Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Sheffield, contacted Timberwise to survey their property for both condensation-related damage and a suspected case of woodworm. This property was a semi-detached house of cavity brick construction, and was both occupied and furnished. The weather was sunny at the time of our inspection.
Challenges
During our inspection, our surveyor was restricted by several fixtures, including fitted units, tiled walls, furniture, stored items, and fitted floor coverings. This is a regular challenge in any furnished property, and our surveyors are trained to work around these obstacles to provide as full a picture of a property’s condition as possible.
In addition, our inspection was mainly restricted to the ground floor, with one upstairs room believed to be suffering from a condensation issue. In the case of woodworm, it is important to diagnose the full extent of an infestation, as leaving any number of wood-boring beetles could cause recurrence further down the line.
Observations
After a brief external examination, our surveyor identified several defects. At the rear of the property, the drainage gulley was blocked. The downpipe was also not positioned correctly, and instead of discharging into the drain, water had been splashing onto the adjacent brickwork. This can cause water to back up and potentially result in penetrating damp within the property, especially if the water bridged over the existing blue brick damp proof course (DPC). Cracked and defective render identified on the front elevation of the property would also contribute to moisture ingress within.
Additionally, our surveyor noted that the external ground levels were high in relation to the internal floor. This can cause lateral damp penetration, and the resulting moisture can also lead to issues such as fungal decay in the adjacent flooring if left untreated. Our surveyor noted that installing an ACO Drain could help to divert this moisture away from the walls and into a nearby wastewater drain, reducing the likelihood of moisture ingress within the property.
Our surveyor also noted a lack of air bricks in the exterior walls. This would make it difficult to regulate the conditions in the sub-floor void beneath the floorboards, creating an increased risk of fungal decay.
Internally, condensation was visible on the windows in the rear bedroom. This condensation had contributed to a case of black spot mould around a wall vent, as well as within a built-in wardrobe. Both mould cases were found on the exterior wall, which is often cooler in temperature than an interior wall. This creates an ideal location for atmospheric moisture to settle and condense, which then creates the perfect environment for mould growth. Readings taken with a hygrometer confirmed an internal humidity level of 57% in the bedroom which corroborated these findings.
An additional inspection of the windows revealed that the seals between the window frame and wall were defective, creating additional cold spots around the window where condensation would form.
The humidity within the property was also compounded by a lack of ventilation: Though an exterior vent was present in the bedroom, window trickle vents, under cuts on doors and additional passive vents were all missing throughout the property. This can significantly reduce air flow, meaning that moisture has no means of escape and remains trapped.
Though mechanical ventilation was present, this is only used during moisture-generating activities like cooking or bathing, and so is not an adequate system to remove moisture from a property by itself. Our Condensation Control page has further information on ways to limit and control the creation of condensation within your property.
Our surveyor also completed an inspection of the ground floor of the property where a suspected case of woodworm was present. Our surveyor confirmed this suspicion upon finding a severe infestation of Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum) in the hallway next to the stairs. This infestation was also strongly suspected within the staircase; however, this could not be confirmed without removing the existing carpets or panelling.
An additional inspection of the floorboards surrounding the staircase also yielded evidence of woodworm damage: Several joists had become compromised, cracking and dropping under the weight of the stairs and floorboards. This poses a significant risk to our client and their family, as any compounding failures could lead to the total collapse of the floor itself, as well as posing a risk of significant injury to our client and their family.
Solutions
Taking the condition of the property into consideration, our surveyor designed the ideal solution to remedy the woodworm infestation. This would involve not only additional investigations to confirm the extent of the infestation, but also assessing the current condition of the floorboards, stairwell, and joists throughout the downstairs rooms of the property.
An important factor in this restoration was the stairwell: As it carried significant weight, it was vital for our technicians to brace this as the floorboards and joists were removed and replaced during the restoration. As the floor would not be present to support the staircase, this bracing would ensure it did not slip, causing significant further damage or injury, as well as significant further repairs.
After removing the existing floorboards and boarding around the stairwell, our technicians were able to confirm the extent of the infestation. For several cracked and sunken joists, it was necessary to replace the timbers entirely. These new timbers were treated with a fungicidal paste and then laid upon a damp proof membrane to isolate them from the surrounding brickwork. This would ensure that they were protected from potential moisture ingress from the external defects noted in our surveyor’s report.
Once the joists were replaced, our technicians began work on the floorboards. Each original floorboard was assessed for woodworm damage, and either treated with insecticidal fluid and reinstated or replaced entirely with new timbers, depending on the extent of the damage. It was important to treat all original timbers in the floor to prevent recurrence of an infestation.
However, in some cases replacement is the only viable solution. This is especially true if the wood boring beetles have caused the existing timbers to become structurally weakened to the point of cracking. To support the stairwell upon completion of the renovations, it was necessary to assess each floorboard individually to confirm their integrity and reduce the likelihood of future concerns.
The floorboard treatment continued into the other ground floor rooms where woodworm colonies had been found. This included the kitchen and reception rooms where woodworm had been identified after removing the existing floor coverings. Thankfully, these infestations were less severe than in the hallway, and many of the existing floorboards could simply be removed, treated, and then restored.
Once work on the floorboards had finished, our technicians completed the renovations by replacing the curved bullnose on the bottom step with a new timber replacement. This was machined in our workshop and shaped to fit on site, ensuring that the restoration work was as close to the original fixtures as possible.
Results
Our client was delighted with the restoration work Timberwise conducted within their property. As our client was planning to renovate the property, they were grateful that our technicians worked with them to source the ideal materials to achieve a similar look to the original floorboards while simultaneously restoring the structural integrity of the floor.
Our client was also happy with the advice offered by our surveyor regarding the condensation issues within the bedroom upstairs. They have since taken our surveyor’s advice on board and planned remedial work to create additional air flow within the property as well as remove the mould itself.
Do You Want Help with a Woodworm Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Sheffield are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0114 208 6094, or you can request a survey online.
