Joist Compressed Due to Termites

Identification

• The joists in your home are framing members that support the weight of the ceiling or floor. Joists must be supported by beams or load-bearing walls. Termites can be extremely destructive to your home. Subterranean termites are the most common and damaging termite in the United States. When termites live in the soil beneath a home, they can damage or compress the joists in the floor.

Effects

• Termites consume wood, insulation, cardboard and a variety of other materials. They tunnel beneath a home and eventually gain access to your home through cracks in the foundation or in expansion joints. As termites search for food, they damage almost any material. Wooden joists in your floor may become damaged and hollowed out through termite feeding.

Diagnosis

• If termites are damaging the joists in your floor or any other part of your home, you may see signs such as swarming termites around window sills or near light. Swarming is most common from March through June, and in the fall months of September and October. Mud tubes may be visible on joists, walls, sills and piers. These tubes are made from carton and mud, and allow termites to move from one place to the other easily. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), carton is a substance that consists of chewed wood, soil and feces. If you see sawdust around your baseboards, you may have a termite problem that needs to be addressed by a professional exterminator.

Solutions

• There are several strategies that may help keep termites from damaging the joists in the floor and any other area of your home. Keep wood off the ground, as contact with the ground gives termites access to food and shelter. Avoid allowing moisture to build up around your home's foundation. Gutters and downspouts should carry rain water at least 10 feet from your home. Reducing humidity in your crawlspace also keeps termites from coming up through the soil to damage floor joists. If termite infestation is heavy, hire an exterminator to eliminate them.