How Do You Repair Termite Damage?

Termites are one of the pests that are hard to eliminate, and most of the time, you won’t notice them until the damage has already been done.

There are different ways in fixing termite damage. Two of the most common procedures are the application of wood hardener and wood fillers, and the other is replacing the wood.

Read more to answer how do you repair termite damage:

Fixing termite damage on wood with wood hardener and filler

Before restoring the infested wood, it would be best to remove the termites first.

Check with the local termite specialist to help remove your unwanted guests.

Once you’ve eliminated the pest and any of their residue, start examining if the damage is minimal. If the damage is small, you can start applying wood hardeners or fillers.

You can start doing these steps:

1. Preparation of wood hardener or wood filler application – Replacing termite damaged wood involves cleaning the infected parts. When termites infest wood, you’ll notice some pest residue, feces, and termite eggs. So when cleaning, you have to make sure you remove all of them from the wood. It will also help if you use a vacuum cleaner. Make sure that you remove the soft or weak wood.
2. Apply wood hardener – Wood hardener will help with parts of the wood that have been weakened and can’t be removed. In a small container, pour the wood hardener and generously apply it with a brush. Let it dry for 2 to 4 hours.
3. Patch with wood filler – Using a putty knife, fill the gaps and holes with wood filler. Make sure you have covered all holes up to the smallest one. Some wood filler needs to be mixed with another substance, so make sure you read the instructions carefully. When patching, you have to match the original shape of the wood, so you need to put in as much wood filler as you can.
4. Sand the surface – Once the wood filler dries out, you need to sand the surface to eliminate any imperfections. After sanding, you should wipe off the excess dust with a soft cloth.
5. Apply primer and paint – Sanding will prepare the surface for primer application. So once the surface is smooth, you can now apply the primer and then paint it with your preferred wood paint.

Termite damage repair by wood replacement

When doing a wood replacement, you can either change the damaged part of the wood or the whole wood frame. First, you need to assess the termite damage. If the wood is completely ruined or softened, replacing the damaged wood would be ideal.

The usual target of termites is the wall frames of the house. If you see the termite colonies in your house walls’ frame, you can go through the steps below:

1. Remove the walls to see the damage – Assess the damage to the frame. Identify which wood and stud are badly damaged and unrecoverable. You can cut the studs in half to see how far the termites have gone through.
2. Remove the damaged wood frame – Using the peen of the hammer, you can remove the loose wood. Some studs may have stuck to the sheathing and are hard to pull. In this case, you can use a reciprocating saw to cut the wood and the nails. Once the nails are cut off, the wood will just pop out. Be careful not to damage the sheathing of the wall unless you also want to replace it. Retain the studs that can be repaired with wood hardener and wood filler.
3. Clean the wood surface – At this point, the clean and undamaged studs remain. Clear the wood surfaces of wood residue, termite eggs, and termite muds. You can use a brush to remove the hardened dirt. You should also check and remove the excess or protruding nails with the reciprocating saw.
4. Measure and install the new wood – Measure the space where you cut the studs to get the exact measurements for the new wood. Once the wood is ready, install and attach it with nails or screws, whichever is applicable.
5. Attach the interior wall sheet – When all the studs are in place, you can attach the interior wall or drywall sheet. Then apply a primer and paint.

How do you repair termite damage? Call El Gato Painting if you’re still wondering

Your knowledge of how to repair termite damage will determine the outcome of the project.

Doing such a project if you’re not entirely informed about termite damage repair might cause more problems, especially if you weren’t able to remove the termite eggs.

While there are different ways of repairing termite damaged wood, some damages need professional help. Instead of doing it yourself and investing more money, time, and effort, you might want to seek the help of experts.

El Gato Painting is your best choice for repairing termite-damaged wood at an affordable price. They can repair your wood and apply paint to protect it from termites, and restore it to its original beauty.

Termite damaged wood? Don’t wait for more damages to come. Call El Gato Painting today!