However, this type of wood has less durability than treated lumber.Įach termites species can be distinguished from the others by its specific preference for certain types of wood. Termites are also likely to avoid certain trees, including redwoods, yellow cedars, Laotian teak, and cypress. If you need to keep pests at bay, you can get heartwood-grade lumber for construction projects. Termites can be controlled by parasitic nematodes, which feed on certain types of nematodes. termites are most commonly able to enter your home through wood-to-ground contact, such as doorframes, deck posts, and porch steps or supports.ĭiatomaceous earth, which is used to control many garden pests, can be mixed with soil, water, or paint to keep termites at bay. Mud tubes are commonly used to enter homes from above ground level, but they can also build tunnels below ground level. Termites’ wings swarm throughout the spring, but reproductive termites do not. Termites are notoriously wingless, because they eat wood from the inside out and hide in the wood (and the soil) they infest (and so eat). If you want to keep termite infestations at bay, you should treat or remove any untreated lumber from your property. Termites can breed on untreated wood surfaces. A variety of composite materials, including wood fiber and plastics, are useful for creating products that termites cannot digest. Wood treated with pressure is made up of preservatives that, in addition to preventing rot and fungi, repel termite attractants. Redwood, cypress, and cedar are some of the most widely used wood species that are naturally termite resistant. Mulch protects your home from moisture loss and termites. Subterranean termites are not picky eaters, and they will consume almost any type of wood that is found in your home. Termites prefer wood with a high moisture content and a high degree of decay in order to invade your home. Finally, we will discuss the steps homeowners can take to ensure their landscape timbers are safe from termites. We will also look at the types of treatment used to protect landscape timbers, and how effective these treatments are at deterring termites. Landscape timbers, usually made of treated wood, are commonly used in landscaping and gardening, but is there a risk of termites being attracted to them? This article will discuss the potential of landscape timbers to attract termites, and what homeowners can do to reduce the risk. Although regularly coating a surface with a paint or sealer may help protect wood from the elements, it won’t necessarily prevent it from rotting or being attacked by insects.Termites are one of the most destructive pests when it comes to damaging wood and other materials used in construction.Topical/surface treatments usually limit protection to the surface area because it is applied by brushing, spraying or dipping.The AWPA wood preserving standards are reviewed by their technical committees every five years to ensure that retention levels are appropriate and that a given preservative formulation is performing as expected. The AWPA sets appropriate chemical retentions depending on their intended use/requirements based on performance data derived from long-term scientific tests. Pressure Treatment (PT) is the general term to describe the process for infusing/impregnating the wood fibers with preservative chemicals and removing any excesses, leaving behind only enough chemical in the wood fibers (retention) to protect the wood. In pressure-treated wood, preservatives are infused into the wood, beyond just the surface. Fungal rot/decay and termite protection.The Use Category is designated on the end tag of each piece of treated lumber. The Use Category System of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) designates what preservative systems and retentions have been determined to be effective in protecting wood products under specified exposure conditions. Without chemical treatments, wood can be quickly consumed when exposed to flames.Ĭommon Preservative Protection Use Categories.The structural integrity of untreated wood can be greatly reduced within weeks due to termites and certain marine organisms.Unprotected wood can begin to rot within 1-2 years depending on the environment.If untreated wood only lasts 5 years and treated wood lasts 25 years or more, it would take at least 5 times as many trees over the same period of time, as well as the incremental labor, to continually harvest, manufacture, replace and dispose of all of the untreated wood.Wood that has been appropriately treated can significantly reduce the number of trees that would otherwise need to be harvested.Because treated wood is intended to extend the usefulness and life of wood, fewer trees are required to perform the same function that is required when untreated wood is used. Life Cycle Comparison of untreated wood vs.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |