Carpenter ants are a New England problem. Why steel and EPS panels give ants, termites, bees and rodents nothing to eat, and cut the need for pest poisons.
Termites get the headlines, but in New England the usual culprit is the carpenter ant, and mice are never far behind. All of them are after the same thing in a wood-framed house: something to eat or somewhere soft to nest.
Insects go where the food is
Termites invade and live where they feed. Carpenter ants favour wood that has stayed damp. A conventional house offers both in the framing, the sheathing and, in an OSB-faced SIP, the skins themselves.
What a steel panel is made of
A ThermaSteel panel is galvanised light gauge steel bonded to EPS. Neither is food. The panels are resistant to termites, carpenter ants, bees and rodents because they offer no food value, and nothing in the wall rots into the soft, damp wood that carpenter ants look for.
| ThermaSteel panel | 2×6 stick frame | OSB-faced SIP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food for termites and carpenter ants | No | Yes | Yes, the skins |
| If the assembly gets wet | No rot, no delamination | Rot and mold risk | Skins can delaminate |
Fewer poisons around the house
A house that offers pests nothing to eat does not need the same regime of termite-killing poisons around the living area. For families with children and pets, that is a real difference, not a marketing one.
Detailing still matters
No wall material replaces good practice. Seal penetrations, keep firewood and mulch away from the foundation, and deal with water around the house. The difference is that when something is missed, the structure itself is not on the menu.
Why it matters for the long run
Pest damage is one of the quiet reasons wood houses wear out. With no rot and nothing to eat, the panel carries a 425-year life expectancy on the material. More on that in what a 425-year wall means.
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Keep reading
What a 425-year wall means for a house you plan to hand on
Most stick-built houses that get torn down in this region are under fifty years old. That is worth sitting with.
Mold, moisture and indoor air in a steel panel house
Steel and EPS do not feed mold, do not off-gas and contain no carcinogens or allergens. What that means for indoor air, and why ventilation still matters.
What a steel SIP actually is, and why it is not a foam sandwich
Most people picture OSB glued to foam. That is a different product with different failure modes.
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