07-20-2013, 06:12 PM
I would not place total faith in any one treatment or wood type... most builder probably do not even follow the mfg. recommendations on the treated wood & cut the wood but then do not end treat with the treatment...so the mostly untreated core of the cut wood is ready & open to feasting...
As for redwood...our neighborhood has many homes of redwood, some that were moved from Waiakea town, some that were built in the 50's, & ours was in the 70's - most all have had termites (the neighborhood is SWARMING with dry wood termites during the warm dry evenings)... Quite a few homes have termite damage to the redwood siding, and many more have termite action in their redwood framing, including window & door frames...
ADDED: we also found out that most prefamed exterior doors here are not framed with treated wood, & the termites LOVE that frame wood (2 year old doors were full of the buggers...) You can - & I would advise this- order the prehung door frames made with termite resistant materials like fiberglas or vinyl or metal....one less thing to replace
We lost our back gutter last year, as they were nailed through the aluminum facia & into the redwood roof purlins. One, and only one roof purlin was totally termite destroyed...but it was the second to the last purlin & when the wood got bad enough, the gutter gave way during a big rain storm... all of the other edge purlins were checked, none had the damage...although we tent & have the annual inspections, the previous owner did not...so there were decades for the buggers to gnaw away... I cross cut that purlin, as I was SURE there had to be more to it than drywood termites, but all I found was channels upon channels of termite tunnels...
As for redwood...our neighborhood has many homes of redwood, some that were moved from Waiakea town, some that were built in the 50's, & ours was in the 70's - most all have had termites (the neighborhood is SWARMING with dry wood termites during the warm dry evenings)... Quite a few homes have termite damage to the redwood siding, and many more have termite action in their redwood framing, including window & door frames...
ADDED: we also found out that most prefamed exterior doors here are not framed with treated wood, & the termites LOVE that frame wood (2 year old doors were full of the buggers...) You can - & I would advise this- order the prehung door frames made with termite resistant materials like fiberglas or vinyl or metal....one less thing to replace
We lost our back gutter last year, as they were nailed through the aluminum facia & into the redwood roof purlins. One, and only one roof purlin was totally termite destroyed...but it was the second to the last purlin & when the wood got bad enough, the gutter gave way during a big rain storm... all of the other edge purlins were checked, none had the damage...although we tent & have the annual inspections, the previous owner did not...so there were decades for the buggers to gnaw away... I cross cut that purlin, as I was SURE there had to be more to it than drywood termites, but all I found was channels upon channels of termite tunnels...