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When we talk about termite damage, we usually talk about damage to the wood in your home. Joists can be weakened, and you can experience damage like sagging floors, shifted window and door frames, peeling paint, and more. Serious infestations that are left unchecked can result in even more dramatic damage.

The Effects Termites on Homes Insulation

But we rarely talk about how AZ termite can damage your home’s insulation, even though that is also a problem. Typically, termites enter your house through the ground, and most homeowners notice the damage lower in their home and take action before the termites have the chance to make their way up to the insulation in the walls or the ceiling.

Though termites don’t eat the materials in the insulation, they will chew through it to get to the wood that they really want. Here’s how that impact your insulation and your home:

Energy Efficiency

Your home needs proper insulation to be energy efficient. When termites start to chew through your insulation on the way to the wood they want, they are reducing the material in your insulation and making your home less efficient. Some studies estimate that insulation can become as much as 75 percent less efficient once it has been damaged by termites.

Imagine how much of an impact it will have on your energy bill if your insulation were to become 75 percent less efficient! The bigger your home is, the more money you would lose. Don’t let the problem compound. Taking care of your termite problem early ensures that you limit the damage and limit your losses. Getting a regular East Valley termite inspection will help you identify problems as early as possible so that you don’t lose money on energy costs or have to pay a lot in repairs.

Pace of Termite Damage

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida conducted research to see how quickly termites can damage the materials in a home. Researchers put out foam insulation, five-ply plywood, and 2-by-4 wood boards, among other materials. They left the materials out for eight weeks, and set termites upon them. Then they monitored how much the termites had damaged at the end of that time period.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that the foam insulation suffered the most damage. Approximately 12 percent of the foam insulation had been eaten by the termites, with some parts of the insulation missing completely. That loss resulted in about 27 percent decreased efficiency, the researchers estimated.

The good news from this research is it shows that a relatively long period has to pass before termites can do significant damage to your home. Your insulation isn’t going to become 75 percent less efficient overnight. But you do have to be proactive in checking on your home and scheduling the appropriate inspections. Don’t wait until you notice your energy bill going up to get a termite inspection.

Other Signs of Termite Damage

Termites won’t limit their path of destruction to your insulation, obviously. They much prefer the good stuff that your home has to offer: The wood. So your home could be experiencing extensive termite damage but your insulation could be fine, and your energy bills could be stable.

In addition to scheduling your yearly termite inspection near East Valley, you should also look out for the other signs of possible termite infestation. By watching for these signs, you might be able to catch the problem early and have it corrected before the damage becomes more extensive.
Here are some of the common signs of termites in your home:

Sagging or squeaky floor boards
Loose tiles
Pinpoint holes in the drywall
Discolored drywall or peeling paint
Windows or doors that don’t open properly (or don’t open at all)
Patterns in the floors or walls that look like mazes
Buckling floor boards or laminate
Wood that has a hollow sound when tapped
Obviously damaged or crumbling wood
Piles of termite feces, which may look like salt and pepper
Piles of termite wings, which may look like fish scales
Mud tunnels near the foundation of your home

None of these signs definitely meant that you have termites, but they are a definite sign that you need to call a termite exterminator near East Valley to take a look. The earlier you can get to the bottom of the problem, the better. By being proactive about your termite problem, you can also protect your insulation and keep your energy costs low.

Varsity Termite and Pest Control can discover termites in your home at the earliest stages so that we can develop a strategy for eliminating and preventing them. We know where termites live in your home, and we know how to discover even the most entrenched colonies. Our experienced exterminators then develop a treatment and maintenance plan based on the types of termites discovered in and around your home. Call us today to schedule an inspection and start protecting your home.

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Varsity Termite and Pest Control
6056 E Baseline Rd #122
Mesa, AZ85206

Office: 602-757-8252
Website: https://varsitytermiteandpestcontrol.com

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