timber infestation
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TIMBER INFESTATION COLCHESTER ESSEX
Common Furniture Beetle/ Woodworm / Anobium Punctatum
The most common wood destroying beetle found in British buildings today is the Common Furniture Beetle Anobium punctatum. This insect commonly occurs outdoors infesting dead tree trunks, branches and other forms of exposed timber but, the main cause for concern is its ability to infest indoor timbers in a variety of situations.
Adult beetles emerge from timber in the spring and summer. Very soon after mating the female beetle lays approximately 30 eggs, often into cracks and crevices in the timber she has just vacated. Usually within a month the eggs hatch and the young grubs begin burrowing into the timber. Here they remain for between two and four years slowly eating and burrowing beneath the surface of the wood. Eventually the mature lava excavates a pupation chamber just beneath the surface of the wood. Following the pupation process the adult beetle cuts a hole in the surface of the timber and emerges to start the process once more. It is the appearance of new emergence holes and the dust (frass) that falls from them that often indicates the presence of an active infestation of woodworm.
The woodworm beetle is significant because given the right conditions it can infest a wide variety of timber products including structural building timbers, furniture and wooden ornaments. If left unchecked infestations can lead to severe structural weakening and eventually total collapse.
Treatments
Before making a decision on treatments a surveyor must consider the condition of the infested timber, the type and accessibility of the woodworm attack and the risks and hazards associated with any work that is to be recommended.
In preparation for the application of preservatives the timbers should be cleaned down to remove any excessive dust and debris. Treatments using water based insecticides are very common and are generally successful and cost effective. Chemicals are often applied by low pressure spraying but some insecticides can be applied by “fogging” or are brushed on.
Furniture, ornaments and small items of timber can be treated by the use of heat, freezing or gas fumigation. All these methods of treatment are highly specialised and should only be undertaken by people who are trained and competent.
Other wood destroying insects
Death Watch Beetle Xestobium rufovillosum. This insect is often associated with historic buildings and usually affects the sapwood of hardwoods that are damp or have been affected by fungal decay.
House Longhorn Beetle Hylotrupes bajulus. This relatively large insect affects sapwood and is predominantly associated with roofing timbers. They are limited in range to a small part of South East England. Infestations if left unchecked can lead to severe structural weakening in a relatively short period of time.
When infestations by the Death Watch Beetle and House longhorn beetle are discovered, treatments will always be dictated by site conditions and formulated by an experienced specialist.
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Timber Infestation Arises From Damp Conditions
You may not be entirely surprised to learn this from a website run by a damp specialist such Colchester Damp Proofing but damp is the single factor common to the cases of timber infestation we most frequently encounter.
Neither wet rot, dry rot, nor woodworm favour dry environments. A certain level of damp—one not usually encountered in ideal domestic conditions–is required to create an environment in which these pests can thrive.
If you have a timber infestation in your home, you also have a damp problem.
Woodworm Love Damp
Woodworm is a general term applied to several different species of beetle. It isn’t the beetles themselves which bore into the wood, but their larvae. The adult beetles lay eggs on or just beneath the surface of your joists, skirting boards, floorboards and furniture, and the resulting larvae then feed on the wood before pupating and emerging as adults. The new adults then also lay eggs, giving rise to many new generations of woodworm.
As you’ve no doubt realised from this description, woodworm is not a self-limiting problem. If you have an infestation, not only do you need timber treatment, it’s also important to diagnose your underlying damp problem to prevent a recurrence. A combined timber and damp survey Book an inspection is a very good idea if you’ve found evidence of woodworm in your home.
Wet Rot Loves Damp
As the name suggests, wet rot is an infestation found in overtly damp sections of timber. Like dry rot, this problem is caused by a wood-digesting fungus. Unlike dry rot, its effect is confined to moist areas of wood and it is a relatively simple issue to eradicate.
If you’ve spotted the signs of wet rot in your home, call us on 0207 127 6886.
Even Dry Rot Loves Damp!
Dry rot is a misleading term, apparently originating in the 18th century. It describes a condition more properly known as brown rot, caused by a number of different fungi which colonise and digest dead wood such as that found in your furniture, skirting boards and the structural timbers of your house. The phrase ‘dry rot’ came about because shipbuilders and marine surveyors habitually observed this problem in dried timbers, so it was attributed to ‘internal fermentations’ within the wood and not linked with the more obviously wet types of fungal decay.
But don’t be misled by its name: dry rot requires more than averagely damp conditions before it can establish itself. Once established, it can spread through the structural timbers of your house and weaken them: it is a serious condition which can be difficult to treat, so time is of the essence.
If you suspect your home is suffering from dry rot, call London Damp Company on 0207 127 6886 or complete the form to book a timber and damp survey today. Book an inspection
A small proportion of masonry materials are unsuitable for treatment due to their particular surface chemistry. These include pure limestone and some types of lower density non facing concrete blocks which are generally used for internal wall construction. We are able to offer alternative treatments suitable for these materials. We would always try a test area first to determine suitability of the substrate.
We ca use gauges to demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment. The test would be carried out at least 28 days after applying damp protection treatment which allows the water absorption of the wall before and after treatment to be compared.
Applied by either brush, roller or spray. We cover larger areas more quickly using roller application. Details such as around windows are best covered by brush. We take care to ensure that that the damp protection application does not splash onto glass, paintwork, patios, plants, etc. Any splashes would be cleaned away with warm soapy water to avoid staining.
The damp treatment appears white immediately after treatment, making it easy to tell which areas have been treated. After 15 –20 minutes from application the cream starts to penetrate into the masonry and the whiteness will fade over time. After 24 – 48 hours the wall will have returned to its original appearance, there may be some slight darkening which will fade over time. The masonry will generally be resistant to light rain after 2 – 4 hours. As the damp protection damp is formulated to penetrate deeply into masonry it can take up to two months for a noticeable “beading effect” to appear when rainfall strikes the wall.
TYPES OF DAMP
Rising damp is significantly different from other damp because it arises from the flooring toward the roof.
Penetrating damp appears on the wall in the form of spots on walls and ceiling where cracks are present and water penetrates inside of the wall from outside.
Condensation is a process in which water vapors are generated during the daily activity of water consumption at home. Your daily activities at home like cooking, washing, showering increase the humidity level of the atmosphere.
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