Termite damage in a wood floor isn’t always obvious since it can often be mistaken for water damage. Blistering, sagging, and staining are evidence of termites, but they can also be signs that you have faulty pipes. That’s why it’s important to keep your eyes and ears open for any of the telltale signs of termites living in your floors.
What Does Termite Damage Look Like on Hardwood Floors?
The most obvious signs of termite damage to your wood floors usually will look like:
- Small holes or tunnels in the wood
- Soft, spongy wood
- Rippling or warping floorboards
Termites start their damage from your walls and work their way inward toward your floors. The species that are most likely to damage your hardwood floors are subterranean termites, but drywood termites can occasionally be the culprits.
If you catch on to termite activity early, you can get out of it with only needing to replace a few floorboards, but if you find out your floors are crawling with termites, then they could not only be eating their way through your floors, but through your bank account, too! Installing a whole new floor isn’t cheap.
Early Signs of Termite Damage in Wood Floors
If you keep an eye out, you can usually catch the signs of termites in your floorboards before the damage becomes extreme. If you want to avoid costly repairs, here is what you need to look for.
Blistering
You might start to notice varying degrees of warping, blistering, dents, and bubbling along your floors. If your floors are hardwood or made up of cellulose material, such as bamboo, this distortion can be an early sign of termites. Even if you don’t see them, you can probably feel these changes in the floor under your feet when you walk.
Dirt or Sand on the Floor
If you see little mounds that look like sand, sawdust, coffee grounds, or salt and pepper, then you may be looking at termite droppings, more commonly known as termite frass. These mounds are made up of the wood that the termites eat, so they will typically be the same color as your floorboards. Termite droppings are an indication of drywood termites.
If you are dealing with an infestation of dampwood termites or subterranean termites, then you won’t see these piles, as these species use their frass to build and seal off tunnels to control the humidity inside the galleries and chambers.
Hollow-Sounding Wood
Knock on your wooden floor to see if it makes a hollow sound. If you have a bad back, you can also do this by stepping on the floor. That hollow sound you hear could be the sound of termite damage, caused by legions of termites going to town on your floors and hollowing out the boards.
Mud Tubes
If you see little mud trails inside your home, then you are seeing the tunnels that termites use to shelter them from the open air, known as “mud tubes” or “termite tubes.” These tubes are made with dirt, termite saliva, and termite frass. They are about the same diameter as a pencil, and appear slightly flat.
You can find mud tubes along your walls, baseboards, foundation and window frames. They keep subterranean termites moist while they travel back and forth between food sources and the nest.
Sagging and Creaking Floors
If you notice that your floors are beginning to sag, feel too springy, or sink under your feet, then you could be seeing signs of termites. This is caused by termites burrowing and demolishing the support beams, thus damaging your floor’s substructure.
Do your floorboards creak and squeak when you step on them? This can be because the termites have damaged your floor’s subfloor and joist beams by chewing them full of holes, tunnels, and galleries.
Water Damage
Termites need moisture to protect their cuticles (exoskeletons) from drying out, so when they build a nest, they make sure to keep it moist and humid. This can result in your floors showing signs that resemble water damage. If you have a lot of water damage, and no other potential source of leaks, then you may have a large termite nest.
Water damage to floors can look like stains, swelling, or softness. This can also be caused by mold and mildew, so double check that you don’t also have damaged plumbing or a leaky AC unit. Rotten wood often attracts dampwood termites, in particular, so sometimes these problems arrive hand in hand.
How to Treat Termites in Hardwood Floors
So what do you do if there are termites in your floors? The best thing is to contact a termite control pro to assess the damage and create a personalized treatment plan. Most pest control specialists have years of experience under their belt as well as access to specialized chemicals.
The most common whole-structure treatment methods are:
- Termite bait stations (commonly used for subterranean termites)
- Liquid termiticides
- Fumigation, also called termite tenting (extensive drywood infestations)
However, there are a couple of localized treatment methods you can use if the infestation is small:
- Treat the wood with orange oil, either by injecting it into the holes or brushing it over the surface.
- Zap termites with high voltage from an electro-gun.
- Raise the temperature of the wood with microwave energy to kill the termites. It’s most effective against drywood termites.
- Freeze termites with a liquid nitrogen treatment.
- Heat termites with a thermal treatment, heating the wood to 130 degrees for one to three hours to effectively kill them.
Note: Not all methods work for every termite type, so ask your pest control specialist which method (or combination of methods) works best for the type of termite infesting your home.
How do you prevent termites from damaging hardwood floors in the first place?
- Keep all firewood, mulch, cardboard, and paper products away from your buildings and off the ground.
- Fill any cracks in the foundation with caulk.
- Trim trees and bushes to keep the branches away from the house.
- Use inorganic mulch materials that termites don’t like to eat, like gravel or rocks, instead of wood mulch.
- Keep gutters and downspouts clean and maintained.
- Keep your crawl space dry.
Termite Damage Repair Costs
Most homeowners will spend between $550 and $3,000 to repair damage caused by termites, depending on the severity of the damage, with the average cost being somewhere around $2,600.
Here is what you can expect:
| National Average Cost | $2,600 |
| Typical Price Range | $550 – $3,000 |
| Extreme Low-End Cost | $250 |
| Extreme High-End Cost | $28,875 |
FAQ About Termite Damage to Wood Floors
Do Termites Eat Laminate Flooring?
Termites can damage laminate flooring, but they don’t eat the laminate itself. They eat the backing underneath the laminate floor, causing it to buckle and sag over time.
How Do I Repair Termite-Damaged Floors?
You can repair minor termite damage to wood floors by applying wood filler to the holes before sanding, staining, and sealing. But for major damage, you will most likely need to replace the flooring completely.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Termites?
No, homeowners insurance does not usually cover termites. Homeowners insurance is there to cover accidents.
Because termites are a result of negligence that can be avoided with proper maintenance, most insurance companies do not cover termite damage. However, some companies might include termite damage in their plan. You can always review your homeowners insurance to see if it covers termite damage.
Hire a Pro
Are termites living beneath your feet? Let Pest Gnome connect you with efficient and affordable termite control in your area. Keep your property safe without breaking the bank.
Main Image Credit: Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org / Ipmimages
