Post Construction Treatments
Post-construction treatments are generally applied as an exterior trench and rod treatment at a rate of 5 liter per 1 linear meter per 30 cm of depth down to the top of the footer or a maximum of 120 cm. When drilling and rodding concrete slabs or basements indoors and concrete patios, walkways and driveways outdoors, Agenda is also applied at the rate of 5 liter per 1 linear meter, with drill holes approximately 30 cm apart. 2 – 3 liter per 1 linear meter is the standard label rate for treatment of masonry voids, hollow blocks and other special situations.
When a well or cistern is in close proximity to the structure, rodding into the trench is not usually done. Instead, soil is removed from the trench, placed on plastic sheeting, treated with Agenda, and then placed back into the trench. Many companies don’t offer treatments for plenum construction in which the crawl space doubles as a return air space for the heating and air conditioning system.
The steps used to apply a thorough soil treatment around the foundation depend generally on the type of construction and specifically on the conditions associated with each individual infestation. General treatment instructions for the most common construction types are listed below (See also Figures).
Post-construction Agenda 25 EC treatments
for common types of construction
Slabs or basements
Outside
- Trench and rod into trench: One method to prevent termites from building tunnels up the sides of foundation walls and entering the structure is to inject a chemical barrier into a trench dug adjacent to the wall, up to a width and depth of 15 cm , treating the backfill as it is replaced. Insert the rod into the bottom of the trench down to the top of the footer, but no deeper than 120 cm into the soil. Insert and remove the rod at regular intervals to ensure a uniform distribution of Agenda down along the foundation wall using 5 liter per 1 linear meter per 30 cm of depth.
- Drill/treat under slabs: For slabs attached to a structure such as porches, patios or carports, holes are drilled into the slab, no more than 30 cm apart for treatment. The treatment rod is inserted into each hole and 1.5 liter of Agenda per 30 cm of depth is discharged beneath the slab. After treating under the slab, the holes are plugged with cork or rubber plugs, cemented and smoothed over.
- Scrape off tunnels: Scraping mud tubes off of the foundation and basement walls allows monitoring for reinfestation. The only situation that does not necessitate tunnel removal is when aboveground bait stations are installed over active mud tubes specifically to allow termites to enter and feed on the contents.
Trench Treatments : inject Agenda into a trench dug adjacent to the wall, up to a width and depth of 15 – 30 cm , treating the backfill as it is replaced.
Inside
1- Treat expansion joints: Expansion joints of the foundation wall can be treated from the inside of the home by drilling along the foundation wall at approximately 30 cm intervals. Any floor coverings should be moved back at least 90 cm from the walls. Having customers sign a release form holds the company blameless if the covering isn’t replaced exactly as it was before treatment. Some companies hire a specialist to handl the removal and replacement of floor coverings. Linoleum or vinyl tile that must be cut can be heated for greater pliability. The application rate along expansion joints is 5 liter per 1 linear meter . Holes should be plugged with cork and capped with cement following treatment.
2- Treat bath traps and slab penetrations: Utility pipes embedded in slabs, including water, sewer and sometimes electrical conduits, provide adequate points of entry for termites. When cement hardens and shrinks, a thin crack is left between the pipes and slab. Sometimes a square opening called a bath trap is left agape when the slab is poured where the pipes will be installed. This area needs to be treated. With permission from the homeowner, a bath trap vent is installed (if none exists) for treatment and periodic inspection. A bath trap vent is installed on the backside of the wall containing the plumbing. Center the opening on the pipes inside the wall. Measure how far the tub drain is from the sidewall to get an accurate idea of where the pipes are. Cut an approximately 24 cm by 21 cm opening with a keyhole saw. Place something below on the carpet to facilitate cleanup. The opening should be just a bit smaller than the vent and located right above the baseboard. If any termite activity or damage is evident at this time, add them to your inspection graphs. After treatment, attach the vent cover. Prepare the 30 cm by 30 cm bath trap slab opening for treatment by removing all form boards and grade stakes that may have been left there. Then, remove enough soil so that a 5 cm-deep area can be evenly treated with about one pint of Agenda. After applying the Agenda, cover treated soil with 1.3 cm of untreated soil. If the entire area under the bathtub is dirt, treat according to pretreatment calculations, based on 4 – 5 Liter per 1 square meter and apply it evenly throughout. If the slab was poured without a bath trap opening, and cement encases the pipes instead, needle treat the crack around each pipe and any expansion materials between the pipe and slab at the rate of 2 Liter of Agenda per pipe.
