Termite Damage to Fascia Boards: Signs, Treatment, and Prevention
As a homeowner, keeping your home clean, tidy, and in full working order can feel like a full-time job in itself. The simple fact of the matter is that homes need plenty of attention, and we need to resign ourselves to the fact that things can, and will, inevitably go wrong from time to time.
Take your fascia boards for example. While they are hardly brilliant feats of mechanical engineering, they serve several purposes and play an integral role in keeping your roof free of leaks and your guttering in perfect working order. They also offer plenty of curb appeal as well.
Unfortunately for many homeowners, fascia boards are typically made of wood, and do you know what loves wood? Termites, that’s what! Should your fascia boards be affected by termites, they can literally devastate it in no time at all. Worse still, the damage could spread should the infestation worsen. This is why prevention is better than cure.
Here’s a look at the signs of termite damage to fascia boards, how you can treat it, and how you can prevent it.
What are Termites?
Before we can take a look at what you can do to prevent termites from munching their way through your home’s fascia boards, we first need to understand what these pesky little critters are.
Termites are small insects that live in colonies and are genetically similar to cockroaches, though they resemble larger ants in appearance. Termite colonies can be made up of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions, which is why preventing an infestation in your home is always better than treating one.
For homeowners, termites can be absolute nightmares due largely to what they eat. You see, termites love to feast on cellulose, which is commonly found in plant matter. Do you know where else it is commonly found? In wood. The same wood that your home’s fascia boards can be made from.
If termites should stumble across your fascia boards and get a taste for it, they can chew through it and cause significant structural damage, especially if they decide to continue eating.
Like most insects, there are various types of sub-species of termite, with the three most common including:
Subterranean termites
Dampwood termites
Drywood termites
Signs of Fascia Board Termite Infestations
Because of their size, and because of how they operate, termites are often not discovered until it’s too late. If you’re worried your home’s fascias may be being damaged by termites, here are a few warning signs to watch out for.
Mud Tubes
Mud tubes are a tell-tale sign of a subterranean termite infestation. As they travel between their nest and their food source, they’ll build tunnels from mud and travel through them. They’re commonly found in crawl spaces, foundations, and walls leading up to the fascia.
If you spot any strange-looking tubes of mud, these could be made by termites.
Damaged Fascia
If you can see any visible signs of damage to your fascia boards, or if, perhaps, your guttering is starting to sag or come away from the roof, this could be down to termites.
Often termites will burrow into the wood and consume it from inside. On the outside the fascia could look perfectly fine, but on the inside, there could be very little left. Eventually, it will become so brittle that it starts to break and crumble away.
If you tap the fascia and it sounds hollow inside, this could be due to termites.
Discarded Wings or Dead Termites
If you happen to find any discarded wings near your home, they could have come from termites. When they leave one nest and swarm to another, they shed their wings in the process.
The clearest indication that you’re dealing with a termite infestation, however, is if you find dead termites nearby. If you can inspect your fascia and guttering, take a look to see if you can find any dead termites. If you do, more investigations will need to be performed.
Termite Droppings
Okay, while this doesn’t exactly sound pleasant, it’s not exactly as gross as it sounds.
Drywood termites that feast on wood will leave tiny wood-colored pellets outside of their tunnels. These are known as frass, and technically, they’re termite droppings. To the naked eye, they resemble dust or sawdust.
If you notice any unusual piles of sawdust on or around your fascia, this could be termite frass.
Treatment and Prevention
Now that we know what to look for, let’s finish up by looking at what to do to treat and prevent a termite infestation.
Know your Termites
First off, it’s important to know which species you’re dealing with.
Subterranean termites are the most devastating and are primarily responsible for leaving mud tubes. Drywood termites feast on drywood, and wetwood termites feast on damp, rotten wood.
Unless your fascia boards are completely rotten, wetwood termites shouldn’t be a worry, and even if they are, your fascia would have needed replacing beforehand.
Remove Other Sources of Food
Another tip to prevent termites from damaging your fascia boards is to remove other sources of food from them.
If you store wood, do it away from the house. The more food sources there are, the more likely you are to attract them. If you do, once they’ve eaten that, they could move onto your fascia.
Maintain your Fascia
Another useful tip for preventing termite infestations is to ensure your fascia is in top condition and well maintained. Seal any potential cracks or chips, and replace any damaged boards or sections.
Schedule Regular Inspections
Because termites can be so difficult to spot, it’s worth scheduling regular termite inspections, even if you have no reason to believe you have termites.
Termite inspectors know exactly what to look for, plus they can help you spot the warning signs and offer help and advice on how to termite-proof your fascias to prevent a future infestation.
UPVC Fascias
While those looking for a rustic, authentic, homely feel tend to prefer wood over UPVC, wood fascias do require more work.
Not only does the wood need treating, staining, painting, and waterproofing regularly, but it can also attract pests and insects.
UPVC fascias, however, are waterproof, require far less maintenance, and they are of no interest to hungry termites. Certainly something worth considering.
