A townhouse in our project is being sold and the buyer says the soil is too close to the bottom of the foundation where the wood material begins. Will it work to remove the sod and some of the soil and fill the area with sand and rock? I was advised that the termites do not like the sand and rock and that will create a barrier. To just remove the soil would cause a large re-landscaping project.
Thanks for the help of anyone that might read this request.
It sounds like the deller needs to get a termite inspector to look at the situation and suggest some workable solutions. I can't imagine (from your description of the problem) that regrading around the base of the walls would require removal of yards of soil though.
No, this won't work because termites just construct their own tunnels up along foundation walls and through soil materials they don't like.
Codes require newly constructed homes to be pre-treated for termites prior to receiving a certificate of occupancy.
Minimum height for wood framed portions above grade is usually 8" and is more concerned with rain splash against the wooden framing structure than with termites.
