On Jan 10, 5:57 pm, Norminn wrote:
wrote:
I have an older neighbor in a 100 year old townhouse-style house who
gets termites every other year, which means I get termites every other
year. I have damaged joists under my kitchen. I was told by a flaky
contractor that we should get these replaced by metal joists to guard
against future damage. I have, let's guess, 12 joists at about 20
feet or shorter length.

Has anyone done this. Can you discuss cost? Is it a sane idea? I'd
like to decide whether or not to eliminate it as a possibility or hold
it in the back of my mind.

thanks!

What evidence is there every other year that termites have invaded?
What kind of termites?
What kind of treatment was done? When? What area of country?

For starters, your neighbor having termites does not mean that your home
is infested. If
termite treatment was done, there should be some kind of contract or
insurance for
reinfestation/repair of damage.

As for metal joists, that seems like overkill, if you are sincerely
considering such. That
still leaves wall studs, roof rafters, etc. Have you researched termite
prevention? Good
idea, because there are a great deal of relatively simple measures to
take to keep them
out.........closing up plumbing openings and other gaps in outer
surfaces, keeping tree
limbs and landscaping off wood parts of structure, keeping wood painted
and sound,
checking for mud tubes inside and outside of foundations, keep roof
sound and dry,
maintaining at least 6" from soil to wood structural members.

All good advice.

Wow, I really didn't explain myself very well.

Naturally I have an exterminator, I presumed that was obvious, I had
termites!

I am getting 6 month termite inspections by an exterminator as part of
a "subscription" plan.

I use the term "Townhouse-style" because I know that townhouses are
more common in parts of the country. We have what is called a
rowhouse here, but is larger than a Baltimore or Philadelphia
rowhouse. It's big, it's old, and all the houses are attached
together. They're brick, but of course the joists are wood.

My joists that are attached to the wall that I share with this older
neighbor are hit by termites at the point where our houses meet. I
have been hit 4 times in ten years, so not literally every other year,
but it can seem like it.

Our exterminator put down a termite barrier, included drilling in our
basement where the two houses meet, but cautioned that if termites hit
my neighbors attic, let's say, the basement treatment may not matter
so much. For instance, we were fully treated but we had a carpet
beetle infestation in the attic. It's an old house, it's a battle.

The damaged joists were "sistered" with treated wood prior to us
buying the house. this has lasted for 10 years, but I plan to replace
the entire floor and subfloor in the kitchen but want to get cost
estimates first of course.

It seems that everyone agrees that metal joists are overkill. The
contractor who suggested them was, as I mentioned, flakey.