Barriers And Proofing

A chemical termite barrier is a chemical barrier around the outside of your home. It not only stops termites from entering your property, its slow-acting formula allows time for one termite to spread the chemical to other termites so the entire colony is eradicated. While deadly to termites, a chemical termite barrier is completely safe for humans, pets and native animals.

Depending on the home and surrounds, chemical termite barriers can be very effective and affordable. Here are some things to keep in mind if you are considering a chemical termite barrier:

Trench Dimensions:

The termite chemical must penetrate soil around your home to a depth of at least 100mm. To achieve this, your termite technician will dig a small trench. If the trench is not deep enough, the chemical will not give effective protection from termites that tunnel underground. We take great care to dig a trench of correct dimensions while avoiding damage to pipes and gardens around your home.

Access Holes:

To get the chemical to the soil under concrete slabs we drill small access holes. This is difficult, time-consuming work. Some companies save time by drilling fewer holes. The Termite Man follows Australian Guidelines and drills access holes no more than 200-300mm apart and then plug holes after treatment.

Chemical Quantity and Concentration:

Termite chemicals are expensive. And to form an effective termite barrier you have to use a lot (e.g. the average treatment uses 500-600 litres of termite chemical). One way a termite company may attempt to make more money (or offer a cheaper price) is to apply less chemical or diluted chemical. While some companies may apply only 3 litres of chemical per metre, we use the recommended 10 litres of full-strength chemical per metre (100L/m3). With The Termite Man you can be sure you’re getting what you pay for – an effective termite barrier.

Type of Chemical:

Three types of chemicals are commonly used for termite treatments – Fipronil, Imidacloprid and Bifenthrin. You may know these by their brand names Termidor, Premise, and Biflex. These chemicals are quite safe for humans, pets and native animals but effective to termites.
Although all chemicals may be effective, some are more suitable for certain types of homes and surrounds. An application of the wrong chemical may be giving you false security and leave your home vulnerable to termite invasion. The Termite Man will conduct a thorough analysis and give you an expert recommendation on which chemical barrier will be most effective.

The Building Code of Australia requires physical barriers or replenishment systems for all renovations and new dwellings.

A physical barrier is made of a layer of chemical-treated webbing sealed between two sheets of plastic. Not only does it provide a ‘physical’ block to termites, the chemical treatment repels termites.

The physical termite barrier we recommend is Kordon. It is an Australian developed product that has been tested for 14 years by Bayer, the CSIRO, State Forestry Departments, State Building Authorities and Building Design Academics. It comes with a 10 year / $100,000 structural timber replacement warranty with a life expectancy of 50+ years.

A replenishment system (reticulation System) is a series of pipes buried under your slab or around the perimeter of your home. An access point allows a technician to pump chemical into the pipe which is then released through the pipes into the surrounding soil.

Depending on the perimeter of your home you should expect to pay $2,000-$4,000. When you choose The Termite Man you get the ultimate peace of mind knowing you have your local termite expert looking after your home.