Pre Construction Termite Treatment

Topics Covered

1. What are Termites?

2. Difference Between Pre & Post Anti-Termite Treatment

3. Best Chemical For Termite Treatment & Dilution Ration

4. Scope of Work or Specification for Pre-construction Anti-termite soil treatment

5. Deviation From Standard Anti termite Treatment Practices.

6. New Construction Termite Treatment Cost & Warranty

1. What are Termites?

Termites are known as “silent destroyers” termites are an old and well-established insect on Earth because of their ability to chew through wood, flooring and even wallpaper undetected.

There are about 2,000 known termite species in the world.

Termite are more common in tropical and subtropical countries.

There are two types of termites.

1. Dry wood termite
2. Sub-terranean termite

1. Dry wood termiteDry wood termite lives in wood and eats wood hollow. It has nothing to do with clay.
2. Subterranean termiteSubterranean termites live in the ground and eat wood, leather, paper, etc.

The swarmer of the colony are the winged termites, and they are tasked with reproducing and creating new termite colonies.
Termites live in large social groups called colonies. These colonies are hungry, too, eating 24 hours a day, every day.
Termites damage household articles like furniture, plywood, clothing, stationery, etc. by feeding on wood and other organic material having cellulose base
Subterranean termites make nest in soil and workers search for wood by burrowing through the ground and making tunnels of mud
They travel through masonry work, brick walls and conduits of the building to the source of food and cause damage to the property and belongings

Facts:

• Subterranean termite colony may survive for many years and a single colony may develop population containing millions of individuals, thus control is very important as the damage caused by them is huge
• Around 2761 species of termites in the world of which 350 species are found infesting wood in India.
• If you put every termite on earth on a scale at once, their total combined weight would be 445 million tons . For reference, if you did the same thing with humans, we would weigh 350 million tons.

2.Difference between Pre & Post Anti-Termite treatment

What is the anti-termite treatment?

The treatment process that is conducted to avoid these termites entry into the structure using chemicals is an anti-termite treatment.

The purpose of this is to provide a chemical barrier between the termites and the structure.

There are two type of termite treatment

• Pre-construction Anti-Termite Treatment
• Post-construction Anti-Termite Treatment

Pre- Construction Anti Termite Treatment	Post Construction Anti Termite Treatment
As the name suggest pre construction anti-termite treatment is a process in which soil treatment is applied to a building in early stages of its construction.	A post construction termite is done on fully develop building by drilling holes and treating soil under it.
Far more effective	Far more effective Comparatively less effective
Warranty Period 5 Years	Warranty period 1-2 years
No structural damage is caused	Cause structural damage
It is done as a preventive measure	It is done usually after infestation of termite is found or building with age more than 5 years
Treatment is done in multiple stage Example Treatment of Backfill, Treatment at Junction, top Surface of Plinth Filling. Soil Along External Perimeter of Building	It is done in Drill-Fill-Seal Stage with 1 feet of distance uniformly throughout the building

The purpose of anti-termite treatment is to provide the building with a chemical barrier against the sub-terrain termites.
Conclusion:-

People often overlook the Pre-Construction Anti-termite treatment.

The post-construction anti-termite treatment not only costs more but also affects the significant strength and durability of the structure. Also, the chemical barrier formed is far more effective than post-construction termite treatment. It is better to prevent them at first.

3. Best Chemical For Termite Treatment & Dilution Ration

Though the complete specifications or Code of practices for pre-construction anti termite treatment {IS:6313 Part-2: 2001}

But the technical specification mentioned there is very elaborate and only a few (having Civil engineering background) can understand that, so here we try to put the Pre-construction anti termite treatment in a simpler form that can be understood by all.
The best termite treatment practices for the new construction has two important components

i). Use of Genuine Anti Termite Chemicals

ii). Job by skilled technicians who can yield excellent workmanship as the success of the treatment depends upon the thoroughness of the application.
The following chemicals which conform to the Bureau of Indian Standard are recommended for Termite Pest Control For the new construction. The emulsion is prepared out of these chemicals by mixing them with water at the prescribed dosages.

1. Chlorpyrifos 20% E.C
2. Lindane 20% E.C
3. Bifenthrin 2.5% EC
4. Imidacloprid 30.5% SC .

Recently this termiticide has also been added to the existing chemicals recommending its use for anti-termite treatment.
Except for Imidacloprid 30.5% S.C of Bayer,no other termiticide has ever been subjected to such a rigorous test and a thorough study of its performance has been done under actual use conditions Following conclusions were made during the thorough study conducted over a period of Five Years.
Recommended Dilution Ration

Name of Termiticide	Dilution ratio (in water)
Cloropyriphos 20% E.C	1:20
Lindane 20% E.C	1:20
Bifenthrin 2.5% EC	1:40
Imidacloprid 30.5% SC	1:476

To ensure the effectiveness of the Pre construction anti termite treatment it is strongly recommended that the chemical emulsion be prepared from any one of these three chemicals at the prescribed concentration only . Any deviation from the standard concentration i.e increase or decrease in the concentration of emulsion will negatively affect the efficacy of the treatment.

