Kordon or termite mesh: how do they compare?
Kordon and termite mesh are both certified physical termite barriers, but they work in different ways. This page sets them side by side on the points specifiers ask about.
Vale Pest Group is an accredited Kordon installer, and this comparison is written from that position. Your certifier or building surveyor decides what each project needs.
Side by side
| Kordon | Termite mesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks termites | Yes | Yes |
| Repels termites | Yes | No |
| Kills termites | Yes, on contact | No |
| What it is | A tough, three-layer sheet: deltamethrin-treated webbing sealed between two polyethylene membranes | Woven stainless steel mesh |
| Contains insecticide | Yes: deltamethrin, sealed inside the sheet | No |
| Thickness | About 2 mm | About 0.36 mm |
| Relies on | A physical barrier and a chemical one | The physical barrier alone |
| Full under slab barrier | Yes | No: only used for penetrations, joints and the perimeter |
| Moisture barrier | Yes: certified as a damp-proof course when laid under the slab | No: a separate membrane is used |
| Service penetrations | Kordon Kollars fitted around each pipe | Mesh collars clamped to each pipe |
| Fixing | Flexible sheet, cut on site and fixed with a nail gun | Bonded to the concrete with a cement or epoxy compound |
| Installation labour | Lower | Higher |
| Design life | Evaluated at more than 50 years | Stated by the manufacturer as the life of the building |
| Certification | CodeMark CM40380 | CodeMark certified systems are available |
| Installed by | Installers trained and licensed by the manufacturer | Installers accredited by the manufacturer |
Kordon is made in Adelaide, South Australia. Design life and performance figures in both columns are the manufacturers’ own, as stated in their certificates and product information.
The main difference
Termite mesh came first. It has been used in Australia since the early 1990s. Treated sheet barriers followed later that decade, with Kordon launched in 1997, adding a chemical barrier and a moisture barrier to the physical one.
Termite mesh is a physical barrier and nothing else. The openings are too small for termites to pass through, so it protects wherever it is continuous.
Kordon is a physical barrier with a chemical one inside it. The deltamethrin in the sheet repels termites and kills those that touch it, so it does not rely on the physical seal alone.
Is Kordon better than termite mesh?
Termite mesh blocks termites. Kordon blocks, repels and kills them, and under a slab it also serves as the moisture barrier.
Is Kordon Australian made?
Yes. Kordon was developed in Australia and is manufactured in Adelaide, South Australia.
Is Kordon a moisture barrier?
Yes, when it is laid as a full under slab barrier. Its CodeMark certificate covers the damp-proofing provisions of the Code as well as termite management.
Can both be used as a full under slab barrier?
No. Kordon can: it is laid as one continuous barrier beneath the whole slab, where it also serves as the moisture barrier. Termite mesh can only be used for service penetrations, joints, retaining walls and the building perimeter.
How does Kordon stop termites?
In three ways: it blocks them, repels them and kills those that touch it. Termite mesh blocks only.
Is Kordon faster to install than termite mesh?
Yes. Kordon is a flexible sheet, cut on site and fixed with a nail gun. Termite mesh is bonded to the concrete with a cement or epoxy compound at each detail.
How long does Kordon last?
Kordon has been tested by the CSIRO, and its design life has been evaluated at more than 50 years.
What warranty comes with Kordon?
Envu provides a product warranty, and the owner can activate an optional Envu Protection Warranty of up to $1 million. Both depend on annual termite inspections.
Who can install Kordon?
Only installers trained and accredited by Envu. Vale Pest Group is an accredited Kordon installer.
Sources
Sources used for the Kordon details on this page. Termite mesh details are from published manufacturer certificates and product information. Kordon is a trademark of Envu. Products and certificates change: confirm the current details with the manufacturer.
Specifying a termite barrier?
Send us your drawings and specification and we’ll price the system it calls for.