putting radiant slab in basement, plan on underslab insulation w/ xps BUT have heard horror stories of termite infestation.

no luck locally on finding a source for the bug-resistant stuff.

ideas, anyone?

Brian,
Borate treated expanded polystyrene (EPS) should be readily available.  Some treated EPS will contain a combination of calcium and borate.  I believe the calcium helps to stabilize the borate in wet conditions.  The latest research that I have read states that extruded polystyrene (XPS) will absorb more moisture than expanded (EPS) thus losing some of its R-value.  By the way, EPS is available in various densities. 

thanks, I will expand my search radius. ya know, as dead as the lumber business is here in this town I would have expected some sort of response by now. their parking lots are always empty, one would think they would be eager to order then sell the stuff. ( it was not encouraging that no one had ever heard of it)

some guys tell me it's a good idea to have a pro exterminator spray the soil before putting down the gravel. not so sure about that myself. heck, it's going to end up well-sealed, maybe I am trippin ?

Brian
Dufus-at-large
Columbia, MO

Brian,
Gound pre-treatment for termites is pretty much standard practice in our part of world. Most loan companies require pre-treat and annual re-treats during the course of the loan. There are other options, but none are considered as effective.

Alton,
I thought it was a given that the products we should be using are never available locally.

Brian,
          http://www.geofoam.com/downloads/brochure/Foam-Control-EPS-with-Perform-Guard.pdf
            
designed specifically for this application and treated for tremite resistance. Different densities and thickness for different applications. Where are you located? They have several locations throughout the US

Tom Pittsley
[email protected]
www.eebt.org