Pre-Treatment and Termite Proofing - United Exterminating Company

Termite pre-treatment to new structures is one of the things that everybody should do. It is so cheap, and so effective, when you compare it to post construction treatments, but you'd be surprised as to how few buildings are actually pre-treated. Wise and savvy architects always specify pre-treatment, knowledgeable builders include it in every structure they erect, and prospective buyers should demand it for any new house they buy or build.

Termite Pre-Treatment to a concrete slab foundation

Pre-treatment is far better than post treatment. Post treatment (after you get termites) is actually a "spot" treatment. You can drill a thousand holes, but there will still be places you can't reach, no matter how hard the exterminator tries. With a proper pre-treatment, the soil next to the foundations is treated with a termiticide and is sealed in after the foundations are in place.

As shown in the following pictures, treatment is applied during construction, at certain times, depending on the type of structure. Properly treated structures are sometimes able to resist termites for a much longer period of time, and termiticides applied during construction are generally applied to areas that are unavailable after construction is complete. This one fact would tend to make pre-treatments preferable to post treatments.

SLAB ON GRADE
The following pictures show a concrete slab/foundation of a commercial office building, one story, which will be poured directly on the ground. The total slab area is about 6000 square feet. The procedure is actually simple. After all slab areas are prepared by filling and leveling, termiticides are applied to the surface just previous to pouring the concrete slab. In this case, we are using Premise 75, Manufactured by Bayer, the aspirin people.

Corners. Termites LOVE corners! So you have to make sure you get all the corners, inside, outside, get them all. The "corner problem" is because of several reasons. First of all, if the foundation stands open for any length of time, debris accumulates in the corners. Usually the debris is what termites eat. Also, slabs tend to crack in those areas, allowing easy access.

Don't forget additions. Additions to your home, especially, should be treated during construction. If you don't, the margin between the new and the old is certain to develop a termite problem even though the rest of the house has been treated. The price is reasonable, considering you're spending all that money on the addition.

Call us (or your exterminator) prior to the workmen showing up on the job. Let the exterminator know you're adding on, and let him know the construction details he asks for. Then, after the footings are poured and in place, and just before any concrete slabs are poured, the exterminator comes in to do his thing. It only takes a few minutes, but it is the absolute best way....

It is very important to PRE-TREAT all new construction. That means if you construct an addition, it should be pre-treated for termites. Most pre-treatment needs to be done during the construction process, not after. If you forget, we have to do something like this....

Three months later, this house is coming along. Now it's ready for the final outside perimeter treatment. Treatment consists of inserting a rod, next to the foundation perimeter, and injecting termiticide into the soil. The ground is a little muddy from a recent rain, so treatment will be performed as the ground dries out.

The addition is now complete. Looks good, eh? That's a copper roof you see on the back porch - not too many roofers work with that anymore, but it makes a nice, long-lasting roof. This is a first-class addition.

PRE-TREATMENT FOR SWIMMING POOLS?
You read that correctly. I'll say it again. Pre-treatment for swimming pools. Why is that, you say? It's because your swimming pool is "in the ground" and subject to the same flaws as a house that is built on or in the ground. Not only that, but termites can get through plastic - or vinyl swimming pool liners. And they can also get through the PVC piping often used in pool installations. So when you install an in-ground swimming pool, spend the extra bucks and have it pre-treated.

COSTS OF PRE-TREATMENT
How much does it cost to pre-treat a structure? Well, that depends on many factors. First of all, we need to know the size of the building. That's the "footprint," the square footage of the building actually in contact with the ground. It would also include any concrete slabs or structures that abut the main structure. It also depends, naturally, on how far we have to travel to the job.

We also need to know what type of construction this building will be and how many separate visits we will have to make in order to complete our treatment. Unless there are unusual conditions, termite pre-treatment is generally less costly, and always more effective, than any type of post construction termite treatment.

Any of our complete termite pre-treatments carry a one year guarantee with an additional four year option available.

Builders and homeowners, contact us for a quotation for your house(s) termite pre-treatment.