GENERAL
What most people don't know is that termite barriers
don't actually stop termites getting into the house, they just stop
hidden entry. The barriers are inspection systems rather than prevention
systems. Regular inspections use the barriers to look for termite entry
at pre-determined locations then termite activity can be controlled as
required.
WHAT IS TERMIMESH
A termite's favorite substance is cellulose, which
can be found in most wood and paper products. The main source of
cellulose for termites is wood and it does not matter whether this is
hardwood or softwood. Cellulose can also be obtained through sources
other than wood, such as grass and debris. A mistake often made is that
it is not realized that termites can also attack carpet, plastic, soft
metals (yes !!!!) and electrical cabling. A termite colony can devour
any wood in close contact with natural grade in a matter of weeks. There
are only a few wood species which are 100% guaranteed termite resistant.
These wood species can only be found in Africa an South America,
definitely NOT in Indonesia, however, there are a few the Indonesian
hardwood wood species which are "more or less" termite resistant which are Bojonegoro Teak, Bangkirai and Iron wood,
provided only heartwood is used.
The objective of an effective termite barrier is to
deter concealed termite access from the soil and since subterranean
termites nest underground they will attack your wooden house from below.
Termites need only a very small space to get into your home (1mm is
enough) and the biggest problem is recognizing the signs that your house
is under attack.
The first obvious place for termites to get in is
from under the home itself. There are three vulnerable spots for a home
with normal slab-on-ground construction; up next to the plumbing or
electrical pipe penetrations, up into the wall cavities along the
perimeter of the home and up to the columns or pedestals.
Regardless whether a wood species is termite
resistant or not, it is always strongly recommended that a termite
control system is installed which is designed to deter concealed access
of termites from ground level. Such system is often called a "Termimesh"
system.
Termimesh is a physical barrier made out of
marine-grade, stainless steel-woven wire mesh. The termites cannot
squeeze through the holes in the mesh, and they cannot chew through the
durable stainless steel. Termimesh is installed in the foundation of a
building at the time of construction and blocks all termite entry points
the same way window screens stop flying insects above the ground. The
Termimesh system is installed by certified installers who work under a
strict quality assurance program. So you wish we can provide you some
names of certified installers.
WHAT IS A TERMITE BARRIER
A
termite barrier is a simple small hip roof like structure that is
installed on top of the pedestals which are connected to the ground
floor and sub floor beams or at the foot of columns. Termites always attack from
below (natural grade) and
work their way via the pedestals or columns to reach the wood they are attracted to. By
installing this simple hip roof like structure it is
difficult for a termite to pass as it will most probably fall down from
the slippery down pitched surface. Though this system is not 100%
guaranteed it will alert the owner of the house that a termite
attack is imminent. Precautions can be taken in time.
Typical termite barrier. Can be made from wood, aluminum or plastic. The
more slippery the better
THE GOLDEN RULE FOR WOODEN HOUSES ........
Always build with suspended ground floors, hence elevated from
natural grade whereas sufficient crawl space shall be catered for (say
500 to 600 mm) as to enable regular
inspect the bottom of the floor. In addition install a termite barrier,
and/or use a 100% resistant wood species for the pedestals (like Bangkirai or Merbau heartwood). And this is exactly what we do.
<Back> to previous
page
Back to Special
features
Back to <wood species>
Back to <Termites>