3- Plumbing penetrations: Areas around pipes and plumbing not in the bath trap area are treated by vertical drilling. Use of a drill gauge is recommended to avoid drilling too deep and puncturing utility lines. Use of a ground fault interrupter is also essential for interrupting the electricity going to the drill whenever the bit touches a grounded metal object. The ground fault interrupter also protects the operator from a fatal line-to-ground shock in the event of an electrical short. Use the standard rate of 5 liter per 1 linear meter . Patch the holes with rubber or cork plugs and cap with cement. All areas with plumbing penetrations through the slab need to be treated appropriately. This includes kitchen, utility room and water heater. Some pipe systems may be interconnected.
4- Settlement cracks: Termite damage on an interior wall usually indicates there is an expansion joint, a wall that extends below the slab, or a crack in the slab under the partition wall. Without removing baseboards or shoe molding, treat these areas by vertically drilling as close to the wall as possible, along the joint or crack, spacing the holes about 30 cm inches apart. Use some type of vacuuming device to remove the drill dust and avoid spreading it throughout the structure. Apply Agenda at the rate of 5 liter per 1 linear meter .
Some of the areas that must be treated during a post-construction treatment to (a) slabs, (b) basements It is important to identify and apply Agenda 25 EC to potential subterranean termite entry points that are unique to each construction type.
1– Air ducts: Homes that have air ducts embedded in the slab with vents into the structure (as in perimeter heating) must be examined and treated carefully to avoid drilling into the ducts and contaminating the home.
2- Horizontal short/long soil rod: The horizontal rod treatment is used to avoid drilling into floor coverings such as expensive tile, stone or parquet flooring by drilling through the slab foundation wall from the outside of the structure below the level of the soil. This has to be done before exterior trench and rod treatments. To establish an effective chemical barrier that protects perimeter expansion joints, horizontal drilling must ensure that the treatment rod applies Agenda as close to the bottom of the slab underside as possible when inserted. To be certain that drill holes are indeed beneath the slab, measure from the windowsill to the floor on the inside of the structure. Measure this same distance down on the outside of the window, and then add about 15 cm for the thickness of the concrete slab. After drilling the first hole, check inside to make sure the hole was drilled properly. Insert the treatment rod to apply the Agenda at the 5 liter per 1 linear meter rate, then patch the horizontal drill holes with mortar mix. The long rod soil treatment is used only when it is not possible to drill on the inside around slab penetrations or settlement cracks. Because of the distance covered with the long rod, the likelihood of deflection away from the slab by a rock, pipe or other object is increased. Measure down from the windowsill to the floor as for the short rod treatment to find the bottom of the slab and drill every 30 cm. Apply Agenda with the long rod at the 5 liter per 1 linear meter rate, and patch with mortar mix.
3- Hollow block foundations: The hollow concrete blocks used for supported or floating slab foundation walls, contain either two or three voids. Drill horizontally into a test block to determine which type of hollow block was used. After determining the number of internal voids, drill every void and mortar joint in a line of blocks as low as possible to the footer. If necessary, use a depth gauge to avoid drilling utility lines. Apply Agenda at the 3 liter per 1 linear meter rate, and patch drill holes with mortar mix.
4- Chimney: Though voids in chimneys are difficult to predict, they are in need of chemical barriers. Space drill holes along the bottom edge of the fire box about 30 cm apart. Treat at 5 liter per 1 linear meter , and patch the holes with cement.
Crawl spaces
Outside
1- Trench and rod into trench: To prevent termites from building tunnels up the sides of the foundation and entering the structure, a chemical barrier is applied in a trench around the outside of the foundation wall. Apply at the rate of 5 liter Agenda per 1 linear meter per 30 cm of depth. to the footer. Rod into the soil beneath the trench. You should penetrate the soil all the way down to the top of the footing, or to a maximum of 120 cm. Insert and remove the rod frequently to achieve a uniform distribution of Agenda.
