How to Repair Termite Damage to a House the Right Way
If you have confirmed termite activity or found chewed galleries in your framing, take a breath. A lot of homes live long, safe lives after a proper termite damage restoration. The trick is to handle it in the right order, use sound techniques, and respect the structure’s load paths. I have crawled through more damp crawlspaces, lifted more tired beams, and sistered more joists than I care to admit. What follows is a practical, field-tested guide to repair termite damage to a house without guesswork or shortcuts.
Why termites cause structural headaches
Termites do not chomp straight through a 2x10 and leave a cartoon bite mark. They follow the easy fibers, often eating from the inside out and leaving a skin of wood that looks fine until you push a screwdriver through it. On sills and beams they will travel along the neutral axis where the wood seems strongest but the fibers are easy going. In studs they tunnel up from bottom plates, then into the plates above, sometimes leaving drywall looking perfectly normal until a baseboard bows or paint ripples.
This inside-out style is why termite wood repair often means removing more material than you first expected. What looks like a 1 foot patch becomes 4 feet once you chase sound wood. That is not a failure of planning. It is simply how these insects work.
First priorities after discovery
Before you grab a sawzall, lock in the sequence. Killing the colony comes first, structural safety comes second, then demolition and rebuild. Trying to repair while live termites remain is like bailing a leaky boat without fixing the hole.
Here is a quick, focused sequence I give to homeowners when they call right after an inspection.
- Confirm treatment with a licensed pest pro and establish the product, method, and date.
- Photograph every damaged area with a tape measure in frame for scale.
- Map structural members on paper or a simple app, noting spans and bearing points.
- Stabilize any spongy floors or leaning walls with temporary shoring until repair day.
- Schedule repairs 1 to 2 weeks after chemical treatment or bait installation, unless an engineer advises earlier intervention for safety.
Keep those photos. If you need to document for insurance, or if you bring in termite repair services later, you will have a baseline.
Inspection that actually tells you something
A good inspection looks past the obvious. You want to find the end of damage, not just the start. Expect more deterioration along moisture sources, such as a damp crawlspace corner, below a shower, by a hose bib, or near a downspout that dumps against the foundation. I carry a bright headlamp, an awl, a moisture meter, and a long, thin screwdriver. The awl or screwdriver tells you what your eyes cannot: whether the wood has its original hardness.
Probe every 12 inches along affected members until the tool meets solid resistance. If you are not sure, compare sound wood nearby to calibrate your feel. On sill plates, check the full perimeter, especially where foundation vents are blocked or vegetation hugs the wall. In garages, inspect the bottom of door jambs. In attics, look along rafters and collar ties where prior roof leaks may have invited an older infestation.
Map load paths while you inspect. Where does that beam transfer to, and what sits above it? You need this picture before any termite structural repair, because no patch matters if you do not respect where the house puts its weight.
Safety and temporary shoring
If floors bounce more than a quarter inch under normal load, or if you find a beam with more than 25 percent cross section loss, put in shoring before you remove anything. I like screw jacks on solid pads, not just sitting on soil. A pair of 4x6 posts under a temporary beam can carry a surprising amount if placed properly. Raise jacks slowly, no more than an eighth of an inch per day if you are correcting sag, to avoid cracking finishes upstairs. Sometimes I do not lift at all, I just take the load to prevent further creep.
Where termites have eaten the bottom of a stud wall, a snug stud shoe or angle bracket can prevent kickout during demo. If the sill plate is mush, you can capture the wall above with a temporary ledger and studs that bear on a jack beam while you slide new material into place.
Coordinate with pest control before opening walls
Termite repair near me is a common search, and it often brings both contractors and pest pros into the conversation. Get them on the same page. If the exterminator used a non-repellent termiticide, they need time for it to move through the colony. If they used bait, remodeling too early can disturb foraging patterns. Ask for a treatment report and warranty details. Good companies share a diagram of where they drilled, trenched, or baited. Tape a copy near the electrical panel for future reference.
