Termite prevention can be an ongoing project in many parts of the country. If you're building a porch onto the front or back of your house, you need to be especially careful not to make it a termite-friendly snack, since that could help termites get a foothold in the house itself.
Here are some of the ways porch contractors can help you protect your porch from termites both during and after the porch construction process.
1. Building with treated wood
Treated wood has preservatives added that help it to avoid rot and insect infestations such as termites. Your porch builders can help you find the best types of treated wood for your project. Pressure-treated wood has chemicals driven into it, but the chemicals used can vary from borate to alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) and several other types of chemicals.
2. Choosing naturally termite-resistant woods
Some types of wood have innate pest-resistant chemicals of their own. Some of the top candidates for natural termite resistance include cedar, redwood, cypress, and white oak. If you pair a naturally termite-resistant wood with a chemical treatment, you may achieve even better termite resistance than usual.
3. Using and maintaining protective treatments
In addition to starting out with a product that resists termites, your contractor can also add another layer of termite resistance on top. For example, spraying the porch with a borate preservative can help it resist termites. Other options include termite-repellent paints.
These products can be especially helpful later on since the chemicals in the wood that repel termites typically start to lessen after a few years. If your porch contractor comes out for porch maintenance every couple of years, you could have them reapply termite-repellent paint at maintenance visits.
4. Raising the wood off the ground
Another porch construction detail that can help keep termites out is building the porch without letting the wood contact the ground. This can help reduce termite access to the wood. Your contractor can support the porch with concrete footings designed to keep posts and other wooden support elements from contacting the soil. Your contractor can help you plan how far off the ground to keep wood for the best protection and longest-lasting porch possible.
These are just some of the ways that your porch builders can help you keep your porch safe from termites. Get in touch with a local porch contractor today to discuss building a porch that will meet all your needs and provide decades of outdoor relaxation. A porch contractor can provide further information.