2- Drill/treat adjoining slabs: Drill holes for treatment of porches, patios, carports or slabs attached to a structure are spaced no more than 30 cm apart. Treat with 5 liter per 1 linear meter then plug the holes, fill with cement and smooth it to match the texture of the surrounding cement surfaces. Scrape tunnels: All tunnels must be removed from crawl space and foundation walls. This allows you to assess whether reinfestation has occurred during subsequent annual inspections and removes any living termites inside the tubes.
Inside
1- Trench: A chemical barrier is needed around the inside of the foundation walls, around piers, utility pipes and drains, extending into the soil. The trench is to be dug no deeper than 6 inches, treated at the rate of 5 liter Agenda per 1 linear meter per 30 cm of depth. to the footer and backfilled with treated soil.
2- Scrape tunnels: All tunnels must be removed from crawl space and foundation walls. This allows you to assess whether reinfestation has occurred during subsequent annual inspections and removes any living termites inside the tubes.
Special considerations
1- Hollow block: Crawl space foundation walls and piers are often constructed of concrete blocks with either two or three holes. Once the number of holes is confirmed by examining the top of walls and piers, or by test drilling, you need to drill each void and mortar joint in a course of blocks. Beware of hidden joints in the corners. Drill from inside the crawl space to avoid drill holes on the exterior. Holes should be drilled in the row of block closest to the ground at the rate of 3 liter per 1 linear meter .
2- Chimney: The various types of chimney construction offer easy access to termites. A chimney base within the crawl space is often constructed much like a foundation wall or pier with a footing. Holes are to be drilled and treated into the center void of the chimney, into the brick or block foundation, then the soil around the base trenched and treated.
3- Porches and stoops: Slab porches or stoops poured next to the foundation wall are a common entryway for termites into a home built over a crawl space. Construction crews often discard wood scraps in the dirt-filled porch area before the fill is added. Dirt-filled porches can be treated with a long rod from both sides to ensure adequate coverage inside the porch area. Drill holes near the foundationwall, just under, and as close to the slab as possible. Insert the treating rod into each hole more than half the distance across the porch, pull back and apply the liquid Agenda at the 5 liter per 1 linear meter rate. Fill the drill holes with mortar mix. Since the long treating rod can be diverted, over long distances, this method is used only when vertical drilling from the top is not possible and on porches that are no longer than 2.4 – 3 m. Short rodding is used in dirt-filled porches when it is not possible to drill from the top or from the sides. Drilling is done from the crawl space into the porch. Holes are drilled about 30 cm apart and Agenda applied at the 5 liter per 1 linear meter rate.
4- Sanitation: Since termites feed on cellulose, all such debris must be thoroughly raked and removed from the crawl space before treatment begins. All wood-to-ground contact must also be identified and eliminated. Remove all form boards from foundation walls, piers, or chimney foundations. The homeowner should be advised to have any wooden structural supports replaced with steel or concrete by a suitable contractor.
5- Ventilation/plenum construction: Building codes and minimum housing standards normally require good ventilation of crawl space areas, as well as an 45 cm clearance between the soil and untreated subflooring. HUD Minimum Property Standards require at least four foundation wall ventilators, one at each corner of the space. Vents on one or two adjacent sides of the foundation do not provide adequate ventilation, and additional vents should be installed. Vents should be open year-round, closed only during the coldest weather. During treatment, a fan must be placed across the access door to draw air in through the vents and out the access door. When treating plenum heating construction, the air circulationsystem of the structure must be turned off until the application has been completed and all Agenda has been absorbed by the soil.
Walls
Brick veneer
- Brick veneer that is placed over concrete blocks and extends below grade is treated the same in both basement/slab and crawl space constructions. Drill one hole in the wall mortar joints between every other brick in one course of bricks, at about soil level, but not above sill level. Treating at or above the sill plate presents the possibility of contaminating the interior of the structure. With slab construction in particular, drill at least one course of brick below the weep holes, treat at 3 liter per 1 linear meter , and patch drill holes with mortar mix.Wall voids
- When foaming wall voids such as those around doors, windows and decorative trim, determine the spacing between wall studs (40 cm) and drill immediately above the baseboard. Use a 3⁄16 inch drill bit for windows and doors and 7⁄64 inch for trim. Treat with foam to the point of run off. Conventional Agenda can also be used. Patch holes with an appropriate filler.