Client: Domestic
Timberwise were requested to complete a survey of a 19th century brick, semi-detached house in Honiton, Devon. We were called out on a suspected case of woodworm in the attic of the property, which turned out to be the case. The source of the issue was damaged guttering on the outside of the property that left it susceptible to damp penetrating into the roof. As such, this problem had attracted an infestation of woodworm. The issue, fortunately, pertained only to the roof of the property and was a relatively minor case of woodworm but would need to be remedied to prevent the problem from getting worse. The property was residential and thus occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather conditions on the day of our preliminary visit were overcast but dry.
Challenges
The property was an occupied residential one, meaning there were some restrictions when entering and doing our assessment due to the occupants’ stored items. There were also issues in restricted access concerning the insulation in the roof and fitted flooring throughout the property. We had full access to the roof void, but our investigation was partially restricted due to insulation in the loft. Nevertheless, our surveyor was able to inspect as much as was needed to make an assessment.
Observations
We completed a brief external inspection of the property when we first arrived. This was completed from the ground level only during the visit, and we noted that there was a problem with the property’s guttering. We noted defective guttering to the front elevation, which was likely to cause damp penetration.
We were called out due to an active woodworm infestation. We found that there was an infestation of the common furniture beetle (Anobium Punctatum) which contain their habitat exclusively to damp wood – so much so that their infestation can affect one half of a beam if it is wet, and leave the dry side completely untouched.
Moving into the property, our internal examination was confined solely to the loft void. There, we found an active woodworm towards the right-hand side of the property. From the position of the damage guttering outside, we surmised that damp leakage from that into the roof void was more than likely correlating to that. We also advised the occupants to seek an additional evaluation of the property’s roof to ensure that there are no other defects contributing to the internal condition of the property.
Solutions
As the infestation was fairly small and localised, it was not necessary to remove or replace any of the existing structural timbers. The best course of action in this instance was to clean down and prepare timbers as necessary for treatment before applying a spray treatment of LignaTek Insecticidal/Fungicidal Fluid to the affected areas within the roof void.
We always repeat to our clients that when it comes to treating timber to remove woodboring insects, a few larvae might escape during treatment. However, the treatment we use means that when these larvae emerge, they will be exterminated on contact with the treated timber due to the long-lasting protection provided by our water based spray treatment.
Do You Need Help with a Woodworm Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Exeter are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0800 288 8660, or you can request a survey online.
