Termites coming from dirt between floor and wall

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Shakeyray

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Hello all...have an old solid brick home. I pulled the paneling in a room to prep it for a nursery to find a 1/4 inch gab and termites coming up the furring strips. Odd thing is all the interior walls had pt sill plates but not the exterior. I stuck a tool down the crack and it went down about 6 inches and smelled lik dirt.

My plan is to pull the bad wood, clean it up, pour boric acid and salt in the cracks, caulk with something(something for concrete cracks?) and put pt wood all around exterior sill sound good?
 
No crawlspace....it's a concrete foundation but appears to have been done in multiple pours. I'm guessing the footer followed by the floor. And yes, the previous owner had a ton of vegetation EVERYWHERE that I have removed this past year.
 
Time to call a real exterminating company, not some little spot DIY fix.
If you do call one and they suggest just using bait stations, tell them thanks but no thanks.
 
How about for the floor? It's solid masonry walls....should I replace just the bottom piece or all the wall strips as well with pressure treated? And the floor is concrete...no crawlspace.
 
Not sure the salt is a good idea.
 
Not my cup of tea as I live in the north and we hardly ever hear about them nothing is built on grade here except garages and pole barns and they are all PT at the soil level.

I do know a pro in your area is who you should talk to and don’t pick a name out of the phone book. If people still use phone books that is. Talk to the neighbors they will know who is good.

It was a good thing you opened the wall now don’t move ahead until the problems below are solved.

We do have a few Fla members and the deep south. They will be around with the local advice.
 
By treating just this area, you are just spot treating. How about the rest of the dwelling.

PT is interesting, in that when you inspect a freshly cut piece you find that the agent does not penetrate all the way through, so any cut leaves untreated lumber exposed to infestation.
 
Yeah....I read somewhere you can soak cotton balls in saltwater and use this to kill them....I'm only doing this as a future preventative. I am also fixing drainage around the outside perimeter. I have identified them as subterranean termites....so I just need the best way to fix the inside perimeter and the crack.....it extends all around the bedroom about quarter inch as said.

I am pulling paneling all over....doing a full perimeter check....living room has been replaced few years ago ( no termites then)...don't get me wrong, if this were a newer brick veneer or frame home they would already be out tenting.
 
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Termites need to return to earths moisture each 24hr. So as suggested, you'll need an extermination.
 
So you have brick wall built on the foundation and a concrete floor that isn't sealed the the foundation. So the only wood is the 1x4 nailed to the wall.
Is the foundation solid concrete or a block?
 
After you have solved the termite problem you can use foam cord to plug the crack and seal it with something like this.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6ZiIEjwoso[/ame]
 
Keep in mind...I have removed the bottom 1x cause it was comoletely ate through. I broke it all off with my bare handa. I have this post for the floor and another for the electrical. I thought it would be better to keep them separate but there is some overlap. Neal and bud have come up with some good comments on the other post. I'm wondering if it's better to do a 2x4 wall for moisture or was the crack the reason I was getting moisture?

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Up here we have would framed building often with brick on the outside as siding. It is always placed away from the build with a gap behind it because the brick will absorb moisture and it will wick thru to the back side and we have a space down the back and bleed holes at the bottom for the water to get out.
So when the same thing happens at your house the water runs down between the drywall and the brick and down that crack and that is all the termites need.
For your house it would seal the crack build the 2x4 wall with insulation and vapour barrier or glue up foam insulation board thick enough so you could hide conduit in it.
 
Okay..I'm tracking...but if I do a 2x4 wall(to get the wood off the brick) and do foam sheets(with tube foam to close the gaps), will the moisture between the foam and brick cause problems? Will it simply dissipate back through the brick? I don't have holes for it to breathe....but I know brick is porous both ways.
 
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Okay neal....and everyone else....I decided to strip everything.....I dyed the floor...filled the crack with boric acid, then round rubber seal, then self leveling caulk...it's looking nice. I ultimately decided on putting the foam and then the 2x4 walls...I want the capability to have deep outlets for those new usb and other goodies.

Anyhow, I have one last problem. I thoroughly read everything and spoke to a local builder. He said in this area they put that foam up(reflective side out), 3/4 polyiso, and put 1 inch furring over it. I was just going to glue it up and use my 2x4 for the structure to hold it. BUT (wouldn't be fair without an exception) the darn pdf instructions of the RMAX r matte states you can put furring under or over....this wouldnt be a problem but my local guy said the furring goes on top in this area. The installation says if you leave an airgap on the reflective side it ups the r value.....??....so, glue it to the wall and be done or leave the gap? I'm guessing if they don't install it with it under in this area it would be a no go?
 
Reflective side, what do they think will be reflected. If you build a 2x4 wall in front if the foam you will have 3 1/2" gap in most of it.
 
Yeah....I will have the gap from the 2x4s but apparently they install the reflective side toward the sun cause this is florida. However, it seems like a lot of value is being lost placing it right next to the brick versus a gap...it is a lot easier for me to just place the foam up on the brick. I already purchased pt furring but think I will take them back.
 

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