Wood can be damaged by termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetle, and other insects. The damage should be thoroughly inspected before repairs can be carried out. Wood damage repair can be carried out in several ways. Some of these are listed out below. Although you should hire a professional to help you out with these processes, some procedures can be carried out by avid enthusiasts.
How to Repair Termite Damaged Wood
The following steps can be employed for wood damage repair. These steps should be taken only after the infestation has been eradicated. After the removal, the infected wood should also be removed.
- Insects that eat away at the wood leave gaps in the wood. These gaps can be filled with a wood hardener. Take some of the hardener and press it firmly into the gaps. Let the hardener dry completely before sanding it off. To accelerate the drying process, use a blow dryer.
- If your wood has long hollow grooves, using a wood filler will ensure better results. The steps to use the filler are the same as using the wood hardener. Press down on the wood filler using a putty knife. This will cause any air bubbles in the filler to escape giving you superior results.
- In case you are willing to make structural and aesthetic changes to the wooden furniture, you can add another wooden structure to support the rotting part.
Points to Remember When Repairing Wood Damaged by Termites
It is extremely important to inspect the cause of the damage before you take any action to repair the termite damaged wood. The repair method will vary depending on the insect infesting the wood as well as the scope of the wood. Another vital point to remember is that damage to your wooden furniture might be caused by leaks in your buildings. Hence, you can go to the root of the problem and fix the leak. In this manner, when you get rid of the infestation, you can keep the problem from reoccurring.
Taking precautions to make sure that termites or other wood damaging insects don’t infest your home should be one of the important steps taken by a homeowner. Some insects like carpenter ants can cause damage to structural wooden beams, which can be extremely unsafe for home dwellers and expensive to repair. Hence, regular maintenance and pest control should be performed irrespective of whether there is an infestation or not.