Should You Do Termite Control Before or After Remodeling Your Home?
Termite Treatment Before or After Home Remodeling
Renovating your home is extremely exciting, and the last thing you want is to find that your new space is infested with termites. To prevent this, should you treat the area before you get started, or wait until the renovation is finished and then work on termite control? However you decide to integrate termite control into your renovation, it’s essential to ensure you don’t overlook this critical home improvement element: protecting your home from destructive pests. Here, we look at arguments about the timing of your termite treatment to help you make informed decisions that support your home’s long-term stability.
Why Termite Control Matters During Renovation
Termite control matters during renovation because it should always be a homeowner’s priority. Often, people wait to think about termites until they see damage or signs, but by then, the damage can be significant. Termites are a silent issue: they start in the corners of the house and work their way out, so when there are signs, it’s sometimes too late. The repairs necessitated by termite damage can be extremely costly, so it pays to be proactive and prevent termites from ever gaining a foothold.
Benefits of Pre-Renovation Termite Treatment
It makes sense to put termite control measures in place preemptively before you begin your renovation. One reason is that you are likely to expose spots where termites might be hiding during the demolition phase of the renovation. This gives you an advantage because you can treat these areas in advance, preventing any existing infestation from spreading and new infestations from starting. Once that is handled, you can continue your renovation with the confidence that comes from knowing your home is safe.
Risks of Post-Renovation Termite Treatment
On the other hand, waiting to engage termite control measures until your project is completed can be risky. Given the termite’s ability to stay hidden, it’s easy to see that renovating without knowing whether any termites lurk in your home can result in serious complications. You could be improving your home while, unbeknownst to you, a colony of termites is silently destroying your work. Additionally, treating before the renovation begins can be far less costly than waiting until after it’s complete. Treating an infestation after a refurbishment can be invasive, while treating before you get started is simpler. The most significant risk after renovation is damage to the work you just completed and the need to dismantle it.
Is Termite Treatment Required for New Construction?
Having discussed renovations, let’s move on to new construction for a moment. Are you required to perform preventive measures to protect against termites before you build? What about a termite inspection? Is that required? In California, the answer varies. In areas prone to termites, building codes often mandate inspections and preemptive termite treatment. Even if these things aren’t mandatory in your area, they’re a smart move because they help protect your home’s structural integrity.
Pre-Construction Termite Defense Strategies
Treating before construction offers many benefits. It allows you to protect your home from the ground up and is much less expensive than repairing damage later. You can be confident that, from the moment construction begins, your new home will be termite-free. So, how do you approach termite treatment before there is a building to protect?
- Start with advice from the experts. A professional termite control specialist will be able to inspect your property and determine any potential threat from termites.
- Protect the soil before the foundation. Applying termiticide to the soil before the foundation is poured creates a barrier that termites cannot cross. Professionals usually use this treatment in a grid pattern, taking care to protect the entire area.
- Whether you’re renovating or building, treat your materials and wood. Lumber and other susceptible building materials can harbor termites, so applying termite treatment before you build is a good move. This helps make your home more resistant to termites.
- Install termite barriers. Barrier treatments add a further layer of protection against termites.
Post Construction Termite Treatment
If you decide to have termite treatment after the work is completed, this also begins with a professional inspection. It’s important to know whether you have a termite infestation and, if so, how extensive it is. If there are termites and you have just renovated, the termite control company will carefully tailor a plan that targets the termites while causing minimal disruption to your renovated spaces. The benefit is that when you address termite control right after construction or renovation, you can eliminate termites before they cause significant damage.
Best Practices for Termite Control Around Renovation
Should you do termite control before or after renovation? Many professionals believe that the best way to manage termites is to do both pre- and post-treatment. Start with preemptive measures to ensure your home is free of termites, and end your project with an inspection and any needed termite control, just in case any termites manage to get indoors during the building or renovation process. When you treat before and after, you can provide comprehensive protection against termites and prevent future infestations.
Pro Tips from Inspectors
- Before Construction: Schedule a termite inspection before starting your remodel. This allows the inspector to identify infestations before anything is covered up, giving you the most options for treatment.
- After Repairs: If fumigation is recommended, it’s best performed after repairs are complete to ensure all termites are eradicated—including any that might be hiding in new lumber.
- Spot Treatment: If targeted treatment is appropriate, do it before repairs begin. MightyMite Termite’s full structure warranty protects you if additional activity is found during the remodel.
- Subterranean Termites: Treat these immediately–they can cause rapid damage, and delaying treatment could jeopardize your newly remodeled home.
Choosing the Right Company for Home Termite Control
If you live in the Bay Area and you are planning new construction or renovation, start by contacting MightyMite Termite Services for a free termite inspection. At MightyMite, we’ve earned a reputation as experts in California termite control. We perform termite inspections to ensure your home is free of termites and work hard to help you keep it that way, using naturally derived, environmentally low-impact termite treatments. We diagnose and treat infestations with the most effective methods and unmatched warranties, solving your termite problems the first time, with an industry-best “no call-back rate.” That, combined with our experience, technology, and highly trained professional staff, makes us the leading extermination company in the Bay Area. We understand that your home is your most important investment, so we work hard to provide excellent service by using best practices to solve our customers’ termite problems. To schedule an inspection or learn more about our services, contact us through our website.