•        The type of home you are building or extending affects the termite risk and the optimum termite management system.

•        What the rules state varies from state to state.

•        You may vary the design of the home to reduce the risk of termite damage (not "infestation").

•        Some people and publications confuse "infestation" and "damage" but they are not the same thing.  An infestation may be quite real but quite harmless if detected before expensive damage to critical components results.

•        A harmless infestation can be valuable as an "indicator" of termite activity enabling nest treatment before expensive damage occurs.  Damage results from prolonged and undetected attack to inaccessible vital structural components.

•        How you protect different components of the building depends on:

• How important they are,
• Whether or not you can see and access them, and
• How expensive they are to replace.

•       There are two fundamental strategies:  seal them out and starve them out.  Building experts differ as to which method represents the best value for the homeowner.

•        It's important to make termite activity visible as early as possible and to inspect and maintain your home regularly.  Do not let apathy prevent the early detection of termite activity.

•        The initial cost of a system is one thing but some systems require expensive re-treatment.  It's up to the builder to recommend and install a termite management system, and up to you to maintain it at your cost.

•        As a homeowner, you need to know the lifetime cost of the system you are getting so you can determine whether it's the most cost-effective solution.