TRM Termite Barriers offers a superior solution to blocking termites in subfloors. Since 1999, Polyguard and entomology scientists have worked together to develop a non-pesticide, waterproofing/termite physical barrier.
Our product stops termites from entering a home or building through slab penetrations, bath traps, cracks or joints in the floor, spaces where concrete slab intersects with exterior sheathing, across the horizontal floor surface, cold joints, and foundation.
Termites pose a significant threat to the integrity and value of your home or building. Therefore, protecting your investment requires the implementation of termite prevention methods (like the Polyguard TRM Termite Barriers) and immediate remediation if you discover termites.
Termite Damage
Each year, termites cause up to $5 billion in damages in the U.S., affecting our houses, commercial buildings, decks, boats, trees, and more, making termite prevention and control necessary. Termites will weaken and warp the structural frame or building. Signs that you have a termite problem include:
- Sticking or not opening and closing properly windows and doors
- House settling, causing the floor to sink
- Water-like damage on your ceiling
- Bubbling behind paint and wallpaper
- Honeycomb-like denting (caused by tunneling termites) on the surface of your hardwood baseboards, window, and door frames
Termites can also damage the inside of your building or home, eating anything that contains cellulose: books, clothing, cardboard, etc. In addition, termites will attack wood fences, outbuildings, firewood piles, and other wood that is exposed to the outdoors.
Types of Termites
Nearly 2,800 species of termites live on the planet, but only a few cause us problems: Subterranean, Formosan subterranean, Drywood, and Dampwood termites.
Subterranean Termites
Subterranean termite groups or colonies live underground in loose, damp soil
and survive on wood. They represent 95 percent of the termite damage in North America. A colony of subterranean termites can include one million members, eating up to 15 pounds of wood per week, destroying home foundations, support beams, insulation, plastic pipes, and more.
Subterranean termites form structures by building mud tubes that provide a moist, protective passageway from one location to another from the ground to deck posts, door frames, porch steps, cracks in the foundation, or brick mortar.
Subterranean Termite Damage
Termites often damage a house or building long before the owners realize they have a full-blown infestation. Termites and moisture damage look similar - buckling wood, and swollen ceilings and floors. Home and building owners should immediately begin remediation when they see signs of subterranean termites.
- The presence of mazes within the furniture or walls
- The smell like mildew or mold
- Mud tubes or tunnels made from termite saliva, soil, and wood, typically located near the foundation of a structure
Formosan Termites
The highly destructive Formosan subterranean termites arrived from China possibly in infested wooden railroad stakes. A single Formosan subterranean termite colony may contain several million termites. These termites infest wood and other cellulose-based goods, like boats. While most commonly found in Louisiana, the risk also exists in New Mexico, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Formosan termites enter structures where the wood touches the soil, and they travel through mud tubes from the ground to wood, often entering through openings created by unsealed joints or cracks. Swarmers may also infest roofs and other above-ground spots.
Signs of Formosan Termites Include:
- Swarmers near lights, doors, and vents
- Wood that sounds hollow when tapped
- A grain pattern in the wood, caused by feeding termites
Drywood Termites
Drywood termite colonies typically live above ground, inside walls, door and window frames, and furniture and trees, feeding on wood from the inside out. Drywood termites get into houses and buildings by flying through unscreened vents in the attic or foundation, cracks in the window and door frames, soffits, and roof sheathing.
Drywood Termite Damage
Drywood termite-infested wood may look fine from the outside but be crumbling from within. Signs of drywood termites include:
- Swarmers or flying adults, often occurring during the fall and summer
- Termite fecal pellets
- Cracks in veneer
- Visible, maze-like tunnels
Dampwood Termites
Dampwood termites build their colonies in damp, decaying wood, mainly impacting the Pacific coast, the deserts of the Southwest, and southern Florida. They mostly threaten homes with moisture and plumbing issues. Dampwood termites get into homes or buildings through swarmers or infested lumber.
