Thread: A bit of a whine if I may?

Under our pole house have a bedroom and a laundry/bathroom.
Laundry/bathroom has two doors,inside access and external to lawn/washing line.
House is now about 8 years old.
Lots of rain has swollen doors of hardwood; seems the builders set the bottom door frame legs in the soil rather than trimming to suit concrete/tile level.
Yup you guessed it..fricking termites..up into doors and thence in any cavity behind wall tiles popping out half way up the walls..little piles of dirt everyplace.
Have attacked with every toxic chemical in my arsenal..including sulfur,bog cleaner, oil and gasoline. Subsided now..think they are getting the message.
Just waiting for the frickin rain to stop and everything dry out then trim off bottom of door frames, replace with cement and plane off doors so they close.
No advice needed just needed to bitch.....thanks... lol

^^^^ think perhaps the reason for the belated invasion is the pleasant fact that three step kids no longer use the shower, having found gainful employment in Phuket ..3-4 hours away.... YEAH!!!!

Wood doors, and window frames would still swell regardless of termite invasion. Is your structure also wood? Termites fly....

Originally Posted by ltnt

Wood doors, and window frames would still swell regardless of termite invasion. Is your structure also wood? Termites fly....

Ouch!

Originally Posted by BKKBILL

Originally Posted by ltnt

Wood doors, and window frames would still swell regardless of termite invasion. Is your structure also wood? Termites fly....

Ouch!

They seem to bite as well................

Originally Posted by ltnt

Wood doors, and window frames would still swell regardless of termite invasion. Is your structure also wood? Termites fly....

No it is a concrete bunker....think these termites are wingless...never mind . Expanded wood due to water vapour ingress ...been going on since day one. ...wet wood attractive to these little tiny white buggers I guess. Strange how they migrated from door frames through behind tiles, pop out meters away through tiny grout imperfections on wall tiles leaving little piles of dirt..would not have thought much nourishment in concrete and grout?
Still rain about but bugs seem to have given up now..no sign.

Originally Posted by crepitas

they migrated from door frames through behind tiles, pop out meters away through tiny grout imperfections on wall tiles leaving little piles of dirt..would not have thought much nourishment in concrete and grout?

Very tenacious. Once established nothing can rid your wood or house of them. In America they put up a tent over the entire house structure, gas them for 24 hours and that seems to do the job. I don't think that would work in Thailand effectively for longer than another 24 hours....

Thai's use a poison but its temporary and you must continue to use it for the rest of your life to protect the wood. Many just let the termites eat away and eventually replace the rotted wood in total. Serving up another wood feast for the bugs.

You might consider replacing your windows, doors and frames with aluminum and glass. Not that expensive and lasts a lot longer, less frustration.

If you want to use wood, always use teak. There are a few other hard woods in Thailand that termites do not like, but always use someone knowledgable in wood to help you buy.

Bloody Thai builders! Can't leave em alone for 5 minutes. You would think they know not to do that.

Originally Posted by ltnt

Originally Posted by crepitas

they migrated from door frames through behind tiles, pop out meters away through tiny grout imperfections on wall tiles leaving little piles of dirt..would not have thought much nourishment in concrete and grout?

Very tenacious. Once established nothing can rid your wood or house of them. In America they put up a tent over the entire house structure, gas them for 24 hours and that seems to do the job. I don't think that would work in Thailand effectively for longer than another 24 hours....

Thai's use a poison but its temporary and you must continue to use it for the rest of your life to protect the wood. Many just let the termites eat away and eventually replace the rotted wood in total. Serving up another wood feast for the bugs.

You might consider replacing your windows, doors and frames with aluminum and glass. Not that expensive and lasts a lot longer, less frustration.

All aluminum windows and doors..definitely a shoulda!..Have front door teak, sliding glass aluminum doors right across view side of house up and bedroom down. House is concrete only issue two door frames in laundry bathroom under house; will isolate when the frickin rain stops...soldier on..55

^What are your stairway hand rails made of...wood? Oh,oh.....

Originally Posted by ltnt

^What are your stairway hand rails made of...wood? Oh,oh.....

Stairways all external concrete/tile..just bamboo rails set in concrete pillars at present but will replace with steel pretty railings soon as rain stops and get some rubber income... in a bit of a soggy state right now from mud wasps.

Overall : Actually it is no big deal.Have had a quite a bit of experience replacing rotted wood components in boats and houses.
Amazing what power saws, hammer and chisels, chunks of off cuts and a pot of epoxy mixed with micro balloons or just sawdust can achieve …hides a multitude of sins after a coat of paint.

Originally Posted by crepitas

but will replace with steel pretty railings

That's the ticket!