Can Wood Rot Attract Termites?
Life is hard enough as it is without having to tolerate high stress levels within the comfort of your own home. After a long day at work, or after an unpleasant camping vacation with your parents, it is nice to return to your own home in order to unwind for hours (or days) in your very own bed. The last thing anybody wants to think about while enjoying the sweet embrace of a bed is falling through the floorboards. Unfortunately, things like wood rot and termites do exist, and they can cause your home to crumble around you. Many of you who have experienced wood rot in the past know how frustrating it can be to question the structural integrity of the floor you walk on. Anybody who has experienced a particularly extensive termite infestation can also relate to this frustration. Having one of these problems is enough to make anybody’s life stressful. But imagine if wood rot and termite infestations occurred simultaneously. Wouldn’t a person who is experiencing a serious case of wood rot while also suffering through a termite infestation be the unluckiest person on earth? Well, according to some experts, not necessarily, as wood rot could attract termites to your home.
First of all, it is no secret that termites seek out wood for consumption. Second of all, most termites require an abundant amount of water in order to survive. These two factors make rotting wood particularly attractive to termites. This is because wood begins to rot after it is exposed to heavy amounts of water over an extended period of time. In order for termites to survive they only require the consumption of water and the cellulose in wood. Wood that has become saturated with water offers all of the sustenance termites need in one convenient location. This is why wood rot is so attractive to termites, and it’s also why termite infestations often occur below people’s subfloors. Rainwater and leaky pipes are often responsible for wood rot and eventual termite infestations.
In order to prevent the wood in your home from becoming water damaged make sure that the ground bordering your home’s foundation slopes downward from your home. If the ground around your home slopes inward, then rainwater can collect around the border of your foundation. This can lead to wood rot within your basement or crawlspace. Diverting water from your foundation is the best way to prevent rainwater from making contact with the wood in your home. And this means that termite infestations are far less likely to occur. That being said, if you have noticed wood rot within your home, then scheduling a termite inspection may be a wise decision.
Have you ever experienced wood rot and a termite infestation at the same time within the home that you are living in now or within a home where you had lived in the past?
