WOOD TREATMENTS Your property contains a large amount of wood- structural timber, mouldings, frames and doors. This wood is vulnerable to attack by both fungal diseases and insects. The main insect likely to cause damage to your property is woodworm – the larval stage of a number of beetle species. Woodworm (Heavy Infestation of Common Furniture Beetle) Most softwoods have little or no natural resistance to attack by woodworm (normally in the guise of the furniture beetle) and its presence is all too obvious with a peppering of small round holes on the surface of the wood. These are exit holes through which the adult beetle departs after spending several years as grubs tunneling through the wood. Below the surface there will be a network of tunnels. Hardwoods are affected by the death watch beetle.     Woodworm holes found in timber are caused by the larvae of beetles that feed on the timber. Larger holes on the surface of the timber are formed when the adult beetle emerges from the timber to mate. There are a number of species of woodworm, and the precise method of treatment will depend on which species is attacking the timber. By far the most common species of woodworm in the UK is the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum). This species can be identified by the small, round holes that are left on the surface of the timber (approx. 1.5 - 2mm diameter) and the "gritty" bore-dust that it leaves behind (showing up as lemon-shaped pellets under magnification). Treatment of Common Furniture Beetle is fairly straightforward. Any structurally-weakened timber should be removed and replaced with pre-treated timber. All surfaces of the affected timber should then be sprayed with an appropriate woodworm treatment, such as ProBor DB. Other types of woodworm common to the UK include the Deathwatch Beetle (Xestobium rufuvillosum), the House Longhorn Beetle (Hylotropes bajulus), and the Powderpost beetle (Lyctus brunneus). While the Powderpost Beetle can be treated in much the same way as the Common Furniture Beetle, House Longhorn and Deathwatch beetle infestations require more extensive treatment. The main problems encountered when treating woodworm are identifying the species involved, deciding whether the infestation is still active, and deciding which timbers have been structurally weakened and need replacing. All of these factors will influence the type of treatment carried out (if any). Important Note: Woodworm can cause widespread structural damage. We recommend that a survey is carried out immediately if Woodworm is suspected. There are many fungi that can infect wood, these will cause various major problems, the main two being Dry rot and Wet rot. BACK TO TOP Dry Rot (and its Control) Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans) will only affect timber that is damp, typically affecting timber with a moisture content of 20%. For this reason, removing the source of moisture should form the core of any dry rot eradication strategy. Timber can become damp for a number of reasons. Among the most common causes are leaking washing machines, shower trays, baths etc... The dampness can also come from outside the building, for example, leaking roofs, rising dampness, or dampness penetrating through walls. Whatever, the source of the dampness, if it is rectified and the timber allowed to properly dry out, the dry rot will eventually be controlled. However, it is not always possible or practical to be sure that the timbers will remain dry in the long term. Therefore, it is important that secondary measures are taken to defend against re-infection. Any affected timbers should be removed and replaced with pre-treated timber. Any remaining timbers at risk of being affected by the dry rot should be treated with an effective fungicide. Where the dry rot has passed through the masonry, it should be isolated using physical containment and/or masonry sterilisation. Our ProBor range of products are particularly suitable fungicides for the treatment of dry rot, as they are able to spread much more deeply into the timber than conventional preservatives. This gives them an extensive performance advantage, as no wood preservative can start working until it comes into contact with the fungi that it is designed to defend against. ProBor products are also suitable for masonry sterilisation. Important Note: Dry rot can cause widespread structural damage. We recommend that a survey is carried out immediately if dry rot is suspected. Wet Rot Wet rot attacks wet (minimum 30% moisture) and not moist timber. Its effect is often localised, but window sills, window and door frames can be destroyed. Rafters and joists in leaking roofs can also be attacked. Detection of wet rot is quite straight forward. Paintwork bubbles up and the timber below is quite soft. Rotten wood is dark brown with cracks along the grain, dark fungal strands can sometimes be found on the surface. Procure's Solution involves our skilled carpenters cutting out all effected areas and replacing with new timbers treated with our ProBor range. Important Note: Wet rot can cause widespread structural damage. We recommend that a survey is carried out immediately if wet rot is suspected. BACK TO TOP Copyright © Procure solutions 2003-2004. All rights reserved.