Termite proofing, anti-termite treatment and deemak control all describe the same job: putting a treated barrier between the termite colony living in the soil and the building standing on top of it. The names differ by company and by city. The work should not.
This guide covers what the treatment involves, the difference between doing it before and after construction, what it costs, and — most importantly — the questions that separate a job that will hold for years from one that fails quietly inside your walls.
Why deemak is a bigger problem in Pakistan than most owners expect
Subterranean termites need warmth, moisture and access to wood. Pakistani construction supplies all three generously.
- Soil contact is constant. Most homes sit on ground with no physical barrier beneath the floor slab.
- Timber is everywhere. Door frames, chaukhats, wardrobes, kitchen units and skirting are usually in direct or near-direct contact with plaster and floor.
- Moisture routes are plentiful. Leaking washroom plumbing, planters against the wall and monsoon saturation all create the damp channels termites travel through.
- The damage is invisible until late. Termites eat wood from the inside, leaving a paper-thin surface. By the time a frame sounds hollow, months of feeding have already happened.
This is why treating the timber you can see almost never works. The colony is not in the door frame. It is in the ground, and it may be feeding on your building from thirty feet away.
What termite proofing actually is
A soil barrier. A treated zone is created in the ground around and beneath the structure, so termites cannot reach the building without crossing it.
Two things follow from that, and both matter commercially:
It has to be continuous. A barrier with a gap is not a barrier. Termites forage constantly and will find the untreated section. This is the single most common reason a treatment “stops working” after a year — it was never complete to begin with.
It has to reach the soil. Surface spraying a wall does not create a soil barrier, no matter how thoroughly it is done or how strong the smell afterwards.
You will see several other terms used for the same or adjacent work. It is worth knowing which is which before you compare quotations:
| Term | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Termite proofing | Soil barrier treatment |
| Anti-termite treatment | The same thing |
| Deemak control | The same thing, in Urdu |
| Termite spray | Usually surface treatment only — does not reach the colony |
| Termite fumigation | Loosely used; genuine fumigation is a gas in a sealed space, not a house treatment |
Pre-construction or post-construction?
The single biggest factor in cost and effectiveness is whether the building already exists.
| Pre-construction | Post-construction | |
|---|---|---|
| When | During building, before flooring | Any time after completion |
| Method | Soil treated in open, accessible ground | Drilling through floor and wall junctions |
| Coverage | Complete and unbroken | Very good, but works around what is already built |
| Disruption | None — nobody lives there yet | Drilling, refilling and sealing |
| Cost basis | Per square foot of area treated | Per property, based on size and construction |
| Best for | Any new build | Existing buildings, with or without active deemak |
If you are building, treat during construction. It is cheaper, more complete and less disruptive than any treatment that can be done afterwards. It is also the stage most often skipped, because the contractor is focused on the schedule and nobody is thinking about insects yet.
Pre-construction proofing: all three stages, or none of it counts
This section matters more than any other in this guide, because it is where most pre-construction treatments fail — and where warranties are lost.
Proper pre-construction termite proofing happens in three stages:
- Initial stage — the foundation trenches and excavated soil are treated before filling.
- Retaining walls — the soil against the retaining and foundation walls is treated as backfilling proceeds.
- Floor stage — the fill beneath the floor is treated before the slab is poured.
Each stage seals a different route into the building. Skip one and you have left an open path — the equivalent of locking every door in the house except one.
Because of that, a pre-construction warranty requires all three stages. If only the initial stage was treated because the contractor was ready to pour and would not wait, the protection is incomplete and the warranty does not stand. We say this in writing before the work starts rather than after a claim.
Practical advice if you are building: put the three stages into the construction schedule at the start, and tell your contractor the treatment dates are fixed. Termite proofing is almost always squeezed out by pouring schedules, not by budget.
Post-construction proofing: how it is actually done
For a building that already exists, the barrier is created by injecting treated solution into the soil beneath and beside the structure.
- Inspection first. The technician establishes whether activity is live, where it is entering and how far it has travelled. Mud tubes, hollow-sounding timber, discarded wings and damaged skirting all indicate the route.
- Drilling. Holes are drilled at measured intervals along the floor-and-wall junction, around door frames, and at points where plumbing and conduits pass through the floor.
- Injection. Solution is injected under pressure so it spreads through the soil and joins into a continuous treated zone.
- Sealing. Holes are refilled and finished so the floor is restored.
- Timber and voids. Where frames are already infested, they are treated directly — as an addition to the soil barrier, never as a replacement for it.
- Documentation. You receive a report stating what was applied, at what dilution, and where.
