Our client, a homeowner in London, tasked Timberwise with treating woodworm damage in their recently-purchased home. They also had suspicions of an outbreak of fungal decay in their basement. This property was a mid-terraced house of solid brick construction, and was both unoccupied and unfurnished at the time of our inspection. The weather conditions were overcast but dry.
Challenges
Our survey was limited to the ground floor of the property. Limiting the scope of a survey can cause concerns, especially in cases of rot or woodworm where initial symptoms may not reveal the true extent of an outbreak. Our surveyors navigate this concern daily, and use their experience backed by 55 years of Timberwise’ industry knowledge to ensure a property is assessed correctly prior to treatment beginning.
Observations
Our surveyor began by completing an initial investigation outside of the property. However, they did not identify any significant defects in the walls or roof that would be contributing to the internal condition of the property, and so promptly began their internal investigation.
On the ground floor, our surveyor identified a slight infestation of woodworm within the ground floor hallway and front reception rooms. After assessing flight holes in the floorboards and piles of frass (bore dust) beside them, our surveyor confirmed that the culprit was likely a colony of Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum).
Common Furniture Beetle is a wood-boring insect that lives deep-seated in timber as a grub, emerging as an adult beetle to mate and continue the cycle. As the damage was relatively minor, it was hard to confirm whether the infestation had occurred recently, or if it was a historic infestation that had since disappeared.
Moving further into the property, our surveyor also assessed the basement, which had a history of damp ingress within it. In addition to flooding on the floor and failed plaster on the walls, our surveyor also identified a case of wet rot fungal decay on an external-facing wall.
This fungal outbreak was confirmed to be an outbreak of Cellar Fungus (Coniophora puteana), a type of wet rot that occurs in cooler environments such as basements or roof voids. The cause of this attack was thought to be down to the age of the property and plaster, as well as consistent dampness within the basement.
Solutions
After discussions with our client after the survey had concluded, our surveyor recommended a full treatment plan that would bring the woodworm and wet rot concerns under control.
As the woodworm could not be confirmed as active or in decline, our surveyor recommended being safe rather than sorry and treating the area. Our technicians sprayed the installed floorboards with an insecticidal solution that would not only kill any remaining beetles, but would protect the floorboards against any emergence over the next few years. As the floorboards were generally in good condition, replacement was not necessary.
In the basement, our surveyor recommended a similar treatment for the cellar fungus. Here, our technicians used a dual purpose fungicidal-insecticidal solution on the walls and underneath the floorboards. This solution would not only eradicate the wet rot infestation, but would also treat the underside of the ground floor floorboards without the need for removal and reinstatement.
However, our surveyor was also clear to highlight one aspect of this treatment to our client: treating the outbreaks was one thing, but the main contributor to the property’s internal condition was still present. Without remediating the damp ingress, it was likely that the wet rot would eventually reoccur.
Mindful of this, our surveyor also recommended the installation of a basement waterproofing system. This would not only treat the damp ingress within the basement, but would also provide a room that our clients could then use for storage or habiting once completed.
Timberwise recommends a Type C waterproofing solution as the ideal resolution in most cases of below-ground damp ingress. Unlike cellar tanking which aims to create a waterproof seal on the surface of a wall, a Type C system allows water to flow naturally. This reduces the likelihood of hydrostatic pressure building behind a wall leading to defects forming and the internal condition continuing to worsen.
To install this system, our technicians first dug a drainage channel at the base of each wall, as well as chamber in one corner to fit a sump pump. Once fitted, this pump would eject water from the basement into a drainage pipe leading up the wall and beneath the floorboards into an existing drainage channel at ground level.
With the drainage channels dug, our technicians then installed a damp proof membrane on each wall and the floor. This is a waterproof layer that sits on the surface of the wall that prevents water from entering the interior surfaces of the room. Instead, water meets the membrane and drips down into the drainage channel below, which then travels into the sump pump to be later removed from the room.
As a final measure, our technicians installed a chipboard floor to allow the floor membrane to be stood on. This provided the ideal platform for our client to finish the project in their desired style, whether this be left as is for storage, or by plastering the walls to allow for redecoration as a habitable room in future.
Results
Our client was delighted with the solution offered by our surveyor and technicians. They were pleased not only with the rot and woodworm issues being treated, but also that their home could now benefit from an additional room being added, as a storage room initially, but eventually as a habitable room once their budget allowed for completion of the room.
Do You Want Help with a Waterproofing Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in North London are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 020 8226 6486, or you can request a survey online.
