Termite Resistant Hardwood Flooring

According to studies termites find southern yellow pine and spruce to be the most appealing woods to eat.

Termite resistant hardwood flooring. To help prevent these silent destroyers from invading keep all rotting wood such as firewood far away from the house. It doesn t matter if it is softwood or hardwood pine or oak. Best methods of treatment and diy methods. But it is the most dramatic scenario in very uncared cases and can occur when the houses are already uninhabited for many years but it describes the major principle of house decomposition beginning with the floor caused by termites.

Termites and your hardwood floors hardwood flooring is a timeless feature of any home. This is a fear that keeps some homeowners from choosing this highly durable and beautiful option for their flooring. Your fear is well founded after all termites have an insatiable appetite for wood. Chestnut oak lumber is less common but when available it s often sold as mixed white oak other naturally termite resistant wood species include.

However if you suspect you have a termite problem you might worry about the structural integrity of your floors. They ve also been known to eat materials which don t have any trace of wood in them such as linoleum and laminate flooring. Among these options teak is obviously the top choice for termite resistance. High moisture content softness the presence of fungus or decay and the absence of natural chemicals resins or oils that make wood resistant to decay and insects.

Posted on june 25 2013 by admin. Any wood that s brought inside should be thoroughly checked look out for holes or hollowness that could house the insects. However any of these choices are highly preferred to woods that termites seem to enjoy most. Redwood and alaskan cedar also known as pacific coast yellow cedar are two of the woods that have natural resistance to termites and decay.

Learn more about subterranean termites. Termites are more likely to feed on soft woods than hardwoods. White oak and chestnut oak resist termites well. Do hardwood floors make your home a target for termites.

Eastern subterranean termites and their tunnels and. Termites can cause devastating harm to wood structures including hardwood floors. However if the infestation is untreated for several years the wood may become weak and give way under general use. If termites find their way into your home you will soon see termite damage on laminate.

Hardwood floors may show evidence of termite damage although the damage often is not immediately visible to homeowners. The heartwood of some woods is naturally resistant to termites. Alaskan cedar is shown to be a little bit hardier against subterranean termites than redwood in a study performed by the university of hawaii. Laminate flooring is also known as floating wood tile.

White oak is a common choice for flooring thanks in part to its wide availability. Subterranean termites will happily feed on any of the common woods used for structural lumber in homes. So let s explore the facts. Termites love to munch on all kinds of wood but they have to get inside.

Termites and hardwood floors.