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Termite Issue
Builders
Builders have some ownership of the termite issue. Builders are extremely trusted by home owners who are spending substantial sums to build their dream home. When it comes to termites, builders are again trusted by homeowners in their choice of termite protection system. There are some excellent builders out there, and there are also some shockers.
The horror stories show that some builders, including major project builders have not been the best in their choice of termite contractors, suggesting that price has been more of an issue than stopping termites eating their clients homes. One major project builder didn't carry the transition to the newer chemicals very well at all. They used chlorpyrifos (Dursban) as the termiticide, applied by Guardian Pest and Weed Control. They also had a practice of leaving the concrete slab boxed away from the plumbing penetrations for the shower and bath so the plumber could move the plumbing if he needed to. With the older style chemicals, this didn't really matter. The down side to this was that chlorpyrifos has an expected protection period of 10 years under slab, and 5 years as a soil treatment. Effectively they left 5 year soil areas under the bath and shower (where we cannot get back to treat effectively), and didn't tell anybody.
The better builders have now gone to Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) accredited physical termite barriers such as Granitgard and Termimesh. Others have gone to alternative physical barriers that have not achieved the ABCB accreditation, and some have continued with chemical treatments.
Our preference is for the ABCB accredited physical systems for a couple of reasons. The ABCB accredited systems are fitted to the brick cavity, and if termites were to enter through a failing of the slab/footing joint, or through a faulty foundation, then the termites are still prevented from gaining hidden access to the home. The chemical barriers are easily fraudulently installed (that's one of the major reasons the termite issue got to where it has). We have seen a high failure rate in physical termite protection systems without full ABCB accreditation.
Another termite protection system gaining popularity is using the exposed slab edge as a part of the termite barrier. A 75mm slab edge exposure is appropriate, and with physical protection of the slab penetrations, no chemical treatment is required. In the United States, a rendered finish has been brought to slab height and separated with a waterproofing flashing. The slab edge below has been painted the same colour as the render. Some attention to detail in getting a smooth finish to the slab is required (you can use a plastic curtain over the timber boxing), but the end result is spectacular. If a slab is laid against the home below the exposed slab edge, we would encourage some protection of the joint as it would be difficult to treat if termites were to occur from this area later.
The different bodies above in red are links to further information on each one. Please follow the links.
© Mark Porter 2002
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