FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you have a guarantee certificate which indicates any prior treatment for woodworm? It really needs an experienced surveyor to make a definitive assessment - that's what they are trained to do ! So why not contact us and put your mind at rest.You can be assured that we will never recommend any treatment that is unnecessary.

Fortunately the days are long gone when the industry used to apply solvent based, high odour treatments fluids which meant that areas being treated had to be vacated for 48 hours. The modern formulations used by Peter Cox today are generally water based, low odour micro-emulsions which enable rooms to be re-occupied after just 1 hour. All the treatments we use are vetted and accredited by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Yes, we can spray treat any surface that is accessible and it will be the structural frame that is the most important. It is unlikely the outside face of the frame could be reached though. If the wall was originally clad with weatherboarding, then we should be able to be drill and back spray as well.

The traditional flight season is in spring, roughly from March to May, when the adult beetle emerges to find a mate. After that they die. However our surveyors are now reporting evidence of live beetles at other times of year which suggests that the flight season as such is becoming less distinct. However in deep seated Death Watch Beetle infestations - eg in large oak timbers and beams - the beetle is capable of completing its entire life cycle within the timber which makes treatment to eradicate it that much more difficult.

Woodworm infestation is frequently associated with timber decay so in theory it is possible that wet rot in the cills has created favourable conditions for a woodworm attack. The presence of flight holes on its own does not necessarily indicate a woodworm problem - the infestation may no longer be active. The fact that the walls are wet suggests a more serious problem - perhaps the cills are not fulfilling their purpose and enabling rainwater to drain away clear of the masonry. On the underside of the cills there should be a weathering groove which is designed to do this. The priority is to rfind the cause of this dampness and rectify it.

Not necessarily but it does mean that a specialist survey is urgently required ! Because dry rot - if that is what it is - has the capacity to spread quickly to other areas of the property in search of more timber to attack. So any delay could be costly in terms of repair bills. However if it turns out to be wet rot - a qualified surveyor will be able to identify it one way or the other - then the risks are not so great but either way timber decay at ground and first floor level indicates a serious water ingress problem in this area of the house which will need repairing urgently.

Could be a number of reasons such as - 1) Attack by wood rotting fungi. Some fungi are termed brown rots including dry rot and cellar fungus and these have a tendency to darken affected timber. 2) Prolonged exposure to moisture will cause timber to darken 3) Black spot mould on the surface as a result of excessive condensation will have the same effect 3) Oak that is damp is particularly prone to turning black.

If the photo frame is wood, yes ! The dust is what's known as frass or the bore dust created by the woodworm larva as it feeds on the timber. The probability is that it is an infestation by Common Furniture Beetle and can be treated by the application of a proprietary insecticide which you can obtain from a DIY store. Conceivably the insect may have just emerged, mated and laid eggs so prompt treatment is advisable !

The answer is yes, initially, until completion of the insect life cycle. This is between 3 and 4 years in the case of the Common Furniture Beetle which is believed to account for 75% of all woodworm damage. The reason is that even the modern micro emulsion insecticidal fluids only penetrate the timber up to a depth of 5mm which may not be deep enough to reach the larvae. However the larva works its way to the surface before pupation and is then in contact with the insecticide as it emerges as an adult beetle through the flight hole. Any eggs that may be laid in cracks, crevices and old flight holes will not survive the treatment. This 'post treatment' emergence is well recognised but once the life cycle is complete, further insect activity should be eliminated.

The insecticidal and fungicidal treatment fluids we use are designed exclusively for Peter Cox and for professional use only. They are not available for retail sale.

Please click on the information link on the survey request page for an answer about survey fees. As regards cost for a woodworm treatment, it depends entirely on the property size, what exactly has to be treated and how big is the area involved. The days are gone when it was the norm to spray roof and floor timbers throughout as a precautionary measure. Under current environmental directives we only treat areas where there is active infestation. So it really needs a surveyor to assess the property first and to confirm the presence of active woodworm - after all you may find you do not need any treatment whatsoever !

The approach today is not to apply insecticides unless there is evidence of active infestation. Presumably you will be applying some form of clear surface finish so it would make sense to check beforehand for any evidence of flight holes suggesting woodworm activity, active or expired. It would be useful too if you could examine the underside of the stair treads and risers via the understairs cupboard if applicable.

Our standard treatment contains permethrin which is a widely used, relatively low toxicity insecticide and this carries a 1 hour re-entry rating. Alternatively we use boron on some occasions. Importantly both are water based, i.e. no solvents are involved, and all treatments we use are fully licensed by the Health & Safety Executive

It sounds as though the new oak is still drying out and the surface dampness is providing good conditions for mould to develop. Using bleach is just a temporary fix - it can't stop the problem continuing until all theÿmoisture in the timber has been fully released.

