A Review of Termite Risk Management in Housing Construction

Abstract

Timber has proven to be a cost effective construction soluti on for detached housing and more recently multi-unit residential construction. Despite this, timber is prone to termite attack and concerns have been raised about the building industry¿s ability to protect buildings against termite attack (Boyle 2002, Harding 2002a). Unfortunately, these concerns are not helped by media coverage that exaggerates the risk of termite attack (Bayard 2000). In addition, alternative products continue to contest established timber markets by claiming to have better resistance to termites. It is therefore important to protect the image and stature of timber by minimising the risk of termite attack. Primarily, there is a need to close the gap between perceived and actual risk.