4. Specification for Pre-Construction Anti-termite Soil Treatment

1. Backfill in Immediate Contact with Foundation.
2. Junction of Wall and Floor.
3. Top Surface of Plinth Filling
4. External Perimeter of Building.

Stage-1

Backfill Treatment

After the masonry foundation treatment and when the retaining wall of the basements come up, the backfill in immediate contact with the foundation structure should be treated at the rate of 7.5 litre per sq. mtr. of the surface area.

Stage-2

Plinth Filling Treatment

As per the Bureau of Indian standards, the top surface of the consolidated earth within plinth walls shall be treated with chemical emulsion @ 5 litres. per sq. mtr. of the surface before the stone bed or sub-grade is laid.

Stage-3

External perimeter Treatment

After the completion of the building, the soil along the external perimeter of the building should be rodded at intervals of 15 cm and to a depth of 30 cm. By the forward and and backward movement of steel rod break up the soil and anti termite chemical be poured along the wall at the rate of 7.5 litres per sq. mtr. of the vertical surface area. This forms a chemical barrier for termites in soil.

Stage-4

The stages mentioned above are the major stages are very important and essential to Prevent and Treat Termites in New Construction . However there are minor and miscellaneous stages also which should also be attended to make the building completely termite proof . These miscellaneous stages are as depicted below.
i). Expansion joints :- Expansion joints at the lower most floor level are one of the most common entry points for termites envasion. The perforated soil under these joints should be thoroughly treated @ 2 litres per linear metre. This is an important component of pre slab termite treatment .
ii). Sanitary/plumbing inlet and outlet points :- The entry and exit points of waste and fresh water pipes are one of the most vulnerable areas. Special care should be taken around these areas as due to the constant moisture source these areas always remain prone to termite envasion. These areas should be liberally impregnated with anti termite emulsion by the method of spraying and injecting.
iii). Electric conduits sites :- The electric conduits can prove to be easy path ways for the termite invasion. The termites use electric conduits as runways to move from one part of the building to the another or from one floor to another floor. Therefore the treatment of electric conduits and channels remain an integral part of pre treatment for termites . To impede the termite penetration from these points, once the channels in the walls have been excavated for the placement of electric pipes, these channels should be liberally treated with the chemical emulsion. Once treated electric conduit network can safely be laid.
**Different types of building structures will also affect the scope of work which we would be explaining in the next blog. **

5. Deviation From Standard Anti termite Treatment Practices.

When we get call and we visit our customers construction site Mumbai, we find that the building in question is already in half way of the construction stage.
Due lack of awareness among masses and the pressures on the part of the builder to complete the construction, the important stages of pre-treat are overlooked in some cases. Sometimes the builders pass on the responsibility of anti-termite treatment to the prospective owners. Therefore, very often property owners call us when the slabs of all the floors have been casted and walls being erected. Which means the first three stages of pre-construction treatment has been missed. In such cases, first it is essential to identify and decide which treatment stage is feasible and how to achieve it more effectively.
It is essential that site in charge should cooperate with treatment team as often when the site is offered it is not fit for the treatment. Clearance of wall floor junction for proper treatment and removing the construction material from inside the building become essential to enable the termite treatment team to carry out operations effectively.

5. New Construction Termite Treatment Cost & Warranty

For buildings under construction, the whole process of pre-construction termite control requires frequent visits from the termite treatment company, which adds to the cost. Sometimes property owners find variation when they try to get quote for complete pre-construction anti-termite treatment. So here we try put ballpark figure about cost of anti-termite treatment for new construction.
Assuming that the treatment is carried out using recommended chemicals of standard brands like Bayer, FMC, UPL the cost of treatment can range any where between Rs. 90/- to 125/- per sq. mtr. of the built up area if you hire a professional company. These pre-construction termite treatment rates are inclusive of all the four major stages as mentioned above. However for the minor or miscellaneous stages the cost of treatment is extra. These treatment charges are applicable especially in Mumbai, Maharashtra where predominant soil cover in Mumbai city is sandy, alluvial, and loamy which is prefect for termite growth.

6. Treatment Warranty

If the Termite Pre-treatment for New Construction is carried out according to above mentioned procedure and all recommended specifications are followed, one can expect a comprehensive warranty of five years against subterranean termites . In India, earlier Termite control companies used to offer longer warranty periods for buildings under construction . But in those days, Pre construction termite control service control providers were allowed to use stronger and toxic chemicals. In the recent past, due to health and environment concerns many toxic chemicals have been banned in India and the warranty periods have been shortened.
Now a days by paying marginally extra cost, some companies offer insurance cover against termite loss and all damages/repair cost ,in case of re-occurrence during warranty period, are payable by the treatment providing companies . In the case of renewals of termite protection plan after the expiry of warranty period, homeowners get good discounts as well. A professional Pre construction termite treatment company may carry out interim inspections during the contract period so that warranty is honoured.
Though we had been quite elaborate in this blog, but still if you have any query unanswered about Pre-treatment for termites you may call us at 7045671515

or login at www.tahaanpestsolutions.com
We offer free consultation and inspection services for Pest control treatments in new constructions.

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