My shop is in my basement and I am planning to put up plywood for
walls (much of the shop is against a poured concrete wall so I'll have
to frame out a wall in front of the concrete as well). Seems like
lots of folks do this.
But... our termite guy inspected our house a couple weeks ago and told
my wife that we need to get the wood away from the exterior walls in
the basement and that we should not use wood shelves down there (I
have wooden shelving units against the wall now). I have not talked
to the termite guy, but this seems like a complete over kill.
We live in Atlanta (which has serious termite issues), but our house
does not have any termite problems. Should I be concerned about
putting up the plywood walls? Should I take any precautions as far as
treatment before doing it?
Is plywood really any worse than dry wall? (tons of people finish
their basements)
Any comments are appreciated. I need to explain to SWMBO why this is
not going to be a problem.
YJJim
Thanks Greg,
That is pretty much what I thought. The previous owner installed
sentricon (or whatever it is called) and we have a termite company
that checks them (and the house) a couple times a year, so I don't
really think I have anything to worry about... or at least no more
worry than I would have anyway.
Thanks again,
YJJim
Greg G. wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> YJJim wandered in from the void and babbled something like:
>
> >My shop is in my basement and I am planning to put up plywood for
> <snip>
>
> I live in Atlanta as well, and have spent the last 3 weeks rebuilding
> part of our house due to termite and rot damage. Most of the damage
> occured because of the moron contractor that built this mess (NO
> flashing, improper roofing, hardboard siding, no vapor barrier, joist
> space between 1st and 2nd floor completely uninsulated and
> additionally open to outdoors!), but that is neither here nor there.
>
> As for your question, if the basement has solid walls and floor, and
> no exposure to the earth, no leaks, and no way for termites to get
> into the basement to begin with, it's unlikely to be a problem. You
> can treat the earth surrounding the house with a termite barrier that
> will generally last 10 years or so. Any finish work involving the
> basement is going to involve the use of wood products - from the
> furring strips that the drywall is nailed to, to trim and such - so
> advice to avoid wood is a silly assertion. Termites can and will
> build soil tunnels to reach ANY wood they can get to. If you have
> termites eating your wooden shelves, they are eating your house as
> well.
>
> So, the solution would appear to be - seal ANY and ALL openings, treat
> the foundation surrounding the house with a good termiticide, treat
> the walls and slab with a hydraulic sealer, and insure good drainage
> around the house to prevent hydrostatic pressure from forcing water
> through the seams - termites prefer moisture with their wood. Regular
> inspection is necessary.
>
> Check here for more info:
>
> General Termite Info
> http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2092.html
>
> Current Pesticide Testing Results
> http://www.5star-termite.com/ctPersistence.htm
>
> Greg
YJJim thus spake:
>Thanks Greg,
>
>That is pretty much what I thought. The previous owner installed
>sentricon (or whatever it is called) and we have a termite company
>that checks them (and the house) a couple times a year, so I don't
>really think I have anything to worry about... or at least no more
>worry than I would have anyway.
>
>Thanks again,
>YJJim
No problemo. Good Luck!
YJJim wandered in from the void and babbled something like:
>My shop is in my basement and I am planning to put up plywood for
<snip>
I live in Atlanta as well, and have spent the last 3 weeks rebuilding
part of our house due to termite and rot damage. Most of the damage
occured because of the moron contractor that built this mess (NO
flashing, improper roofing, hardboard siding, no vapor barrier, joist
space between 1st and 2nd floor completely uninsulated and
additionally open to outdoors!), but that is neither here nor there.
As for your question, if the basement has solid walls and floor, and
no exposure to the earth, no leaks, and no way for termites to get
into the basement to begin with, it's unlikely to be a problem. You
can treat the earth surrounding the house with a termite barrier that
will generally last 10 years or so. Any finish work involving the
basement is going to involve the use of wood products - from the
furring strips that the drywall is nailed to, to trim and such - so
advice to avoid wood is a silly assertion. Termites can and will
build soil tunnels to reach ANY wood they can get to. If you have
termites eating your wooden shelves, they are eating your house as
well.
So, the solution would appear to be - seal ANY and ALL openings, treat
the foundation surrounding the house with a good termiticide, treat
the walls and slab with a hydraulic sealer, and insure good drainage
around the house to prevent hydrostatic pressure from forcing water
through the seams - termites prefer moisture with their wood. Regular
inspection is necessary.
Check here for more info:
General Termite Info
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2092.html
Current Pesticide Testing Results
http://www.5star-termite.com/ctPersistence.htm
Greg