatment, homeowners can also practice these steps to help prevent termites from returning again:
1. Check for any leaks in your home’s pipes or drains and block the leaks immediately
2. Remove wood, plants, paper, cardboard or lumber that lies near the foundation
3. Check that no wood is in direct contact with the soil
4. Fill in any cracks on the roof of your home’s with masonry work and concrete
5. Schedule regular termite checks with a pest control expert every 6-12 months
6. Open your foundation air vents to prevent a build-up of moisture
Contact Pestbusters to schedule a termite inspection today and ensure that your property is kept termite-free and safe to live in for a very long time.