It’s not the older homes that you need to worry about!
One of the the misconceptions about termites and timber homes such as the Queenslander style home on wooden stumps, is about termite attack.
The vast majority of the clients that we speak to have the perception that old timber homes are at high risk of termite attack, when generally the opposite is the truth. Sure we see some timber homes on stumps with termite issues, but almost all of the really seriously damaged home that we see are Brick Veneer homes ( brick homes on concrete slabs with timber framed walls and roofs ) such as most of the homes through the Redlands, Carindale, Albany Creek, Calamvale, Browns Plains suburbs and surrounding areas.
Thinking of buying, or already own a Queenslander? Worried about termites?
Generally we expect to find Borer damage in the flooring of Queenslanders.
We expect to find termite damage in Brick homes. It’s got nothing to do with Queenslanders being built with hardwood, as we all know that termites can destroy hardwood even Ironbark, but it’s got a lot to do with the way builders built the old homes above the ground and usually with ‘ant capping’ on top of the stumps to restrict the access of termites into the homes.
Brick homes, however, are built directly on the ground and generally have timber framing to support the roof, so when the chemical termite barriers that were used under and around the concrete slabs break down, termites enter through small gaps in the brick work or around the plumbing and electrical services and the like.
In Queenslanders we are always aware that termites may be nesting under the stumps.
The first photo is a great example of an old termite nest found under a collapsed stump in a post war home in Coorparoo. The second photo shows termites going around the ant caps and the last photo show how termites enter brick homes underground.
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