Repair choices that actually last
Every house, and every section of framing, deserves a tailored approach. Here is how I handle the most common assemblies, including what I look for and what makes me switch methods midstream.
Termite sill plate repair
The sill plate connects framing to foundation. When it goes soft, studs lose bearing and anchor bolts lose grip. If the rot or termite damage is localized to a few feet and anchor bolts and washers remain solid, I scarf out the bad section and install a new treated plate, locked with new hold-down hardware or retrofit anchors rated for seismic or wind loads as required locally. A continuous sill with extensive damage usually pushes me to a longer replacement. For perimeter segments with excessive moisture history, I add a capillary break, such as a self-adhered flashing or sill gasket, between concrete and wood.
Anchors matter. If the original anchor bolts are chewed or corroded, I drill new epoxy-set anchors to current code spacing. Inspectors like seeing stamped hardware, stamped washers, and nuts torqued to spec. It is not just to keep them happy. It keeps your house tied to the foundation when the ground moves.
Termite floor joist repair
Termite floor joist repair often succeeds with full-length sistering. I use matching depth dimensional lumber or engineered lumber, depending on spans and loads. The sister should bear on the same supports as the original if possible. If access limits length, I aim for at least two-thirds of the span with solid bearing at one end and mechanical fastening with construction adhesive and a staggered bolt or structural screw pattern. Nails alone rarely cut it for major loss. If the center third of a joist has significant damage and bearings are intact, a flitch plate or dual sisters can stiffen the assembly.
Do not forget plumbing and wiring. If holes and notches in the original joist violated current rules, correct them in the sister. I have seen new sisters drilled like swiss cheese to accommodate pipes, then called to fix the sag a year later.
Termite beam repair
Main beams or girders carry lines of joists and sometimes walls. Surface scabbing rarely fixes a heavily chewed beam. If the beam has lost more than about 20 to 25 percent of its cross section in critical zones, I design a replacement or a laminated sister beam and transfer load with jacks. For older houses with pocketed beams in masonry, pocket length can limit removal. I have successfully built a parallel beam just inside the line of the old, then migrated loads over by lifting in small increments. Structural termite repair near me often includes bringing an engineer for beam sizing, especially with odd spans or point loads from a stair or masonry fireplace.
For beams sitting in damp crawlspaces, I like preservative-treated or naturally durable species for the new member. Replace any wood posts that show wicking at the base with steel posts on concrete piers or treated posts sitting on a proper cap with a moisture break.
Termite subfloor repair
Termites love edges where subfloor meets joists. If the joists are sound, you can cut back to centerline over solid framing, add blocking or ledgers as needed, and patch with matching thickness sheathing. I glue and screw the patch, not nail. If multiple rooms show damage, full panel replacement makes more sense. When bathrooms are involved, always check for hidden moisture issues. A leaking wax ring can mimic termite damage, or create the conditions for a new attack.
Termite wall repair and drywall work after treatment
When termites run up studs, you will often see baseboard swelling or pinholes in drywall. For termite wall repair, open the wall from 12 inches above visible damage down to the sole plate. Probe studs. If a stud has localized damage near the base but remains sound above, install a stud repair shoe or a splice with a properly designed scab that transfers load to plate and top plate. If several studs in a row are compromised, I build a temporary brace wall before removing them in sequence.
Termite drywall repair after termite treatment is straightforward once framing is solid and dry. Replace insulation if it is wet or contaminated. I prime cut edges of drywall with a bonding primer before taping, so future seasonal movement does not telegraph. Keep a scrap of the original drywall to match thickness and edge profile. If you do texture, feather out wide for an invisible blend.
Termite attic wood repair
Attics show damage along rafters, ridge boards, and collar ties, often in areas with prior leaks. Rafter sistering works, but you must tie into the seat cut at the top plate or into the ridge line with proper fasteners. Where the ridge is a structural ridge, bring in design help. I also look hard at ventilation and flashing. Termite attic wood repair without fixing the moisture source invites a return visit.
