Although hardwood floors are still highly desirable some homeowners are opting for newer flooring materials sometimes mistakenly thinking they will be resistant to termite damage.
Termite resistant flooring list.
White oak is a common choice for flooring thanks in part to its wide availability.
Folks figure bamboo is safe from termites since it is not a wood technically it s a grass.
Laminate flooring without water resistant feature may be vulnerable to water penetration.
However not all laminate flooring is water resistant.
Timber details source provided by wikipedia blackbutt eucalyptus pilularis commonly known as blackbutt is a common and dominant tree of the family myrtaceae native to southeastern australia.
But it was a living material and contains starch and sugars which means bamboo is vulnerable to termite attack if other conditions are right.
However not in this list are many common flooring species such as tasmanian oak victorian ash manna gum jarrah sydney blue gum rose gum and brush box.
Steel concrete and other physical barriers are recommended by pest control experts.
The panels are made of a mixture that.
Fiber cement siding is one of the most innovative building materials that stop termites and other bugs in their tracks.
Chestnut oak lumber is less common but when available it s often sold as mixed white oak other naturally termite resistant wood species include.
This exotic wood is known for being pricey but there s a good reason.
Find out which woods are most resistant to termites below.
Redwood and alaskan cedar also known as pacific coast yellow cedar are two of the woods that have natural resistance to termites and decay.
White oak and chestnut oak resist termites well.
They ve also been known to eat materials which don t have any trace of wood in them such as linoleum and laminate flooring.
List of australian termite resistant timber.
Alaskan cedar is shown to be a little bit hardier against subterranean termites than redwood in a study performed by the university of hawaii.
If termites find their way into your home you will soon see termite damage on laminate.
Concrete foundations and bamboo flooring if you intend to use bamboo flooring it helps to place termite resistant materials below the floor itself whether or not you use a borate treatment for the floor s upkeep.
Laminate flooring is also known as floating wood tile.
This wood is extremely durable and is known to weather well.
In a study about which woods termites prefer the insects actually had a higher mortality rate eating teak than if they had no access to any wood at all.
This means that teak more than resisting termites actually kills them actively.
The heartwood of some woods is naturally resistant to termites.
Brick has long been used for the exterior of buildings chimneys and laid down as path pavers.
Termites will eat almost anything that contains wood.
Termite attack can be a huge concern if you are planning to install hardwood flooring.