Woodworm......

[Alison556]

Well, had the other timber treatment guy out today. Totally different report from him.

I have wet rot in a joist (exactly where I thought I had wet rot) and there are signs of woodworm, but he believes that it has already been treated because it doesn't look like active woodworm - there's no evidence of them being active.

I know that there was woodworm before and it was treated - before I moved in.

The guy today said that they could repair the joist and they'd spray under that room while they were there, just as a precaution. The rest of the woodwork is fine.

I'm tempted to believe him because a) the first guy knew the council would be footing the bill and b) he's not gonna do himself out of work, is he? If it was as bad as the first guy made out, surely the second guy would pick up on it and get himself more work?

Or am I being naive?

 

[anobium]

From what you say I would go along with the second guy, even if he is working for a specialist company his job will be to get as much business as possible, whilst at the same time being honest in his findings and recommendations.
Contrary to what the so called experts on this forum say there are some honest people out there, other than plumbers and sparkies

 

[Alison556]

That was what I thought. The second guy didn't know that the council would be paying for it but the first guy did and I had this niggle that he'd basically jumped on the bandwagon and thought he'd make as big a job as possible out of it.

Maybe I'm very untrusting, but I do know that there are some folks out there that will take advantage and try to make the most of a situation.

 

[HelpDIY]

is your house old and now dry? What makes you know you need treatment?

I ask because woodworm doesn't seem to live in modern dry houses. There must be a humidity level of timber that they need. Your exit holes might all be very old, unless you can see fresh frass.

hoover up any dust and keep an eye on them to see if you get any clean new holes and fresh frass.

There is unlikely to be any urgency in treating them, unless you live in parts of Southern England where there is a big and pernicious insect. Ordnary worm that makes a hole the size of a pencil point takes a long time to make timber useless, and the treatment includs replacement timber, not just spraying.

It would be very difficult to treat a house where the floors were covered in carpets and furniture.

they only lift about one board in 4 to get the sprayer head under.

Hi John, we had our house sprayed with Cupricol a few months ago with every 6 boards lifted up. However, we recently discovered from one of the skirting that was removed from the wall and saw at the back of skirting with holes and part of the wood rotten. You mention about humidity of the floor that woodworm likes. do you know what this humidily level is and/or where I can find out mroe inform

Thanks

 

[regsmyth]

Help,
You should have started this as a new topic...
If your skirting is rotten, is it rotten through damp, or rotten through woodworm infestation?
If damp, you need to sort it out.

If you still have woodworm infestation (fresh dust etc) then humidity levels need to be addressed through improved ventilation/heating.

I think even if you get the full treatment for woodworm, but you don't address the damp/humidity issues, give a bit of time and the woodworm will be back.

If you have a moisture meter, anything over about 15% will be good for wet rot and woodworm. Anything over 20% will go black and rot.