Each housing type in Australia carries different termite risks.
Homeowners that know their risks can better anticipate and prevent termite damage.
Termites Travel across Common Walls of Urban Homes
Common roofs and walls of inner-city homes offer a perfect passage for termites.
Termites may leave their nest two doors down to travel through walls or roofing timbers to your home.
Even inner-urban dwellings with paver covered gardens still have sufficient soil access for termites to set up a nest and grow into a significant threat.
Termites Forage in Boxes Stacked under Suspended Homestead Floors
Suspended floors provide good visibility to inspect and control termite activity, but many homeowners use this space to store boxes of books and papers that termites eat.
Once termites have an established tunnel to a food source in this area, they can forage further upwards to find an unlimited source of new food — your house.
Concrete Slabs Can Crack
Builders began using concrete slabs in the 1960s as an economical approach to home construction. Application of physical and chemical termite barriers helped make these concrete slab homes cheaper to build.
However, termites have penetrated many of these homes through drainage and other openings in the foundation and through faulty mortar in the lower courses of brick and block walls.
Regular do-it-yourself or professional home inspections are necessary to catch initial termite activity before significant and costly damage occurs.
