Termites in your garage door or the wood frame around your garage entry point undermine its structural safety and need to be dealt with immediately. Termites are invasive, destructive pests and can cause thousands of dollars or more in damage if the problem goes unattended. Learn how to spot the early signs of termite damage in and around your garage door and frame and how to prevent future infestations. When dealing with termites, it is important that you eliminate the whole colony, or else your termite problem will continue. If you are looking for a termite treatment team who offer full colony elimination, you may want to check out something like Termite Control Kansas City to help you with your termite issue.
Why Do Termites Invade?
Termites ingest cellulose, a substance found in wood and other dead plant material. Subterranean termites thrive in rich, moist soil, creating underground tunnels through which they travel to locate food sources. If the door frame extends below the ground, termites might begin to gnaw away at it. A deteriorated frame can compromise the security of your garage. The infestation could spread quickly, destroying a wood door and affecting the stability of the entire home. Other kinds of termites flourish in sandy environments. They might simply use the garage as an entryway and begin to eat cardboard, books, and any other food source they can find that you’ve stored away in the space. If you do have termites then you can easily call up someone like this termite control los angeles to help you sort out your problem, however, it might just be easier to get a new garage door.
Signs of Termite Damage
Termites are difficult to identify and control because of the hidden initial warning signs of an infestation. For a proactive defense, routinely check the perimeter of your home for the following indications termites may be present. Alternatively, you could call some termite control companies to get their opinion on the infestation:
- Mud tunnels: Termites build mud tunnels to connect moist soil to the food source. The mud tunnels will appear in irregular, weaving lines, usually on a home’s foundation leading from the ground to the wood part of the structure.
- Damaged wood: Termite-infested wood will have a hollow sound when tapped. Tiny, dark holes may appear on the wood’s surface. Slowly break off a piece of the damaged wood and you may find ingrained tunnels beneath, revealing the extent of the termite damage.
- Termite frass: You may notice termite droppings, called frass, collected in small piles underneath the wood on which they are feasting. These wood-colored shavings sometimes resemble sawdust, but the droppings will vary in color and size.
Call a professional exterminator as soon as you notice any signs of termite damage.
Protect Your Garage Door and Frame
Make sure the frame’s wood that extends underground is made of pressure-treated material. Cut off termites’ food source and avoid spreading mulch or wood chips near the garage door frame. Also, do not store firewood near your garage.
Stay alert to chipping and cracking in your wood door’s finish. Thoroughly clean the its surface, both inside and out, and reapply either a penetrating or surface stain according to manufacturer guidelines.
Make sure no water puddles up near your home’s foundation or garage frame, as the increased moisture content in the soil may attract the subterranean brand of termite. Ensure your gutters are in proper working condition and that soil slopes away from the garage and your home’s foundation. If you do happen to notice any damage to wood, or your concrete is cracking and you fear the foundation of your home may need repair, scheduling an inspection and possible CenTex Foundation Repair, for example, could greatly decrease the chance of future damage to your home and its foundation.
Call the professionals at Accent Garage Doors if you’re worried you may have termites in your garage door and are looking into replacement, termite-resistant products.
