My pest control person arrived right on time today. Actually, there were two -- one whose specialty is working with homebuilders for their Tubes Under The Slab & Tubes In The Wall product, and the other a very experienced termite inspector and technician. Having the two of them on the premises proved to be very illuminating.
First of all, I'm reassured that I'm
not overreacting to the perils of termites in my area. While it is extremely unlikely for termites to tolerate the extremely wet conditions we have right now, the opposite is true in the summer months. Bottom line,
I am justified in worrying about this stuff and it's a very good thing I'm incorporating this issue into my design.
After extensive discussion, we came to rest on a proposed solution that is kind of a hybrid of what they offer and something that is "home-grown."
First of all, the soil should be treated prior to the concrete pour. This can/should be done a day or so before the pour, once the forms are set and the sub-base is compacted. Ideally the soil will not be disturbed much (if at all) following treatment. Their minimum charge for soil treatments is normally $750, but they said they'll probably be able to knock $100-200 off that price, given that I'm already a customer (and have been for years) and the fact that the area to be treated is so relatively small.
However, that soil treatment is only expected to last about 5 to 6 years. Obviously retreating the soil would be difficult or impossible once the construction is done. The idea of having someone bore holes in my new slab years down the line makes me shudder. So what we landed on was a solution that would allow them (or any pest control company really) to retreat the soil via PVC plumbing that I will install ahead of time.
The theory is driving some PVC piping down into the soil a few inches every few feet, with a service port (or several, depending on how many runs I do) that would allow them to hook up their pressurized equipment to inject the soil with
Termidor every five years or so.
While this is not a barrier solution that I was hoping for, it does promise to deliver a known effective product to the area and it makes it possible to maintain the level of effectiveness for decades.
See the illustration below that demonstrates the concept.
This afternoon my
other termite guy called me. (He's the one who is an authorized installer of the barrier product that is no longer available.) He said he talked with a scientist-type at the manufacturer and they came up with an idea that I should consider -- having someone spray the entire area with a rubber-type polymer, similar to a spray-on truck bedliner (but more pliable) that would work as a thick seal before pouring the concrete -- no termiticidees, just a thick barrier that would prevent moisture
and termites for decades. I found this idea very intriguing. The only thing is, I'm a little uncomfortable by the experimental nature of such a plan. I have some concerns too about how pliable the material would be after it cured and whether it might become a flanking path. It also seems like it would be really expensive to get someone to do. I'm also uncertain how I would avoid the "form stakes penetrating the barrier" issue I grappled with at length with the previous plan...
...so, for those reasons I'm leaning towards the "treat now and install a PVC 'termiticide sprinkler system' for subsequent treatments" approach.
As always, your thoughts are welcome.
It's kind of disappointing that I let this three-day weekend get away from me without doing any
real work on the studio...
...but, barring any unforeseen objections or dramatic changes to this plan, I should be able to get rolling again next weekend!
--Keith
I was planning 3-4" minimum... But I'm also going to use the termite blocker which will also act as a damp proof membrane... So I think I'll be OK. Don't you?
