Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Badminton, tasked Timberwise with conducting structural timber repairs in their home after a suspected woodworm infestation. This property was a semi-detached house of solid brick construction, and was both occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather conditions were sunny and dry.
Challenges
Prior to our visit, our client revealed that they believed the woodworm infestation was within the roof void of the property. However, this area was not boarded, impacting access to the immediate area. Our surveyor prepared for these challenges prior to their arrival, ensuring they could survey the property as intimately as possible to ensure they provided a correct and complete assessment of the property’s condition prior to treatment.
Observations
Upon arrival at the property, our surveyor first inspected the roof void, using a supported ladder to ensure their safety without needing to stand on the unboarded ceiling timbers. Upon inspection, our surveyor identified several areas of frass (bore dust) and bore holes within the roof void. There were no beetles found during our inspection, and so our surveyor concluded that this was likely a historic infestation.
The term ‘woodworm’ applies to a collection of wood boring beetles and weevils. Specifically, it is the larvae that live within the timber, feeding on the wood within as they tunnel through the timber. These larvae can live within timber for anywhere up to five years, emerging as fully-grown beetles to mate and continue the cycle. If left untreated, woodworm species can irreparably damage a property’s timber, structurally weakening any timber they encounter.
Their damage was evident in the top section of the roof, where the ridge beam had visibly warped. A visible shake was also identified in the ridge beam, as well as similar shakes in two of the roof joists. Shakes are areas where the wood fibres had separated and split, often caused by stresses or during the seasoning period. These defects were likely always present in the timber, but had worsened from supporting the roof over several decades and from the woodworm larvae burrowing around it. These shakes would require immediate remediation, as the roof was at risk of collapse without reinforcement.
Our surveyor completed their inspection of the property by assessing the ground and first floor rooms for any further signs of woodworm. However, they found no evidence of any additional infestations, and so treatment was only required within the roof void.
Solutions
Having disclosed their findings with our client, our surveyor created a treatment plan to protect the remaining roof void timbers from future woodworm infestations. They also provided a remedial solution for the structural timbers, aimed at restoring the structural integrity of the roof and preventing its collapse.
To begin, our technicians first cleaned the roof void of any debris. This would provide a clean surface from which they could administer an insecticidal spray. This spray not only kills any woodworm beetles on the surface of the timbers, but also penetrates lightly into the wood, targeting any larvae near the surface. For any deep-seated larvae, these would die upon emerging from the timber over the next several years.
Once the woodworm treatment had concluded, our technicians next focused on the necessary structural repairs. A simple solution would have been to simply replace the roof. However, as our client preferred to preserve as many original features as possible within the property, our surveyor designed a solution that worked within their heritage wishes.
To repair the joists with shakes and other visible defects, our technicians applied a mould, which they then filled with an epoxy solution. This epoxy fills any voids within the timber, including the shakes but also any flight holes from the woodworm infestation. Once dry, this would restore the structural integrity of the wood without the need for new timber replacements.
However, the same treatment could not be used for the ridge beam, both due to its structural importance and our ability to access it without removing areas of the roof. Instead, two steel plates were commissioned for the ridge beam. These plates were installed on either side of the timber to reinforce it. While this would not fill in the shakes and flight holes in the same way as the epoxy method used on the joists, it would still provide structural strength to the roof, ensuring its longevity and preventing the collapse of the roof.
Results
Our client was delighted with the finished results of both their survey and their treatment. They were pleased that their heritage concerns were considered, and that our team created and implemented a treatment plan that remediated the roof while retaining the original timbers. They were also happy that their woodworm concerns were treated and guaranteed for several years, preventing future egg development within the treated timbers and protecting their roof from future damage.
Do You Want Help with a Timber Repair Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Bath are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 01225 459 802, or you can request a survey online.
