Termite Resistant Wood
Summary: Learn the kind of lumber that is rated the most termite resistant wood. What kind of wood was used in the construction of your home?
Douglas fir, hemlock, and spruce are the most common types of wood used for structural lumber. Of these materials, Douglas fir is moderately resistant to termites, whereas the other two are not.
Remember that wood which is not naturally resistant to termites can be treated to make it resistant to termites. Use only "exterior grade" pressure-treated timber for areas that are exposed to weather; otherwise the chemical in the lumber may leach from the wood. Topical treatments, particularly borates that will be exposed to weather, also must have a sealer coat to stop leaching into the ground following rain. Wood rot will attract termites.
Moderately or very resistant
Moderately resistant
Slightly resistant or nonresistant
bald cypress (young growth)
alder
bald cypress (old growth)
Douglas fir
ashes
black cherry
eastern white pine
aspens
black locust
honey locust
basswood
black walnut
loblolly pine
beech
bur oak
longleaf pine
birches
catalpa
shortleaf pine
black oak
cedars
swamp chestnut oak
butternut
chestnut
tamarack
cottonwood
chestnut oak
western larch
elms
gambel oak
hemlocks
junipers
hickories
mesquite
maples
pines
osage orange
poplars
Pacific yew
red oak
post oak
spruces
red mulberry
true firs
redwood
sassafras
white oak