Homeowners in Hawaii know that protecting homes includes regular checks for termite activity and preventing wood rot. Wood rot starts when fungus and mildew spores gain a foothold on exposed wood surfaces including walls, eave over-hangs, exposed beams, fascia boards and skirting trim. Once it is established on a home, the process of treating and controlling termites also becomes more difficult — since ground termites eat moist wood and need an above-ground source of water to survive.
One of the best ways to protect a home is to prevent moisture from reaching wood in the home. Everyone knows that a leaking roof or windows will lead to problems with rot and termites. The same principle applies to wood walls and exposed wood surfaces! If we keep the walls of a home dry, the chances of wood rot conditions developing are minimized. The wood is better preserved, and will resist rot and termite infestation.
Properly installed vinyl siding is one of the best deterrents against wood rot, setting up a water-tight, moisture-proof barrier between the exterior weather conditions and the wood parts of a home. Vinyl siding is the perfect solution, and is engineered to include weep holes in the system that allow for proper ventilation of interior home wood parts, while keeping rain and moisture off wall and wood surfaces. It is best not to install a vapor barrier behind the siding or insulation materials — since these will suffocate the wood and trap humidity inside walls. Tropical has projects dating back to 1976 that are still in great exterior shape and when we check the areas behind the siding, the wood is perfectly preserved.
Tropical often hears the question, “But what happens when termites get behind the siding?” It makes no difference to termites if your home has siding or not — they will attack any wood structure. Siding will help reduce termite activity if properly installed and can help eliminate the conditions that make termite infestation more likely, including decaying wood, rot surfaces and above-ground moisture saturating wood parts of homes. With a premium siding product the home also will remain maintenance-free, never needing paint again because it is backed by a lifetime limited warranty that covers fading, peeling, warping, denting, blistering, discoloration or cracking. No other product provides a better value for average Hawaii homes.
With 5,000-plus installations statewide in the past 30 years, they are the experts. Call 263-1252 or 292-2941.
CONTACT: 263-1252 • tropicalwholesale@hawaii.rr.com
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