A full treatment service for everything from dry rot to wet rot, to wood boring insect infestations

Dry Rot Control

Dry Rot is an eighteenth century term for a brown rot. The term was used because the damage was thought to be caused by internal ‘fermentations’ rather than water.

Dry rot is a decaying fungus that often causes extensive damage. There are several different forms of dry rot all with slightly different characteristics, however they all rely on the timber to be damp, ie, floor joist ends, wall plates etc. Dry rot is capable of growing through bricks and mortar. Fungal strands (mycelium) can transport moisture from damp areas allowing the spread of the fungus to dry wood in unventilated conditions.

Specialist treatments including fungicide sterilisation of the brickwork will be required.

Wet Rot Control

Wet rot, or cellar fungus is the commonest form of decay in woodwork which has become soaked by water leakage. Typical characteristics are darkened wood with cracks along and across the grain, but usually less deep than those caused by Serpula lacrymans (dry rot, above). Where conditions cause drying of the wood surface, an apparently sound skin of timber often remains which crack longitudinally as the decay progresses beneath.

Woodworm Eradication

The term ‘woodworm‘ is used generally to describe most common species of wood boring insects. Infestations are recognised by the appearance of tiny holes in furniture and structural timbers within the property accompanied by the presence of bore dust or ‘frass’. These signs indicate that woodworm ‘grubs’ are actively tunnelling inside the wood causing internal structural damage. Treatment following professional diagnosis normally requires modern insecticidal fluids to be applied to all exposed areas of timber. Deep penetrating emulsified wood paste preservative may be required or heavy dimensional timbers.

Wood Boring Beetle

The Death Watch Beetle (Xestobium rufovillosum) is a wood boring beetle, namely a beetle whose larvae are xylophagous. The adult is approximately 7 mm long. The larva can be up to 11 mm long.

They are often found in historic buildings where large quantities of oak or elm have been used structurally. Softwoods are rarely attacked except when they come into contact with infested hardwood. They are found in areas particularly prone to dampness, which is essential for establishment and promoting rapid development. Damage is often extreme in concealed bearing.

Wood Boring Insects

A number of insects, mainly beetles, are able to use wood as a food source and some of them can cause serious damage to building timbers. These insects all have fairly similar life-cycles, although there are variations in the length in the cycle, the type of wood attacked, and the extent and type of damage caused.

The cause of the water ingress identified by our surveyor is rectified and the drying of the area is commenced. All of the affected timber is carefully removed and disposed of and plaster is removed to beyond the last visible sign of the attack.

The area of the attack is then thoroughly cleaned and sterilised with fungicidal preservatives before replacing all of the affected timber with new pre-treated timber prior to re-plastering. Only the safest chemicals and preservatives from Sovereign Chemicals are used to treat Dry Rot and you will be advised by us what precautions need to be taken.

Our qualified and experienced damp and timber infestation surveyor will establish the significance of the attack and determine, as far as is possible, what timbers are affected. He will locate the cause and the source of the attack and issue a detailed report on his findings together with our recommendations and estimate for carrying out all of the remedial treatment and reinstatement works.

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