Woodworm treatment advice please!

[stevieg0102]

Hi all,

1st post, so please bear with me!

I am in the middle of re-kitting out a bathroom and the plumber found signs of woodworm on the joists under our floorboards. We have checked a few more floorboards, and it seems to be isolated, though don't know if it is old or new (nothing showed on the survey).

Question is given it is isolated, could we treat this ourselves? and if so, how!? Or, should we get someone in to do it, i have been quoted £250 already, which seemed high.

Our bathroom is on hold until we get this sorted, so any advice ASAP would be great!

Many Thanks in advance
Steve

 

[xerxes]

A small amount of attack by wood boring beetles is nothing to worry about. Only when it reaches the point of affecting the structural properties of the joist, do they need replacement. Many houses have worm holes hidden away, and what the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve over.

If you only need local treatment, do it yourself. In the past I've used a woodworm treatment from Screwfix, diluted with water according to the instructions. It has no odour and is inexpensive. I can't say I know how effective it is, but at least it seems fairly safe and cheap to use, and one feels one has done something to combat the menace of the beetles. Unfortunately, they don't seem to list it any more.

Otherwise, I would use Cuprinol 5-star wood treatment, or perhaps a slightly cheaper brand. It costs a lot and smells bad, but gives you the sense that you are using powerful stuff.

Give the timbers a good flood coat according to the instructions, remember to do the floor boards, especially the undersides; treat as much wood as you can get access to. When you finished, keep children and pets away for the recommended time.

It's not a bad idea to keep a record of what you've treated, with dates, just in case you later wish you could remember what you did and when.

 

[Symptoms]

Steve - I'm with xerxes on this one ... don't worry, just treat it yourself. Yeh, the pros do charge quite a bit and the only difference with their treatment and yours is they'll use a fancy sprayer and juice from a 5 gallon drum. Oh, and they'll give you a bit of paper which says Guarantee at the top (IMO not worth the paper it's written on unless it's backed by Lloyds (or similar insurance).

Tip - use a cheapo pump-up garden sprayer instead of a brush 'cos the juice will then not run up your arm when tackling under the joists.