Removable termite inspection strip on exterior foundation insulation
JennL
| Posted in Expert Exchange Q&A on
My question has to do with foam insulation on the exterior of a basement foundation. Has anyone implemented the strategy of a removable termite protection strip as shown in the diagram below? How much labor and cost is involved? Is it useful for identifying termite damage before it occurs? Is the termite shield effective at preventing their entry into the structure? And how durable is the system (especially the removable strip)? My climate zone is 5. Thank you
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Replies
A termite shield, good air sealing of the walls, and chemical pretreatment of the soil around the foundation are very good protection against termites, probably for a decade or more. While it is not too tough to make a foam strip with cover that are removable, I question how often it will actually be removed for inspection. The least hassle would be a friction-fit foam piece that has the cover attached to the foam, but the friction fit would probably wear out after a few cycles. If it's only removed every year or two, it might last 10+ years.