ARE STEEL BUILDINGS IMMUNE TO TERMITES?

When you think about costly damage to a building, your thoughts probably turn to major natural disasters like floods, storms or fires. So it may surprise you to learn that termites - often referred to as "the silent destroyer"- cause more structural damage each year than floods, storms and fires combined. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that termite damage accounts for roughly $5 billion dollars worth of damage in the United States alone.

The questions becomes: What can you do to protect your building from costly termite damage? Building with steel and metal building components is a smart and eco-friendly way to protect your investment and mitigate the amount of damage termites are able to cause in your home, commercial or agricultural buildings.

BUILDING WITH STEEL IS AN ECO-FRIENDLY WAY TO PREVENT TERMITE DAMAGE
Termites do love wood, it's their primary source of food. However, they can also make a meal out of virtually any organic or cellulose material. Steel and metal building components are inorganic and, therefore, they are completely immune to the chomping jaws of hungry termites. When you build with cold-formed steel (CFS) and metal building materials, you prevent further use of noxious and toxic chemicals that affect our air quality and can make their way into soil and groundwater. Furthermore, you will eliminate the need for termite tenting which can be costly, taking your home or place of business out of commission while a termite infestation is dealt with.

Here are some tips for designing a steel building that remains termite-free for as long as possible.

Use Cold-Formed Steel Framing Components - Cold-formed steel complies with the termite-resistant construction requirements of the International Residential Code. It is inorganic and holds no appeal to termites and other pests. There is no need for any type of post-construction termite treatment or management and your building occupants and the planet are not exposed to off-gassing from termite-treated, pressure-treated or other chemically treated building materials designed to resist pests.

Choose the Right Site - Site selection may seem like it has nothing to do with termite control. But, in fact, it is the cracks and weaknesses in your building's foundation that often grant these pests access to your infrastructure in the first place. Evaluate your building site for as many seasons as possible, and particularly during a storm, so you can see how the water moves on the property. Standing water and moisture issues, combined with repeated freezing and thawing, can wreak havoc on your foundation. Selecting a slightly elevated site, with well-draining soil - or soil that has been professionally amended for drainage - will help to keep your foundation strong and healthy for decades to come.

Use a Competent Builder to Construct Your Steel Building - While termite damage is usually associated with wood structural components, termites are happy to partake of a schmorgasborg of other organic materials. Did you know that termites can also make a meal from other materials such as:

Paper
Cellulose foam
Leather
Fur
Feathers
Even if you do your best to use inorganic building materials, odds are the interior of your building will have a host of organic materials that termites consider a delicious meal. Choosing an experienced contractor will ensure your building is solidly constructed from foundation to roof, with a tightly sealed envelope, which goes a long way towards deterring pests.

Consider Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Additional Termite Resistance - In addition to affordability and durability, steel buildings are eco-friendly from the get-go. In order to maintain a conscientious approach to building, there are eco-friendly termite resistant steps you can take such as:

Borates - Made from the same stuff that comprises borax soap, borates are toxic to critters with an exoskeleton but are very low in toxicity for people and pets. If your building will include wood components, speak to your builder about borate treated wood and borate soil treatments.
Rigid Foam Insulation - Ask your builder about borate-treated rigid foam insulation, which is showing promising results in regards to termite resistance. Also, keep your insulation from coming in contact with the ground to limit potential access sites.
Plant Termite Resistant Landscaping - Your landscaping choices can have a great deal to do with whether or not you have a termite colony residing below your structures in the first place. Take the appropriate steps to modify your existing landscape, or to create a termite-resistant landscape design that encourages termites to look elsewhere for their food sources.


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