Termite framing repair with epoxy consolidants, and when to pass
Epoxy consolidants can stabilize limited damage in non-structural trim or small bearing checks when you have at least two thirds sound wood. I use them selectively on sills under porch posts when replacing the post footing and adding a new steel shoe solves the structural load, then patch the remaining wood for weather exclusion. For real loads, new wood is almost always the smarter choice. Termite structural repair belongs to wood, steel, and proper connections, not sculpted resin.
Materials and connections that earn their keep
I am picky about what goes back into a house after termite damage. The material list below is short on purpose. These are the items that move projects from fragile to durable.
- Lumber species with known strength and durability for your region, often Douglas fir, southern pine, or LVL for sisters and beams.
- Corrosion-resistant fasteners and connectors, structural screws or bolts with washers, and stamped hangers and straps sized to the member.
- High-quality construction adhesive for wood-to-wood lamination, used with mechanical fastening, not as a substitute.
- A moisture break at sills, plus capillary breaks under posts, and borate preservatives on cut ends where appropriate.
- Termite shields or properly flashed transitions at masonry-to-wood interfaces in vulnerable zones.
On fasteners, structural screws have earned my respect. They install faster than bolts in many sistering cases, yet deliver tested shear and tension. I still use through-bolts for heavy beams, especially when I want clamping force across a glue line.
Moisture control so you do not repeat the job
I have traced more termite problems to water than to anything else. Poor grading, missing downspouts, soggy crawlspaces, and bathroom leaks feed the cycle. While walls are open or you are in the crawl, fix grade to create at least a 5 percent slope away from the losgatosnewsandevents.com foundation for the first 5 to 10 feet. Extend downspouts well past flower beds that trap water. If your crawlspace humidity runs high, consider a continuous vapor barrier, perimeter sealing, and mechanical dehumidification, especially in humid regions. In basements, look for efflorescence lines that show chronic moisture. Eliminate wood-to-soil contact outdoors. A single fence board jammed against siding can give termites a bridge into your rim joist.
After treatment, ask your pest pro whether a borate spray on accessible raw wood is appropriate. It is not a silver bullet, but it adds a layer of deterrence in crawlspaces and attics.
Permits, inspections, and when to call an engineer
For minor termite wood repair, many jurisdictions let you proceed like-for-like without a permit. Once you touch structural members or anchorage to the foundation, expect to pull a permit. Inspectors rarely nitpick when they see neat work, clear load paths, stamped connectors, and respect for local codes. A short, friendly summary on site of the scope and your fastening schedule goes a long way.
Bring a licensed structural engineer when you have any of the following: long-span beam damage, multiple stories stacking over affected framing, significant settlement, masonry bearing elements involved, or pre-existing sags you want to correct more than a little. A stamped repair detail will keep the project safe and speed approval if you plan to sell the home later.
DIY or hire termite repair services
Plenty of homeowners can handle drywall patches, trim, and even small subfloor panels. Structural termite repair, by contrast, requires a steady hand with shoring and load transfer. If you have never set a jack post or framed a flush beam with hangers, think hard before DIY. Local termite damage repair contractors do this weekly. When you search for termite damage repair near me or wood repair contractor termite damage near me, filter for companies that can show you pictures of similar projects, not just pest treatment trucks. Ask about their approach to temporary shoring, their preferred fastening method for sisters, and how they sequence with the exterminator. A straight answer is a good sign. Also ask whether they warranty their framing work separately from the pest warranty.
