How to Seal a Termite Treatment Hole

If your home has a wooden foundation or you own many pieces of wooden furniture, you may have to apply termite treatment a few times in your lifetime.

Drilling Holes to Pour Chemicals

Termites are a particularly pernicious type of insect that can swiftly damage any wooden surface in your house. This is why you should take measures to eradicate them as soon as you spot an infestation. One of the most successful methods to treat termites is to drill holes in the cement structures of your house and pour pest-destroying chemicals into them. One disadvantage of this method is that there will be holes left once the treatment is over.

However, this can be easily repaired-you simply have to fill the holes with masonry caulk. There are many brands of caulk to choose from, but it is better if you buy an alkali-resistant caulk, as most cements are highly alkaline and may erode the caulk if it is not strong enough. The good news is that some caulks are suitable for repainting. Whether you will need such, however, depends on where exactly you have drilled the holes in your house.

Sealing the Hole

Put on rubber gloves and clean the edges of the hole and the surface around it thoroughly with a wire brush. Remember to protect yourself from getting any cuts or injuries, always wear rubber gloves.

Cut off the tip of the caulk tube with scissors or a knife (most caulking guns have an orifice in the trigger where you can remove the tip of the caulk tube, although it is recommended that you do not use this because it will not produce a proper-edged opening). You can also ease the flow of caulk by sticking the plunger of your gun into the tube opening several times.

Push the button at the back of the caulking gun, pull back the metal rod, and place the tube securely in its seat. Put the tip of the tube into the hole and begin to fill it by firmly and steadily squeezing the trigger. Once the caulk starts to come out of the hole, discontinue the process.

Without waiting for the caulk to dry, take the putty knife and carefully remove the excessive substance while smoothing over the hole filling. Now, you are ready to move over to the next hole.

Repeat the above steps as many times as there are holes in your house, and soon you will have a termite-free home without any visible vestiges of the pest treatment.