Termites Can Cut Insulation Values By Nearly 75%

 Termites aren't just out to eat the wood in your home. A new University of Florida study shows the voracious insects like to feast on your home's insulation, too - making it nearly 75 percent less effective.

In tests measuring how termites damage the thermal properties or insulation in homes and other buildings, three types of widely used construction materials - 2-by-4 boards, five-ply plywood and foam board insulation - were exposed to the pest for eight weeks by entomologists at the University Florida.

All three building construction materials were damaged by termites, but the pest caused more damage to insulation than to either the wooden 2-by-4 or plywood samples. Most types of insulation are composed of plastic that's not a source of food for termites, but the soft texture of insulation allows termites to build extensive tunnels and consume paper that lines the outside surface. In fact, the insulation materials are an almost ideal habitat because they protect the pest from cold temperatures.

Tests showed that plywood was the most resistant to heat flow, but once termites damaged the plywood, temperature changes were significant. After termites ate just 3.1 percent of the wood, insulation values dropped 74 percent.

Termite damage has been most commonly thought of in terms of weakening structures, making infested areas prone to collapse. Water damage is also linked to these termites because they bring moisture up from the soil into structures.

Homeowners should make sure a high quality pre-construction termite treatment is done and a termite-protection contract is maintained. Once termites damage the structure, killing the pest will not correct the damage or restore insulation properties.

Insulation can be a "Termite Turnpike", making it easy for the pest to quickly tunnel through buildings and attack wood.

full story: University of Florida News