Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Canterbury, tasked Timberwise with conducting woodworm treatment after discovering a suspected infestation. This property was a detached house of solid brick and traditional timber frame construction, and was both occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather conditions were overcast and wet.
Challenges
Our inspection was limited by fitted units, furniture, and stored items. These are common obstructions our surveyors face daily, especially when surveying residential properties, and they use their experience backed by 55 years of Timberwise’ industry knowledge to ensure a property is assessed correctly prior to treatment beginning.
Observations
Upon arriving at the property, our surveyor was invited to complete an internal inspection of the property. Upon inspecting the first floor of the property, our surveyor confirmed our client’s suspicions, discovering an active woodworm infestation on several exposed structural timbers within the front bedroom.
Woodworm is a collective term for a group of wood-boring beetles and weevils. Each species looks, acts, and lives differently, but all of them share a common trait: As their name implies, they burrow into and live off timber structures, only emerging after several years as fully formed beetles, ready to mate and continue the cycle.
There are several key symptoms of a woodworm infestation, no matter what species has invaded the timber. A key indicator of an infestation is flight holes; small tunnels dotted along the surface of wood where the beetles have previously emerged. These were evident on several of the structural timbers within the bedroom.
Another key symptom of woodworm is frass, or bore dust. This is a sawdust-like powder that usually gathers in small piles around or beneath flight holes. Though no evidence of this was found, it’s very easy for piles of frass to look like dust, which may have been swept away during regular cleaning without realising.
The final key indicator of a woodworm infestation is the state of the timber. In the bedroom, several areas of timber were brittle and dry, and some sections had seemingly fallen away over time. Woodworm species often find it easier to digest softwoods, or woods that have come under attack from fungal decay such as wet rot. However, aged timbers are also at risk. As the property was estimated to have been built during the 1600s, it was likely that the timbers had aged to a degree that made it easier for woodworm to burrow into a live off the wood. With these timbers being structural, any serious damage could cause weakening of the property, and lead to its eventual collapse if left untreated for long enough.
After a final survey of the immediate and surrounding areas, our surveyor found no further indications of any further spread of woodworm within the property.
Solutions
With a clear indication of the spread of damage, our surveyor designed a treatment plan to eradicate the woodworm infestation. Prior to our team’s arrival, our surveyor asked our client to remove the furniture and stored items from within the room to provide a clear area from which to work.
To begin, our technicians first cleaned down and prepared the exposed timbers. This created a clean surface for the treatment to penetrate the timbers. Once cleared, our technicians applied a coat of insecticidal spray, which would kill off any beetles on the surface, as well as any larvae beneath the surface. This spray is a long-lasting solution, and would even kill future beetles upon emergence over the next several years.
With the furniture and stored goods removed, our technicians also conducted an additional inspection that had not been possible during our surveyor’s initial visit. After lifting several areas of insulation, our technicians found an additional small infestation of woodworm. After protecting the insulation and laying it aside, our technicians also sprayed this area, and notified our client that the insulation could be returned once the spray had dried the next day.
Results
Our surveyor identified the extent of an infestation of wood-boring beetles, which our technicians treated successfully. Our client was delighted with our team’s work, and now had peace of mind that their heritage property was protected without the need for extensive and invasive repair work.
Do You Want Help with a Woodworm Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Canterbury are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 01227 388 940, or you can request a survey online.
