Cuprinol Woodworm Killer Smell

[AnthonyDIY]

Hi

On Sunday (21st July) I applied Cuprinol Woodworm Killer to the underside of my bathroom floor.

Coverage was about 2.5 square meters of the old timber under the bath, the same on top of that timber and 4 main joists. The flooring not under the bath is new so it really only got splashed.

The bathroom is a suspended floor ~ 2 foot down from the flooring.

Its now been 5 days and the smell from the chemical is still quite pungent.

I did cover the floor back up and put the side of the bath back on once treatment was complete, but on Tuesday (23rd) I took one span of flooring back up and put a fan down there to circulate the air to see if that would help

Now I have one large fan down there at one end to circulate air, with a tower fan laying on its back pulling the air out at the other. The bathroom window is open to dissipate the smell.

If I understand correctly there is a solvent which is evaporating still, it is this which I am smelling and it will take time for it to completely evaporate, if this is correct the circulation of air should help.

If not I would really appreciate any advise you can give please. I do have a small heater which I could put down there if it would help too.

I would really like to resolve this soon as my wife and children would like their bathroom back. I hope someone can help.

Thanks
Anthony

 

[JohnD]

fresh air will do it.

Don't use a heater unless you have very generous fire insurance.

If you have a bathroom fan, you can leave that running, and it will create suction to prevent the smell drifting round the house. This will only work if the door and window are closed.

 

[AnthonyDIY]

Thanks, I've shut the window and left the fan on all day with 2 floor boards off (1 full length of room, one half length).

I've put a tower fan pulling air out of the hole and pushing to the ceiling fan and put a normal fan under at the other side to circulate.

I'll leave it like this until Sunday night, its still really smelly and quite frustrating!

 

[dann09]

Why did you apply Cuprinol in the first place?

If your attention had been drawn to, or you had observed, "woodworm" holes, how did you know that they were active and not historic?

 

[AnthonyDIY]

The presence of the Common furniture beetle on my bathroom walls each year for the past 2 years and the piles of wood-dust under the floor (and on top last year).

After this month I am hopeful it will be a historic issue.

 

[dann09]

Fair enough.
AAMOI: the dust, or frass, that you've noticed, if its light coloured its fresh, dark frass is old.
A sureproof method of detecting active wood borers is to open up a little of the affected area with, say, a screwdriver tip and observe if the mechanics are scurrying about or not.