A renovation opens up walls and framing you'll never see again — which makes it the single best chance to build in termite protection. Here's how to use it.
A renovation is a rare and valuable moment for termite prevention: walls are open, framing is exposed, and you can see and treat wood you'll never have access to again once it's closed up. Most homeowners think about paint and fixtures during a remodel and never consider termites — which is a missed opportunity, and occasionally a costly mistake. Here's how to use a renovation to protect the house.
Inspect Before You Close the Walls
The single most important step: have exposed framing inspected before it's covered. Open walls reveal hidden termite damage and active galleries that a normal inspection can only infer. Closing a wall over undetected activity seals the problem inside where it keeps working, unseen, until it's much bigger. If you're opening up the structure anyway, take advantage of the visibility. Our guide to identifying termite damage covers what to look for in exposed wood.
Treat Exposed Framing While You Can
Exposed, unfinished framing is the ideal surface for a borate wood treatment (Bora-Care). Borate soaks into bare wood and provides long-lasting protection against termites and wood-boring beetles — but it has to be applied to open framing, which is exactly what a renovation gives you. Applying it before the walls close is protection you simply can't add later without opening things back up. This is the same reasoning behind pre-construction termite treatment, applied to a remodel.
Fix the Conditions That Invite Termites
A renovation is also the time to correct the conducive conditions that draw termites in the first place — many of which are easiest to address while things are apart:
- Moisture and drainage — fix leaks, improve grading and drainage away from the foundation, and address any damp crawlspace ventilation.
- Wood-to-soil contact — eliminate any framing, posts, or debris in contact with soil.
- Resistant materials — use pressure-treated or resistant materials at soil-contact and exposed exterior points.
- Seal gaps — close entry points around utility penetrations and the foundation.
Our post on what attracts termites covers these conditions in full — a remodel is the cheapest time to fix them.
Address Any Damage Found — Before Covering It
If the renovation exposes existing termite damage, deal with it now: treat the activity and repair or replace compromised wood before it's closed up. Repairing structural members is far easier with the walls already open, and you avoid the far worse scenario of finishing a beautiful remodel over wood that's actively being eaten. Order matters — treat first, then repair, so you're not rebuilding around a live colony.
Don't Let New Work Create New Risk
Finally, make sure the renovation itself doesn't introduce problems: don't bury form boards or wood scraps in backfill, don't stack lumber against the house, and don't create new wood-to-soil contact with decks, planters, or additions. New construction details done carelessly are a common source of future activity.
The Bottom Line
A renovation is the best termite-prevention opportunity a house ever gets — open framing you can inspect, treat, and correct before it disappears behind drywall. The mistake is closing it all up without looking. A free inspection during the open-framing stage lets you catch and protect what you'll never see again once the walls are back.