Have You Been Dismissing Termite Control For Your Brick Home? Two Reasons To Reconsider
An elderly lady in Adelaide was lucky to escape with only minor injuries when the ceiling of her home fell on her while she slept. The cause of the collapse is being blamed on termites, and that has surprised some of her neighbours because the home is made of brick. If you are like many brick home owners, you may not have an annual inspection and termite maintenance done because you have assumed that a brick home is not vulnerable to termite infestation. However, there are a number of areas in your home that can still be invaded by termites, and you need to know where these are to keep your family safe. Take these two examples.
Ceiling Truss
The large, triangle-shaped trusses sitting beneath your roof covering, which your ceilings are attached to, may be made of timber. While ceiling trusses are supposed to be treated to prevent termites taking up residence in them, you do need to have a professional inspection done to confirm that your trusses are in good shape.
Not only do termites feed on timber, but they will chew through any product made up of cellulose fibres. Therefore, if you have a steel-frame roof, but you have particle board attached to your ceilings, there is still a possibility these insects are making themselves at home right above your head.
Furniture
Are you feeling confident from termite attack because your brick home is sitting on a concrete slab? This is still not a building situation that should give you comfort. Beneath your concrete slab is a moist, dark environment where termites may be thriving. All a termite needs to find is one small crack between the slab and the bricks of your home and then they can make their way inside.
Once inside the home, all of your wood furniture is now at risk. Drywood termites are particularly elusive because they build their nests inside your furniture and do not always leave visible indicators they are there. Without professional help, you may never know that they are moving between the pieces of furniture in your home.
Don't be fooled into thinking your home is free of termites because it is made of brick. Instead, have your home inspected annually and then make the decision whether you are going to invest in a termite treatment or not. This action will give you the confidence that your family will not experience the same ceiling problems as the elderly lady in Adelaide.