Just got your favorite interior design finally finished in your home? Have you redesigned and remodeled for a season in the hope of having guests over? Maybe you have finally bought what appears like your dream home. There are many precautions you are probably taking to make sure all your hard work is preserved now. So cleaning the window sills from mildew, checking the walls for signs of damp and mould, and perhaps the strength of the stairs and floors. It’s common to do all these things in a bid to maintain your home but one thing that almost no one ever checks is the insect level. If it looks clean on the outside then it must be fine right? Well, what if there are insects in your home that live inside but don’t appear in plain sight? Insects that feast on the wood in your home, and ruin your stunning midcentury modern shiplap, will never show signs of their activities until it’s too late. So how can you combat them?
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Noticing the hollow signs
There are a few ways you can find out whether or not you have insects that eat wood in your home. Usually, they are careful to not pierce through to the surface but sometimes they do. If you find wood chippings on the floor as if a pet has chewed a small hole into the wooden staircase, or perhaps the leg of a sofa, just double check. Gently knock on the wood and listen for a hollow sound. If it’s sharp and hard, then the wood is fine. However, if you hear a low booming noise and don’t hurt your finger as much while tapping, you might have a hollowed out piece of wood. Being able to manipulate the wood is also a sign that it’s lighter due to being hollow. When wood loses it’s weight from the inside, it bends easier and becomes brittle at the same time. If you see signs that something made of wood that was once heavy and not easily moveable, but is now lighter and seems to not be handling your weight or force anymore you could have wood munching insects in your home.
It’s not too late
When you discover a colony of termites literally eating your home alive, you should call in a professional immediately. They will assess whether or not it’s safe for you and your family to even be in the home. Next they will go about performing termite damage repair as some wooden items around the home can be filled in to improve rigidity. They will also check the roof where termites usually infest and build their maze. The wood can be replaced quickly so as to allow you to stay in your home. They can trim off pieces that have been eaten up to a point but not entirely compromised. This stops any further movement in that direction and forces the termites to retreat.
Whenever you suspect that wood in your home has become strangely weaker, don’t rule out termites. As wood ages it does chip and become more flexible. But if it’s notably different in your home to the point that wood can be broken off easily from a staircase, chair or from your roof, call in experts to assess and repair as soon as possible.
