Termite proofing your home, best practices..

[Carey]

Buzz, we have an aluminum SIP modular house in Keaau that was built in 1973, so this really isn't that new. There are a few of these on island, with a few of those in our neighborhood - easy to pick out, as the modular sections are 40"x8' & have an extruded top & bottom rail for siding, so if you see a Masonite sided house with slightly narrow siding panels, and top & bottom channels, you are probably looking at an 30+ year old aluminum framed SIP! (all of the framing in these units are aluminum, even the trusses). The units originally had a 3" thick fiberglass suspended ceiling panels as the insulation & ceiling. We had to remove this, as rats thought it was wunderbedding. We have installed Reflectix barrier below the roof. This alone has really decreased the radient heating. Still trying to decide on a ceiling that termites & rats won't love....
Ahhhh, the joys of paradise!
Aloha, Carey

[mella l]

Aloha Carey,

Any pictures to share of this type of home? That would give us an idea of what this type of home looks like. Are they still being built on island? Or were they shipped over?

I have overcome my rational irrational fears of pedes, bufo frogs, stinging caterpillars, but termites that fly are way worrysome from someone who has be cautious for years of subterranean types! Yikes termites with wings and voracious appetites! Who knew. Mella

mella l

[Carey]

Mella, The homes were built in the early 1970's. The builder is no longer here, and I doubt that they were fabricated here, based on the fact each panel is labeled with a number, color faces, and top & bottom. I know that aluminum modulars were big in Indiana & California at that time... The aluminum trusses are what blew us away, and our home inspector couldn't believe it, either. The price of aluminum would probably make this construction more costly that wood frame, but it is light & easy to work with. We have gutted the fiberglas insulation & cover paneling ('70's color Masonite paneling), as the insulation was just critter bedding, so we are replacing the insulation with reflectix insulation and the cover panels with Hardi smooth panels to lessen the critter load potential. (We hope??) We are going to leave the trusses exposed for a higher room with drop mounted ceiling fans.....
Aloha, Carey

[HADave]

forward ho!