# Painting for Termites



## DaGoomba

Hi,

I am currently in escrow to buy a house it is going to be tented for termites. I was planning on insulating and drywalling the garage after the tenting. If I were to paint the inside frame of the garage with primer would that help against termites?

Any help is appreciated.
Thanks


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## cibula11

I'm not a pest expert, but I have been told that practically nothing will get rid of termites EXCEPT the stuff the pros use. I wouldn't count on priming. Eventually paint wears off and termites won't care, they'll go through anything.


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## Sammy

The paint wont help deter new or existing termites. The house should have a clean bill of health termite wise PRIOR to closing. I had a third termite inspection from a company that I paid just to insure it was termite free when I bought my home. And I have annual inpsections from a pro along with my own pokin around.


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## DaGoomba

Sammy said:


> The paint wont help deter new or existing termites. The house should have a clean bill of health termite wise PRIOR to closing. I had a third termite inspection from a company that I paid just to insure it was termite free when I bought my home. And I have annual inpsections from a pro along with my own pokin around.


That is a good idea about getting it inspected again prior to closing after the place has been tented.

Thanks guys.


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## Sammy

Couple of hundred bucks for a third party, indpendent inspection is money well spent. 

Good luck!


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## ocoee

Painting may help with drywoods but I don't think by much

Look into Timbor or Borid

Basically a boric acid compound that you can spray on exposed wood sort of like paint, I guess


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## bofusmosby

From what I understand, the borates in the liquid will not actually kill the termites, but the termites will die. The borate solution soaks into the wood. It can then be primed and painted. When the termites eat the wood with the borates in it, the borates actually kill the bacteria in the stomach of the termites that breaks down the wood for digestion. The bacteria dies, causing the termites to literally starve to death.

On all the new wood I use for the restoration of my house, I brush on a coat or 2 before priming. After a few days, I always wipe a damp/wet cloth over the wood, to be sure that the outer layer of the solution does not interfere with the holding power of the primer and paint. One drawback, if the solution is put on wood, and if it is exposed to the elements (rain, snow, etc.) the solution will over time be washed clean of the wood. If the wood is painted, then the borates are there to stay.


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## Concordseeker

It's my understanding that termites come up from the ground so paint wouldn't really do anything.

Make sure structure is sound and termites gone before closing. That's the best advice.


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## Mike Swearingen

Termites are subterranean and enter a home from the ground up through tunnels up masonry foundation blocks or bricks to wood or directly into ground-contact untreated wood. Painting or priming wood will not prevent them.
If you're buying a house that you know is termite-infested, don't just inspect for termites, especially if they are tenting the entire home to kill them. *Tenting is a dead give-away of a very extensive infestation problem*. Much more often (99 times out of 100 in my experience), only a professional ground and base structural treatment by a pest control operator is necessary to wipe out most termite infestations. Tenting is a major red flag.
The more critical inspection would be a General Home Inspection or licensed General Contractor inspection for termite *structural damage.*
*Do NOT close on this property until you know what you're dealing with structurally.*
A termite treatment for a good sized home here runs from $600-$900, but I've seen hidden termite structural damage repair cost up to $16,000!
Mike
(20-Year+ NC real estate broker)


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## bofusmosby

I agree, make sure there are no termites, before you buy. What you are talking about are the subteranium termites. They live in the ground, and go up into the wood for food. They actually live undergrouind. However, dry wood termites can infest a structure anywhere they can land. And they do not live in the ground, they live in the wood.

The borates I mentioned are not being done to kill active termites. I bought my house in 99, and have had it tented (fumigated) 3 times. I also have a warranty on the job, so if I see active ones, up goes the tent again.

The borates are being used as another deterent for the little buggers.


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## Dutch1962

I assume your dealing with drywood termites if a tenting is involved.However there are other critters that can require tenting as well.Powder Post Beetles,Old House Borers or even Formosan Termites. But lets just say it is Drywoods (and you should make sure first) Unless the home is more than 50 or 60 years old damage usually is not that great. We are dealing with a bunch of unknowns so take this with a grain of salt but in 25 years of pest control I've seen many houses that needed MAJOR repairs from sub termite damage but rarely from drywoods. Their colonies are slow in developing and drywoods eat mainly hardwoods. But none the less they do eat wood and therefore the damage should be assessed. Borates do kill termites and quite effectively,however you may not want to be the one to do it. Let someone with the equipment and guarantees handle it if you can. Tenting a structure only kills the infestation that day and provides no residual effect. Borates will last for years. If you had a WDO (wood destroying organism) report call the company that did it and have them explain to you what was found and why and what they're doing. If you didn't have one done then for your sake get one. 

I have an article on wdo's and termites that may help.

http://pestcemetery.com/?p=100
http://pestcemetery.com/?p=135

Good Luck


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