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Moisture · vapor barrier · piers and sills · sub-floor timber
Crawl space termite treatment
The crawl space is where subterranean termites usually get in and where they are usually found first. Damp soil, timber near the ground and no ventilation is the combination they want. Call and we put you through to a local termite company.
- Real person answers, day or night
- Same/next day appointments in most areas
- Price agreed before work begins
- Nationwide network of local termite companies
Is this what you have?
The signs
- Mud tubes climbing the piers, foundation walls or pipe runs
- A crawl space that smells damp or has standing water after rain
- Joists or sub-floor that feel soft where you can reach them
- Insulation falling down, or a vapor barrier that is torn or missing
- Floors above the crawl space that bounce or feel spongy
- Timber, form boards or offcuts left sitting on the soil down there
Heads up. Damp is the other half of this problem. Treating termites in a crawl space that stays wet buys you time rather than a fix — the conditions that brought them will still be there. Any sensible quote deals with the water as well as the insects.
On the day
What the technician does
- Get under there properly
A full crawl through, not a look from the hatch. Piers, sills, band joists, sub-floor and every pipe penetration get inspected and sounded, and the moisture level gets measured rather than guessed.
- Treat the soil and the timber
A termiticide goes into the soil around the interior foundation and piers, and infested or at-risk sub-floor timber can be treated directly with a borate.
- Deal with the water
That means a vapor barrier over the soil, clearing blocked vents, fixing the leak or the downpipe that is feeding it, and in a bad case a sump or a dehumidifier.
- Close the routes in
Gaps around pipes and cables get sealed, timber in contact with soil gets removed or isolated, and stored material comes off the ground.
Practical
Getting ready, and what it runs
Preparation
Clear the hatch and anything stored in the crawl space. Tell the company up front if there is standing water, exposed wiring, a septic line or any animal activity down there — it changes who they send and what they bring.
What you will be quoted
Often two things at once: the termite treatment, and the moisture work. They are related but separately priced. Ask for them broken out so you can see what you are paying for.
Access problems
A crawl space under about 18 inches, or one full of ducting, is slow and awkward to work in and costs more. Some need an access point cut before anything can happen.
What moves the price
- Square footage of the crawl space and how tight the clearance is
- Linear feet of interior foundation and number of piers
- Whether a vapor barrier or encapsulation is included
- Sub-floor timber treatment or replacement
- Drainage, sump or dehumidifier work
Questions
Crawl space termite treatment — questions we get a lot
Do I need a vapor barrier as well as treatment?
Usually yes. Bare soil in a crawl space keeps the whole space damp, which keeps the timber attractive to termites and encourages rot on top of it.
Is encapsulation the same thing?
No. A vapor barrier covers the soil. Encapsulation seals the whole space including the walls, and usually comes with a dehumidifier. It costs a lot more and is not always necessary — ask why it is being proposed.
Can I treat the crawl space myself?
Soil termiticides are restricted-use in most states and applying them properly needs equipment and training. Clearing stored timber off the soil and keeping the vents open, on the other hand, is genuinely worth doing.
What if the damage is in the joists?
Treatment stops it spreading; the timber still has to be put right. See termite wood repair.
Termite inspection
Termite treatment
Termite fumigation
Termite wood repairGet under the house and find out
Open 24 hours. Describe what you are seeing and we will put you through to a local company.