bclipped


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.



My guess would be that you never got rid of the termites. In addition
to means of entry mentioned
in earlier part of the thread, term's can reside in any cellulose
material - furniture, paper, cardboard
bosex, etc. Should be a way to treat the inside of that wall, but a
big, fat beam with termites
burrowed deep inside would be very tough to reach effectively.

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.


Is the "termite barrier" the only treatment done? Tented? What product
was used for the barrier?
That might be great but could be the wrong product for drywood
termites. Do you have a local
extension service with info about local varieties of termites (they
aren't all one kind) and stats
on what is effective to use against them?

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.



Steel beams might be worth thinking about, especially if your
extermination contract covers
repairs for recurrent infestations. Just a thought.