Tips to Keep Termites Out of your House

Keeping termites out of your house should be one of your main priorities as a homeowner.  If you do absolutely nothing to prevent them, then the situation could cost you a lot of money to fix by the time you notice you have a problem.  Keep reading to learn a few tips that will help you keep them out.

You will definitely want to do your best to keep your yard as clean as possible.  Termites are obviously attracted to wood.  Therefore, you will not want to leave branches or other pieces of wood just lying around waiting to be infested.  Even wood products like cardboard will help attract termites which will eventually try to enter your home to consume even more wood.

Termites need water just as much as they need the cellulose in wood to survive.  Ensure that you have absolutely no water leaks anywhere around your home.  You will need to check on both the outside and inside of your home. For example; maybe your bathroom sink will not shut off all the way and constantly drips.  Do not think that everything will be fine because it may not be.

As their name suggests, subterranean termites spend their time in the soil.  They can start causing problems for your home if any of the wood comes into contact with the soil.  This is a common scenario for homeowners who have decks or patios.  The best way to prevent this problem is to use a concrete base and keep wood at least six inches off of the ground. 

Some homeowners even treat wood with boric acid before using it around their home to construct a patio or something.  Boric acid is pretty safe as long as you use it responsibly and is easily available at your local hardware store.  You can even paint the wood to help dissuade termites from gaining entry.

If your home has not even been built yet, there is an additional measure you can take.  It is possible to have a termite barrier constructed that will keep them away from your home entirely.  However, this may be going a bit overboard unless you are building a home in an area which is notorious for large termite infestations. 

Standard preventative measures should be enough to negate the need for a permanent barrier unless you just want to be sure.  These preventative measures definitely include regular inspection by a qualified professional though, so make sure you have this done every couple of months.