Why Termites Are Such A Problem For Wood Buildings

Wood has been a commonly used building material for millennia, and with good reason. It’s surprisingly strong, commonly sourced and looks beautiful. Unfortunately wood has its weaknesses and one of those is termites.

As with any organic material, there are a few issues that can come with using wood as your building material. One of those issues that you have to be aware of is termite infestation. You can get a good feel of the probability of a termite problem by checking this probability map. Just the mere thought of having those little insect pests silently moving around your building can make anyone feel a bit squeamish.

Silent Damage

Termites are well known for silently tearing through the wood. Progressively eating through the inside of walls, the floors and even ceilings and those wooden roofing struts. This quite often goes unnoticed, until sometimes it’s too late, and extreme structural damage has occurred.

These creatures have so often managed to eat away the wooden structure and frames, leaving many buildings in unstable conditions. That also means that safety has been compromised, with the possibility of collapse. Considering this risk also means that there will be a constant cost of termite treatment. If this termite treatment is not done routinely, then the replacement of the wood becomes a necessity and expense. This means there has to be a constant inspection for any trace of termite trails or infestation. Over time this expense due to the threats of termite in your wood building can become a headache.

Termites often bring friends. These may include:

Carpenter Ants

These tend to make their nests in the wood, and tend to tunnel through the wood as they grow their nest. It is this tunneling that causes a weakened and damaged wooden structure. Just Imagine if they get into the beams of your floor.

Powderpost Beetles

The larval form of these live in hardwood, subflooring, beams and they also eat tunnels in the wood causing massive damage. These tunnels are below the surface of the wood and therefore any damage may go undetected until the wood breaks or falls apart.

Wood Borers

Are another type of wood pests that cause major damage. These tend to lay their eggs in the joints and crevices of the wood structure. When the eggs hatch, the larvae bore through the wood and again cause damage. 

Steel = No Termite Problems

One of the best ways to solve and avoid any termite problem in your building is by using a steel structure. That is of course unless you like having to pay hundreds of dollars in termite management or control. Additionally, because steel is not an organic material it means that this is one less hassle.

Steel buildings are different as they’re immune to these pests and cannot be eaten or penetrated by them. Durable metal buildings maintain its integrity and can stand up for decades. Of course, this also means a lowered maintenance cost as well. There is no weakening of structure like wood due to moisture, other friends of termites or mold. Along with this lets consider the added benefits of using steel structures.

You can Count on Steel

Durability

Steel is very durable. It will not weaken due to load-bearing over time, it can also withstand quite extreme conditions. This means your safety and building integrity is maintained.

Environmentally Friendly

Steel is eco-friendly, and 100% recyclable. Nothing to worry about losing forestry and you help reduce your carbon footprint.

Cost Effective

Using steel actually takes less work than having to build using brick or wood. Along with this is the availability of manufacturers that can work with you, to create a metal building kit that can reduce even more time in your construction phase.  

Flexible

Metal can be cut and fitted to any design that you choose. It is this customization that also makes it ideal in building, and manipulated for whatever look that you desire. 

Bottom Line

Despite the many options being made available today when choosing your building materials, it makes sense to use steel. It is among the most popular materials in use today. Steel is termite-proof, environmentally preferred, stronger, less expensive to maintain, provides better indoor quality, and is long-lasting. These benefits among so many others make it the smarter option.

For a more stable and secured future, start building with steel.