Termite Wall Damage
If you're looking for termite control, you may want to examine the walls of your home for damage. For various reasons, walls are one place where it is common to have pest damage, and where the damage can go undetected for quite a while.
Why Walls?
Both subterranean and drywood termites can damage your walls, though the damage will be a little different depending on the type of pest you have. Because both types of termite feed on organic matter, the wood in your walls can be attractive to them.
For drywood termites, the impetus to eat in your walls is clear. There is a lot of wood in the frame of a house, and the insects are safe, there, from predators and other dangers that might strike them living in the wild. When they're in your walls, they can find all the food they need at little potential cost.
Subterranean termites tend to infest your walls at places where the wall intersects with the soil they live in. When they encounter such a vast and extensive source of food, they generally want to get as much of it as they possibly can.
In addition, walls draw both types of termites because the insects can stay safely hidden within a wall. Most of the time, they can eat their fill without ever interacting with a human being, meaning that termite structural damage may go completely unnoticed.
What Happens When You Have Termites in Your Walls?
Many times, termite wall damage goes undetected because it is not in a place where people can see it. The damaged wood is either behind sheet rock and paint, or it is underground, where you would have to dig to find a problem. Thus, you may not know that there are termites in your walls until some major structural damage has occurred.
Once you know about the problem, there are several things you'll want to do. Find a termite control professional, who can help you get rid of the pests. In addition, you'll probably want to adopt some sort of preventative measures, as well, so they don't come back once you've gotten them out. Finally, you'll need to repair the damage so that your house is livable and its inhabitants don't risk injury.
A termite control professional can help with the first two goals. You'll want to find someone who comes recommended, preferably from family or friends who have had similar pest control issues. If you can't find anyone you know to make a recommendation, you'll want to search for companies that are well-reviewed online.
You'll need a general contractor for the repair work, unless you're experienced at taking care of such things yourself. The work will need to be done carefully and correctly, especially if the area damaged is essential to your home's structural integrity.
Get quotes from more than one company for each aspect of the work that needs to be done on your home. This will ensure that you get your termite control and repair work done at a fair price, and will let you experience working with each company you're considering.
If you're not confident inspecting your walls yourself, be sure to have an extermination professional look at them. That way, you'll be able to get an accurate assessment of whether or not you have termite wall damage and, if you do, how extensive it is. This will give you a solid idea of how much work it will take to repair your home.
