WHAT IS THE TERMITE BELT? HOW WILL IT AFFECT MY FENCE?

Red Cedar Post – termite damage

Southern Termite Belt

Wood Fence Myths – Termites are not a problem around here, never seen them!

If you live in the huge swath known as the TERMITE BELT you need to read this! The TERMITE BELT  is a HUGE area covering WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, NORTHERN GEORGIA, NORTHERN ALABAMA, AND MISSISSIPPI.  The mild climate and moist conditions create ideal growth conditions for subterranean termites and fungus…the #1 problem for fences in the South! The Subterranean Termite  has colonies of 1 to 2 million termites before splitting into new colonies. As natures clean up crew for cellulose (wood fibers – your fence, your house) they work 24 hours a day eating away at dead and decaying wood.  Most of the damage is underground and unseen until to late. That is why it is important to protect your home from termites and your wood fence from termites so they don’t move over to your home.

WOOD FENCE MYTHS – CEDAR DOES NOT WARP!

WRONG, ALL WOOD WARPS. Another wood fence myths.  As a natural product wood is made up of cell structures and the cells are not the same size (uniform). The wood cells are also filled with water as in the human body.  When the sun dries out the lumber then it is actually drying out the cells and the wood shrinks.  Some lumber such as WESTERN RED CEDAR, (not to be confused with the “Knock Off Cedars and Cypress and Spruce), has more consistent cell structure especially in the slow growth old growth lumber so the drying out is more uniform.  Wood fence TRUTH, all wood warps, some to less degree than others.

TREATED PINE WARRANTY COVERS WARPING?

Wood fence myths! Great question! When you read the warranty for pressure treated southern yellow pine you realize that is is a NATURAL WOOD PRODUCT and has NO WARRANTY IN ITSELF!  The chemical manufacturer, however, does warranty the pressure treated southern yellow pine for STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY AGAINST MOLD FUNGUS AND TERMITES.  Now what that means is termites and mold fungus can get a start on the lumber but the insecticide will stop the damage before it is structural.

Another of the wood fence myths, “KNOCK OFF CEDARS” do not have the same amount of chemical as in the old growth WESTERN RED CEDAR from the pacific northwest.  The “KNOCK OFF CEDARS” (red cedar, white cedar, atlantic cedar, swamp cedar, eastern cedar, cypress, swamp cypress, fir, spruce, white spruce etc.) are fast growing readily harvestable SMALL TREES with little natural chemical in them!  Also with the smaller trees you end up with more cambrium layer which rots out sooner than the rest of the tree. If you are PURCHASING  a WESTERN RED CEDAR FENCE be sure to spell out in your contract 100% WESTERN RED CEDAR lumber. Check out the Top 10 Fence Scams for 2012 to see this BAIT and SWITCH scam some companies use, replacing western red cedar with low cost low grade cedar knock off lumber!

CEDAR IS CEDAR IS CEDAR! ARE THEY NOT ALL THE SAME?

Termite Infested Cedar Post…how close to your home?

Great question! The “KNOCK OFF CEDARS” as I like to call them are a different variety from the  old growth WESTERN RED CEDAR and about the only thing in common with the old growth western red cedar is the cedar name!  While it is true they may have some small amount of naturally occurring chemical to resist insects, it is not old growth products but a young tree used for this fence product. Up NORTH with frost lines of three feet deep the termite and fungus are kept in check by extreme winters. Here in the SOUTH we have a mild climate and moist conditions, ideal year round growing conditions for termites and fungus. So back to the question, why not just shoot the “KNOCK OFF CEDARS” with insecticide and be done with it?  The cell structure in most lumbers, these included, are such as they will not accept and retain the insecticide, and with no insecticide INSIDE THE TERMITE BELT, YOU WILL HAVE TERMITE DAMAGE!

MY FENCE POSTS HAVE CRACKS, IS THIS SERIOUS?

This is a common misconception that the post (timber) is structurally compromised and that is just not true!  All posts (timbers) from the 4″ x4″ and up in size will have these cracks showing on the outside surface. It is completely natural and nothing to worry about. If you look at new and older decks and fences then you will begin to notice the cracks.  The surface “cracks” or splitting is caused by the aging and drying out of the timber. The timber will dry out faster on the outside layers than the inside and the stress creates a relief crack, which is not structural at all.

WHY ARE LANDSCAPE TIMBERS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE TREATED?

The lumber out of a tree is coming from different parts of the tree. I guess a good analogy is in the grocery store when you buy meat.  All the different parts of a cow have different characteristics, such a prime rib, filet, rump roast, hamburger, etc.

The same is true with the lumber cut from a tree. You have structural lumber ( 2″ x 12″ x 16′ ) sizes to build houses and then work down to small pieces such as 2″ x 4″s and then down to fence boards, and then down to leftovers, which includes landscape timbers. The landscape timbers are typically the least desirable, last parts of the tree and usually have the hardest density. This means that although it is sent into the tank and chemically treated, that part of the tree doesn’t take well to the insecticide.

So there you have it, treated landscape timbers are the lowest grade of treated pine lumber and even though run thru the treatment process no guaranty for insect protection. That is why you should never use a landscape timber as a fence post even when they are close to the same size as a fence post and cost about 25% of a fence post!