| Steel Curbs Termite's Taste
for Housing
|
|
|
| 9th September 2003 | ||
| Termite
attacks on homes are costing Australians at least $100 million each
year. According to new research the type of home you live in has a big effect on whether you have to pay for this. The independent study found that more than 12 percent of timber framed homes had been attacked by termites at some point, while not one steel framed home surveyed had suffered a termite attack. The research was conducted by Professor Alan Jeary, Foundation Chair of the School of Construction, Property and Planning at the University of Western Sydney. Professor Jeary was commissioned by the National Association of Steel-Framed Housing (NASH) to research termite attack rates and the associated costs of damage to Australian homes. Of the several hundred species of termites in Australia, about half a dozen are considered to be major pests because they attack timber building products. The survey was carried out in Sydney between June and September 2002. Homes surveyed ranged in age from 2 to 40 years with most homes less than 20 years old. " The areas chosen are typical of suburban developments around Australian cities and no attempt was made to include bushland areas, " Professor Jeary said. " The objective of the survey was to obtain information about the attack rates on domestic housing and assess the costs involved in repairing termite damage. " The results show that slightly more than six percent of the sampled building stock had been attacked by termites but that there were no reported attacks on sampled housing with steel building frames. Interviews with homeowners revealed that the cost of repairs after a termite attack on a timber framed home ranged from $400 to over $10,000. In Australia attacks occur on timber framed housing even though builders are required to install systems to prevent them. The research also discovered that the use of piers in conjunction with ant caps to protect timber framing is less effective than when a slab construction is used. In contrast to residents of timber framed housing, those living in steel framed houses in general, do not feel the necessity to check for termite activity. Professor Jeary said that it is clear from the results of the survey that there is no measurable attack rate by termites on houses with steel framed construction. " In addition, the increased security experienced by the residents in steel-framed housing allows them to spend less time and effort on checking for termite activity, " he said. For Further Information Contact: Professor Alan Jeary or Ken Watson, NASH University of Western Sydney Ph: (03) 9809 1333 Ph: (02) 9852 4303 PO Box 1085, Hartwell VIC 3124 Email: a.jeary@uws.edu.au Email:nashinc@ozemail.com.au |
||
Go to
more Industry News  |
||
