Timber Treatment

WOODWORM

Woodworm is actually a generic term for a number of wood boring insects that can infest your home and attack the wood in your buildings. Woodworm is often associated with dampness as poor ventilation and high humidity are aspects of both problems. You may have woodworm if you can spot exit holes in your wood which can be up to 2mm in diameter along with small piles of bore dust. If you are unsure then RhinoRemedial are available to conduct a survey and recommend the correct course of action if woodworm is indeed your problem.

Today it is exceptional in some parts of the country to find a building more than 20 years old which is entirely free from infestation of wood boring beetles.

The remedial wood treatment of buildings is designed to mainly eradicate the larvae of common furniture beetle, death watch beetle and house-longhorn beetle.

We operate in accordance with the Property Care Association (PCA) Remedial Timber Treatment Code of Practice based on current best practice for the in situ treatment of common wood destroying beetles and fungal decay for contractors specialising in remedial treatment. RhinoRemedial staff have received training in the safe and effective use of wood preservatives in accordance with PCA guidance.

TREATMENT

Special attention is given to the preparation of the treatment area as follows:

We ensure that anyone living at the property and their pets and anyone else likely to be affected are kept safely away from the treatment area for the time prescribed by the manufacturers.
With structural timbers, dust and dirt must be cleaned off and surface covers removed to give full access to the timbers.
Effective protection of furniture, soft furnishings etc must be provided.
We ensure that water tanks have been protected against the entry of wood preservatives and dust.Electrical circuits within the treatment area must be isolated.
We ensure that all cables, cable ends and junction boxes are protected against the ingress of treatment fluids.
We only use spark-proof lighting and equipment.
Replacement timbers are pre-treated in acc with BS8417 2003 or treated on site with wood preservative meeting the requirements of BS 8417 2003.
If needed new softwood timber floorboards are fitted to match the original floorboards. For a room infested with common furniture beetle, for example, we would recommend a blanket treatment using a microemulsion wood preservative concentrate formulated for the in-situ treatment of timbers which are affected by wood boring insects.

The preservative concentrate we use for common furniture beetle has the following properties:

One hour re-entry of the treatment area.
Excellent penetration into timber.
Non-flammable with a very low odour.
Effective against all wood boring beetles.
Non-hazardous.

DRY ROT

Due to its severity Dry Rot (Serpula lacrymans) infestations require immediate attention. Dry Rot has a unique ability to travel outside of the damp area spreading the fungal decay to other parts of the building. Fungal decay always arises because the wood has become wet, once established the fungal strands and mycelium can grow within other substrates such as brick and plaster in search of new timber which can lead to severe structural damage.

EARLY STAGES

The early stages of dry rot appear as off-white cotton-like sheets on timber and brick work. The wood begins to darken and crack in a cube-like manner as the lignum in the wood breaks down. As the decay continues, it will produce a damp musky odour.

LATER STAGES

Later stages include thick, white fungal strands called Mycelium, a brick-red colouring and deep cracks along the grain of the wood will also be visible. Mycelium, the thick fungal strands, develop in more humid conditions, while a silky grey skin with off yellow coloured patches appears in less humid locations. The red colouring comes from spore dust and usually is seen around fruiting bodies of, orange coloured surfaces with wide pores.

TREATMENT

RhinoRemedial will deal with the damp issues associated with the spread of dry rot in your home. We will assess the damage and set about treating the rot with the latest fungicidal treatments. We will cut out any affected timber 1 meter past any sign of infection and replace any removed timber, the new timbers will also be treated before being installed. We will then spray and irrigate any masonry 1 meter past last sign of infection. Our experts are highly trained as the correct diagnosis is vital as the treatment will differ depending on the type of fungus. Dry rot, for example, will require extensive treatment as it can spread through masonry unlike other forms of rot which are generally restricted to the initial damp area. All affected areas are thoroughly sterilised and saturated to ensure the outbreak is contained and eradicated. The experts at Damptec will deal with the damp issues associated with the spread of wet and dry rot in your home. We will assess the damage and set about treating the rot with the latest fungicidal treatments and repair or replace any damaged wood. Our experts are highly trained as the correct diagnosis is vital as the treatment will differ depending on the type of fungus. Dry rot, for example, will require extensive treatment as it can spread through masonry unlike other forms or rot which are generally restricted to the initial damp area.

WET ROT

Wet rot is a fungus that attacks timber in buildings, and is a serious form of timber decay. Wet rot can attack all kinds of timber, old or new. Wet rot occurs when there are high levels of moisture, damp or condensation in a building, combined with a lack of ventilation.

Wet rot needs high levels of moisture in a building for spores to germinate. Unlike dry rot growth will cease once moisture is removed and does not have the ability to spread. Wet rot fungi is usually found in damp basements, under floors and in skirting boards.

Sometimes it is not possible to easily distinguish between the many species of wet rot and in practice it is not really necessary because the same remedial measures are required for all of them. The most important thing is to distinguish between dry rot and wet rot.

SIGNS OF WET ROT ARE AS FOLLOWS -

Timber darkens or lightens in colour and becomes spongy
Cuboidal cracking - but less pronounced than dry rot
Frequently associated with woodworm - especially Weevil
Existence of damp or water ingress
Localised decay

TREATMENT

Wet rot can only be present with a source of moisture. Be that an ingress of water, lack of ventilation or damp conditions. So our first step is to remove any damaged timber that is beyond repair. The next step is to identify and eliminate the source of moisture that caused the problem to begin with. Any timbers that are retained will be treated with a fungicidal treatment to prevent further infection. always treating 1 meter past last sign of infection. We then replace any timbers that were removed and if needed increase airflow in the affected area.