There is one word which describes the environment for Thailand’s prodigious range of nature precisely – fecund – the ability to produce an abundance of offspring, in other words fertility. Whilst this may seem an attractive feature, with a profundity of creatures of every type, it does have one enormous drawback. When the species in question impacts the human environment to its detriment it can cause an abundance of problems. And unfortunately such is the case with the humble termite.
That is to say, termites for there are in excess of 150 types of termite which proliferate in Thailand although only ten of these seriously bother the homeowner. The fact is though that those that do munch away at the substructure of houses effecting damage which equates to hundreds of millions of baht every year.
The Asian subterranean termite is the main culprit. Hiding away in his underground hill this little critter worms his way up through cracks in the concrete foundations and slips unseen into any wooden structures standing upon it. His appetite is prodigious and before long he has eaten his way through staircases, parquet floors, pillars and beams – anything wooden is grist to his mill.
So how do we deal with this miniature monster and ensure our buildings stay immune to his dietary deprivations?
There are several courses which can be followed. Whilst an entire building can, in theory at least, be entirely constructed of concrete, and possibly other termite proof materials, many householders crave the luxury and tradition that real wood brings to a home.
With a range of type of termite waiting to attack the wood defences can be of several types. Chemical and pathogenic agents (such as bacteria) can kill the insects before they get a foothold whilst physical methods include sheet materials preventing the ingress of the creatures from the ground. The real key is a properly considered survey followed by a construction in which every detail is considered and paid the utmost attention to.
With this in mind the homeowner can sleep safe at night without worrying what is devouring his place of residence down there in the darkness.
Here at Thai Home Design we have come across Thailand’s termite problems, and have various solutions and construction methods to ensure this doesn’t affect your house build. Get in touch for more information.
