Pros and Cons of Slab/Post n' Pier

[Kapohocat]

Keep my sanity? No... I think it was insanity that got me into construction biz. I should have gone into termite treatment biz.... ha ha ... job security!!

[Chili]

Carey and Royall both hit on a great alternative to chemical ground treatment. The Basalt rock? I read the article on Carey's post and I'm going to check with both my contractor and the federal inspecter for my project to see if we can go this route. Looks like it is much longer lasting and less damaging to the environment. Thanks.

Noel, you appear to be one very sharp cookie. Your posts are straight forward, easy reading, and very enlightning. I appreciate the time you took to research this and then share it with us all. I'm learning there is more things than just the type of foundation to think about. Now, where did I put that Tylenol?

Mella, I guess Noel's post answered the question about the termites eating through lava and such.
I'm beginning to feel like a termite: I think I'll swarm over to my fridge and eat my way through something.
Aloha and Mahalo
Chili

[Kapohocat]

Chili,

Please check with your builder and make sure they will be "painting" the ends of the cut wood with Terminate or a related product. If you have treated lumber but leave the cut ends without treatment, its a wash on the treatment then.

-Cat

[Carey]

Cat, what we have done is set up a dip bucket with the treatment solution by the chop saw, that way it is a no brainer to treat the cut ends. We also decided to dry all of our lumber then water proof the pieces, just in case.
Mind you we are remodeling & it is an aluminum framed house, so there are very few cut pieces of wood....but still we saw what those buggers did to the untreated pieces of wood in this house, and so we are dipping & treating EVERYTHING wood....
Aloha, Carey

[tada]

StarBulletin article.

http://starbulletin.com/2006/10/19/news/story03.html

Others want to make friends- I just want to make money.
James Cramer

[Kapohocat]

Carey,

Wow! What a simple, good idea! Cut and Dip!!

Thanks for the tip.

-Cat

[Royall]

Would it do any good to paint the underside of a house and caulk the joints? It sound a little extreme but there would be fewer places for the flying type of termite to get into. How much is it to tent a house and how effective is it?

Royall

What goes around comes around!

Edited by - Royall on 10/23/2006 07:25:17

[HADave]

Royall, I seem to remember reading about a whitewash recipe mixing lime, water and allum to paint under a home as a good defense for termites and such under the home. I also thought it would help brighten the area up to make seeing things easier also, especially if you've closed in with lattice....just a thought

Aloha HADave

just another note on the whitewash, It might also help any rust stains show up that might occur from connectors and fasteners that react to the wood treatment...

Edited by - HADave on 10/23/2006 10:24:49

[Carey]

Dave, that whitewash might also elimanate Coquis under the house, NO?
Royall, our house was tented last year by Terminex for just around $1000 (sellers of the house paid, as the inspection showed termites in almost every one of the trimboards...). The fumigant kills EVERYTHING in the tented area (some plants can survive, but the green growth will die back). Once it disipates there is no residual chemical, so the termites & everything else can return... Terminex offers annual inspections & spot & retreating as needed for 10% of the tenting fee (after you have tented, do not know if they offer this for new construction). They have had ads this fall that quotes "starting at $699" but I didn't notice the size of the structure....
Aloha, Carey

[HADave]

Gosh Carey it might at that, hey one could even install a neat sprinkler system under the home to periodically spray floor to ground. Small jet pump a little pvc plumbing, various spray nozzles and a reservoir for the mixture. have a switch located in the home and presto automatic termite/coqui control..)


Has anyone used that plastic composite trim material inside the home, I would think insects might not like it too well. HD must sell it as well as others I suppose..

Aloha HADave


Here is a great publication for those interested in Energy - Comfort- Value

A Hawaii Homeowner's Guide To

http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/...s/hhog.pdf


some talk of termite control in here as well

Edited by - HADave on 10/23/2006 14:26:55