March 11th, 2024
Termites can be a real pain for homeowners and property owners. The National Pest Management Association estimates that termites cause yearly over $5 billion in property damage. Termite damage can be costly to repair and is often hard to diagnose before it’s too late.
Hardwood floors are not off-limits to termite issues. For years, homeowners have been dealing with termite problems regarding their hardwood floors. Most people will have their first run-in with termites as they begin to restore old hardwood floors to their original condition. Maybe you’ve discovered hardwood flooring underneath the old carpet, but they have some termite damage. Depending on the damaged area, flooring can sometimes be repaired rather than completely removed and replaced.
This article will discuss options when dealing with termite damage, how to identify termite damage, and what you can do to protect yourself from termites.
Repairing Termite Damage In Hardwood Floors
If the termite damage is minimal and the damaged sections are small, the damaged wood divots can be dug out, cleared, and then prepared to be filled with a wood epoxy filler and finished a wood filler. The treated area will need to be sanded and smoothed out before a new layer of stain and finisher can be applied.
Repairing termite damage is a slow and tedious process. However, you can save a lot of money by fixing the damaged areas. Also, remember, everyone loves original, restored hardwood floors. Restoring old floors is a great way to increase the value of a home!
Before deciding how to address the damaged sections of floors, we advise having a licensed hardwood floor installer or salesman help you make the best decision.
Identifying Termites
Termites aren’t always easy to identify. If you’re considering buying a property, hire a qualified termite inspector to go through the entire property. If you are restoring some hardwood floors and are unsure if a section of flooring has suffered termite damage, look for mud tunnels, hollow wood sounds, pieces of flooring that are sagging, or wobbly and shaky areas of the floor.
How To Prevent Termites
There are many ways to protect your home and wood floors from termites, but pesticides are the most effective. Another way to keep your wood floors, and homes, free of termites are various bating systems. We highly recommend hiring local and licensed pest control specialists to keep your hardwood floors safe.
Termite repair is serious business and you to make sure you do it right the first time. If you are in Westchester Co, NY, or the Orlando area, we would love to help you with any of your hardwood flooring issues. Call us today!