Ask for the drilling plan and keep it. It records which areas were actually treated, and if a warranty claim is ever made it settles the question immediately.
What termite proofing costs in Pakistan
Two figures we are willing to publish, because they hold up across most properties:
- Pre-construction termite proofing — PKR 12 to 18 per square foot of treated area.
- Post-construction termite treatment for homes — from PKR 20,000, depending on size, construction type and how far the activity has spread.
Please read: these are reference prices, not a quotation. Figures are indicative only and your proposed price may be higher or lower after a site survey. Nothing here is an offer or a fixed rate — ask for a written quotation once someone has seen the property.
What actually moves the number: the floor area, whether the ground floor is accessible for drilling, how many door frames and junctions need attention, how long the infestation has been running, and whether an upper storey is involved.
A note on very low quotations. There are only two large costs in this job — the product and the labour to place it properly. A rate far below everyone else is usually funded by thinning the solution, using a low-grade or unapproved material, or drilling at wider spacing than the barrier needs. None of those is visible on the day. All of them show up in the second year.
Pest Orbit Pakistan is not a premium-priced company. We work to standard economical rates and do not fund a discount by dropping product grade or barrier spacing. For a fuller breakdown, see our termite treatment cost guide.
Warranty: read what it covers before you read how long it lasts
Advertised warranty periods in this market range up to ten years. The number on its own tells you very little. What it covers tells you everything.
Five things to establish in writing:
- Re-treatment or damage? Nearly every termite warranty in Pakistan covers re-treatment — coming back to treat again. Very few cover repairing timber that has already been eaten.
- Which areas? The whole structure, or only the rooms actually drilled? A partial treatment cannot honestly carry a whole-building warranty.
- What voids it? Typically: new construction through the treated zone, plumbing work, landscaping against the walls, or another contractor treating the site.
- Are inspections required to keep it valid, and who pays for them?
- Does it transfer if you sell the property?
Our position, plainly: the warranty length is stated in the quotation for the specific work proposed, rather than advertised as one figure for every job. It is a re-treatment warranty. It requires the property to be treated completely — if you want only the kitchen or one washroom done, we will do the work and tell you in writing that it carries no warranty, because termites simply travel around a treated section. For pre-construction work, all three stages are required.
How to check a termite proofing contractor
Six questions. Any company doing this work properly can answer all six without hesitation.
| Ask | What a solid answer looks like |
|---|---|
| What product are you using? | A named, registered product — and the safety data sheet on request |
| At what dilution? | A specific figure, recorded on your report |
| What is the drill spacing? | A measured interval, not “as needed” |
| Can I see the drilling plan? | Yes, attached to the quotation or the warranty |
| Who is the technician? | An employed technician, not a subcontractor found that morning |
| What exactly does the warranty cover? | A document you can read before paying |
A company that will not put the product name and dilution on paper is telling you something important. Ask anyway, and note the answer.
Early signs you already have deemak
- Mud tubes — thin earth tunnels running up walls, skirting or foundations
- Hollow-sounding timber — tap door frames and skirting; healthy wood sounds solid
- Discarded wings near windows and lights after rain, especially in spring
- Bubbling or cracked paint on a wall, resembling water damage with no water source
- Tight-fitting doors and windows where the frame has swollen or distorted
- Soft or sagging floor in a room with timber beneath
Any one of these is worth an inspection. Termite damage compounds — treating early is significantly cheaper than treating late, and considerably cheaper than replacing structural timber.
What you can do yourself
You cannot create a soil barrier without equipment, but you can remove much of what invites termites in:
- Fix leaking washroom and kitchen plumbing — persistent damp is the strongest single attractant
- Keep planters, soil beds and mulch away from direct wall contact
- Clear firewood, scrap timber and cardboard stored against the building
- Make sure rainwater drains away from the walls rather than pooling against them
- Check door frames and skirting twice a year, particularly after monsoon
These reduce pressure. They do not remove an established colony — once deemak is inside the structure, the soil barrier is the treatment.
Getting it done
Pest Orbit Pakistan provides pre- and post-construction termite proofing across Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, with staffed offices and employed technicians in all three cities. Our work is ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certified under IAF-accredited certification, and treatment plans are designed under Ph.D.-led integrated pest management.
The survey is free, the quotation is written, and it names the scope, the product, the number of visits and the warranty terms — so you can compare it against anyone else’s.
Book a free termite inspection: +92 343 879 7046 · Contact Pest Orbit Pakistan
More reading: Termite & deemak FAQs · Termite treatment cost guide · How to choose a pest control company · Karachi · Lahore · Islamabad