Signs of Dampwood Termite Infestation Include:
- Termite fecal pellets
- Dead swarmers
- Soft spots in the wood
TRM Termite Barriers for Residential and Commercial Construction
Polyguard Products specialize in protecting commercial and residential surfaces and structures from moisture, water, chemicals, corrosion, and other unwanted substances, including termites.
Polyguard Products specializes in sustainable pest barriers without pesticides. Polyguard provides Termites, Energy, and Moisture prevention in one building envelope solution. The TRM termite barrier applications include nine components:
1. TRM Sealant at Slab Penetrations
650 TRM applies with a caulking gun or smoothing tool, and protects against water and termites. Chemical and metal-free, TRM Sealant can stop termite entry by:
- Sealing slab penetrations, seams, and gaps
- As a part of the TRM Bath Trap to stop termites, rodents, fire ants, moles, cockroaches, etc. from getting underneath bathtubs at ground level
- Detailing small gaps and tears found during inspection or construction on horizontal or vertical portions of the TRM building envelope pest barrier system
2. TRM Bath Trap
Polyguard’s TRM Bath Trap is a combination barrier that blocks termites, fire ants, mice, rats, cockroaches, and moles from entering through bath traps (blockouts) in a concrete slab, a common open door for pests. Contractors install the non-chemical barrier after pouring the concrete slab and completing the rough plumbing.
TRM Particle Barrier for Bath Traps
After completing the rough plumbing, TRM Particle Barrier installs in the bath trap cavity. The barriers include particles too large for the termites to move, yet too small to crawl through the aggregates. TERM Particle Barrier provides a sustainable alternative to the past method of placing heavy termiticide application used around slab penetrations before pouring the concrete slab.
3. TRM Sill
The TRM Sill is an adhesive sealant that prevents termites from accessing wood framing through concrete cracks or joints in the floor, which can be significant access points for subterranean termites. Used in conjunction with TRM Flashing or TRM UV2-40, it bonds to the subfloor, and blocks termite access to the sill plate.
TRM Sill installed underneath the sill plate provides several benefits:
- Is a non-chemical barrier to subterranean termites
- Provides wood, water, and vapor proofing against moisture from the concrete
- Contributes towards a tight building envelope
- Stops foraging insects, such as ants and cockroaches from entering at gaps between the sill plate and unlevel slabs
- Provides supplemental protection to wood framing sodium borate treatment.
4. TRM Flashings
The TRM Flashing and TRM UV2-40 are peel-and-stick barriers that provides waterproofing, energy sealing, and insect resistance. Contractors apply TRM Flashing or TRM UV2-40 where the horizontal concrete slab intersects with exterior sheathing, a frequent entry point for termites found on the slab’s outside or foundation wall. TRM Flashing and TRM UV2-40 also prevent moisture and energy leaks at the slab and sheathing intersection.
6. TRM Particle Barrier
TRM Particle Barrier includes precisely-sized particles that form a non‐chemical barrier to Formosan and Eastern subterranean termites, significantly reducing the termiticides needed to protect homes and buildings. The particles stop termites from climbing up the side of the exposed concrete.
7. TRM Isolation Joint
The TRM Isolation Joint, used in conjunction with TRM Particle Barrier, seals isolation joints (cold joints) that occur in the gaps where patios, driveways, and sidewalks connect with the structure, spaces where termites can infiltrate.
8. 650 TRM
For over 2 decades, builders have applied 650 TRM to concrete or insulated concrete foundation walls to stop water and termite intrusion.
9. Underslab TRM
The Underslab TRM provides the base component of Polyguard's TRM Barrier System. It is a system that significantly lessens the need for pesticides during the structure’s lifetime.
Why Apply Polyguard TRM Physical Termite Barriers?
Polyguard's TRM Termite Barriers provide a superior solution to blocking termites, energy, and moisture infiltration in one building envelope solution. Preventing termites from accessing your home or building will protect the value of your structure and save thousands of dollars and hours of repair.
Don’t hesitate to contact the Polyguard® professionals today for more on keeping termites out of subfloors.