Nobody wants to see their home go to ruin over an aggressive termite infestation, unless a homeowner is hoping for a big insurance payout. It goes without saying that termites consume wood for its cellulose content, so purchasing a home made from non-wood items may be worth the extra money for some buyers. Masonry work is significantly more costly than using timber to construct homes. However, if you are dead-set on owning a timber-framed home, then you may want to think about having charred wood siding installed. Charred wood is not insect-proof, but it is insect-resistant, as termites do not seem to like the taste and the nutritional constitution of charred wood.
For those of you who have never heard of charred wood siding or fencing, you may think that it is odd to cover your home’s exterior in burned wood. Despite how strange the use of charred wood siding sounds, many people prefer the aesthetic appeal of charred wood siding. Decorative charred wood was first used by the Japanese, and this type of wood is actually quite durable. When wood is burned, the cellulose that termites crave is destroyed in the top layers of the wood. The only compound remaining in the charred wood exterior is lignin. Compared to cellulose, lignin is much tougher and more difficult for termites to digest. The lignin that remains in charred wood is altered to make it completely indigestible to many termite species. Termites that consume lignin in charred portions of wood will either become sick, or die. Termites that are given a choice between charred wood and normal wood, always choose normal wood. In fact, even some hungry termite species would rather die of starvation than consume charred wood. Of course, this prevention method, like all insect pest prevention methods, is not one hundred percent effective, as some termite species will still consume charred wood when desperate. However, charred wood siding and fencing has been proven to deter destructive termite activity.
Had you ever heard of the termite-resistant effects of charred wood? Did you even know that charred wood was used as a decorative construction material?
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