Cost ranges that reflect reality
Costs swing with access, scope, and region. In my market, a small termite sill plate repair, say 6 to 8 linear feet with two new anchors, often runs 600 to 1,200 dollars in labor and materials, plus permits if required. Sistering a couple of joists in a tight crawlspace might land in the 800 to 2,000 dollar range, more if insulation and ducting complicate access. A beam replacement with jacking and temporary support can go from 2,500 to 8,000 dollars or more depending on length, bearing conditions, and finishes above. Wall reframing behind drywall tends to cost less in materials but can grow with finish repairs. If a bathroom subfloor is involved, budget for plumbing fixes as well. These are ballparks. A site visit always refines them.
A realistic timeline
After treatment, many projects slot into a two to six week window depending on complexity and scheduling. A small patch can be done in a day. Larger structural termite repair often takes two to four days of active work, spread over a week to allow for shoring, demo, framing, inspection, and finish work. If you are leveling floors gradually, tack on a couple of extra days for slow jacking. Attic and roof connections can add weather delays if exterior work is involved.
Common mistakes that cost more later
Three errors show up again and again. First, patching to damaged wood. If the base is compromised, any sister, strap, or patch loads the weak heart of the member, and the repair fails early. Always chase to solid material, even if it means a bigger patch. Second, ignoring moisture. You can buy the best lumber on earth, but if the downspout still dumps at the foundation or the crawlspace breathes water, termites and rot will find you again. Third, building code blind spots. I see beautiful carpentry with the wrong connectors or fasteners that do not meet the load. A few minutes with the connector catalog and a torque wrench saves a lot of grief.
A case from the field
One spring, a client called about a soft spot by the dining room wall. The pest company had already treated and laid bait stations. When I probed the baseboard, the screwdriver disappeared. The crawlspace revealed the story: a sill plate along the north wall had gone spongy for about 10 feet, and three joists had heavy interior loss. The cause sat outside, a flower bed built up above the interior floor line, trapping moisture. They had been watering it twice a week.
We set two temporary jacks and a beam, lifted a hair to take bounce out of the floor, and cut back drywall to replace the lowest 24 inches of studs in two bays. The sill came out in sections, anchored replacements went in with a sill gasket, and we sistered the joists with LVL to carry the load past the soft centers. Outside, we regraded the bed to drop soil 6 inches below the siding and extended the downspout 8 feet. Inside, we replaced insulation at the rim, closed the wall, and feathered texture. It was not cheap, around 5,400 dollars all told, but the home felt solid that afternoon. Two seasons later, the pest contractor’s inspections remained clean. That is what you want.
If your damage is in multiple areas
Scattered termite galleries in different parts of the house can mean more than one entry or a history of moisture problems. Do not whack-a-mole with spot repairs. Build a clear scope: treat the colony, fix drainage, then move through the structure methodically. Start with the primary load paths, beams and sills, then joists and studs, then sheathing and finishes. I prefer to complete one zone fully rather than dabble in three zones at once. It keeps the house safer and reduces the risk of leaving a temporary jack in place longer than necessary.
Finding the right partner locally
If you are typing termite damage contractor near me into a search bar, look for companies that speak fluently about shoring, load paths, and moisture control, not just demo and replace. Ask whether they can work comfortably with your pest provider’s schedule. Good termite repair services will bring dust control, respect for your living spaces, and photo updates if work happens in cramped crawlspaces. Most important, they should be candid about unknowns. No one sees every cavity until walls and floors are open. A fair contract allows for small scope changes with clear pricing, not surprises.
After the repair, keep it that way
Set a calendar reminder to inspect the repaired area in six months, then yearly. Look for hairline cracks reopening, baseboards shifting, or doors rubbing frames that did not before. Keep the perimeter of the house clear of mulch piling up against siding. Maintain a minimum 6 to 8 inches of clearance from soil to any wood or cladding that can wick water. If your pest plan includes annual inspections, be present for one. Walk with the tech, ask questions, and note any conducive conditions they flag.
Termites are not a moral failing. They are a maintenance and moisture challenge paired with an insect that can chew two feet of gallery in a week when conditions are just right. With a smart sequence, targeted termite framing repair, and a little stubbornness about water management, you can restore your home to full strength and sleep well again.