Timber is an incredible construction material, with a huge variety of uses in both traditional and modern building types. Allowing timber to become wet, however, can lead to problems; one of these problems is woodworm.
Woodworm refers to the larvae of several beetles, which can become present within the timber elements of a property.
Why do beetles attack timber?
Beetles feed on timber as larvae, before they become beetles at all. They spend most of their lives living within the timber, feeding and burrowing. They emerge as beetles towards the end of their lives, to mate and lay eggs.
There are many different types of wood-boring insects which may be present in a building, including:
· Common furniture beetle
· House longhorn beetle
· Wood boring weevil
· Death watch beetle
A woodworm infestation, if left untreated, can cause major damage to timber ; as the larvae burrow through the wood they create gaps, which can eventually lead to crumbling and failure to even very large, hardwood timber.
Finding the problem
Often a woodworm infestation can build up without the property owner having any idea. Beetles appear in unventilated and humid spaces, and only attack timber with a high moisture content. This usually occurs in hidden or covered areas, such as floor voids and lofts. The first sign of trouble for many property owners, in this case, is often when a floor or roof begins to sag as the timber weakens over time.
Whenever the infestation is found, it can be identified from the small holes visible to the timber. Usually the size of a pin hole, these are known as ‘flight holes’, showing where the beetle has emerged from the timber to lay its eggs.
Preventing woodworm
With the correct measures in place, it is relatively easy to prevent beetle attack in timber. As beetles usually only appear in unventilated, humid environments, it’s important to make sure that any building is kept watertight with any leaks to the roof or other areas quickly dealt with. Areas such as the roof and void beneath a timber ground floor also need good ventilation, to make sure that moisture doesn’t build up to a dangerous level.
Treating woodworm
If an infestation is found, the most important action is to make sure that the structure is safe. With small, minor infestations there is usually no cause for alarm, however if the timber is soft, crumbly or deteriorated over a wide area, you may need a surveyor or structural engineer to tell you if the timber needs to be replaced.
Next, it’s important to work out if the infestation is still active. This can be done by checking for ‘frass’; this sawdust appears on the timber when a beetle has recently burrowed out. If there’s no frass visible to the timber on below it, it’s possible that the infestation is historic. It’s always important to monitor the area anyway, even if there’s minimal damage and no frass visible; a larvae can live for several years inside timber before emerging as a beetle, so being certain that no further attack is taking place can take a long time.
If the infestation is active, the next step is to work out the source of moisture. This could be from a leak, through damp ingress, or from condensation. In most cases, the issue can be resolved by stopping any moisture ingress, and be adding good ventilation to the area. Chemical treatment is also available to resolve woodworm, however this is often unnecessary; furthermore, chemical treatment of timber can kill other insects such as spiders, which feed on beetle eggs and often help to prevent issues from worsening.
If you have any concerns regarding woodworm or other timber decay to your property, it’s essential that you obtain advice from an independent expert. Although many timber treatment companies are likely to be excellent, it is very common that property owners are sold unnecessary and expensive treatments for woodworm or similar damp-related issues. For further advice, feel free to contact us for an initial chat.