In the meantime the best way to mitigate the problemÿis to find a way to increase the ventilation in the garage so that the moisture is evacuated before it has chance to encourage mould growth.ÿÿ

Yes - andÿit sounds as though the treatment has started to take effect. The insecticide is most likely to have been spray applied and although the depth of penetration is limited, it will have caught adult beetles emerging from their pupation chamber just below the surface and chewing their way out to leave behind the familiar flight holes. So these beetles you've foundÿwill have been prevented from mating and laying fresh eggs in the timber.

You willÿprobably come across more dead beetles next year as eradication will not be whollyÿachievedÿuntil the life cycle of the beetle in question has beenÿcompleted - in the case of the Common Furniture Beetle this averages 3 years.ÿÿ

The main fungicide active ingredient used is a combination ofÿPropiconazole and IPBC. These are micro-emulsion formulations with a 1 hour re-entry approval and supplied in water soluble sachets which eliminate packaing waste.

In certain situations we also use borate water based preservatives and masonry sterilants.

Where requested we can supply fully detailed Material Safety Data Sheets which provide the exact chemical constituents plus instructions on lhazards, abelling, handling etc.

Dry rot spores in themselves are not harmful to health - in fact within most buildings they are present in the atmosphere. Howeverÿdry rot can only become established when its spores alight and germinate on damp timber.ÿSo the existence of dry rot indicates a higher than normalÿlevel of dampness in building timber. This is usually caused by water penetration - leaking roofs, gutters etc.

However condensation can also be a contributory factor and this is usually associated with poor atmospheric conditions such as lack of ventilation, high humidity and cold air. Condensation can also lead to mould growth and while this is more an inconvenience than a health problem forÿthe majority, for the elderly or those withÿexisting respiratory conditions, it may be more problematical.ÿ

So dry rot per se is unlikely to be the problem but it could well be an indicator of underlying conditions that contribute to poor health in the family.ÿÿ

In principle it is quite feasible to make local repairs to a timber window that has been damaged by wet rot, either byÿsplicingÿin new sections of timber orÿusing epoxy resin mortar to rebuild the profile. Where new timber is installed, it certainly needs to be pre-treated with a preservative.

However it's a different matter if dry rot is involved because of the potential for this species of fungal decay to spread out in search of fresh timber to attack. So the whole window will need to be treated with a protective fungicide along with the masonry wall into which it is built.

Dry rot needs to be treated by a specialist company and the surveyor involved is best placed to advise on the correct treatment and repair programme.

The underside of the staircase is frequently found to be the site of woodworm infestation (most likely to be common furniture beetle) and had you commissioned a specialist survey originally, this would have come to light then. Older properties often had a plywood spandril panel (and meter board) and this commonly held a severe infestation.

All the timbers in the area will require insecticidal spray treatment including in addition to the spandril, the stair treads, risers, strings and glue blocks. Where access is not possible to the stair underside, the normal practice is to drill the riser face and back spray.

Naturally we would recommend this work is carried out by a specialist company who will guarantee their work and could at the same time ensure there are no other infestations in the property that will also require treatment.

We specialise in the infestation by wood boring insects of building timber rather than furniture so our experience here is limited. However bringing furniture, or other items, with active woodworm into the home has been known to spread the infestation to the property, so it should not be dismissed lightly.

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This is particularly the case whenÿitems are stored in the loft. For instance this is thought to have been the entry route for the highly damaging House Longhorn Beetle, brought back in luggage by military staff returning from service abroad.

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Much old furniture shows evidence of past woodworm infestation but usually it has already been treated. If it is still active, you would see evidence of light coloured bore dust around the flight holes and the holes themselves would have the look of fresh wood.

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Treatment is not difficult ? you need to get a can of insecticidal fluid which is readily available from DIY stores. So if you have any doubts, it is advisable to treat it.

Don't know what exactly you're hearing but it won't be woodworm ! Unless it's the knocking sounds that are very occasionally heard in properties with death watch beetle present.

That's probably why there's no other visible sign of infestation such as frass or bore dust in the vicinity of flight holes.

No, the woodworm larva (which does all the damage) chews away noiselessly to all intents and purposes.

So you need to consider other possible causes of the noise - such asÿrodents, squirrels or birds, all of which frequently get into roof spaces.

The fluids we use are micro emulsion formulations preparedÿexclusively for Peter Cox. For treating timber the principal active ingredients are Propiconazole and 3-Iodo-2-Propoynyl-Butyl Carbomate.ÿThe fluid is approved by the Health & Safety Executive HSE 7516.ÿItÿcarries aÿone hour re-entry after treatment rating (providing the timbers are dry).

The masonry biocide fluid we use to treat walls affected by dry rot is based on 3-Iodo-2-Propoynyl-Butyl carbomate only. Its HSE approval no is 7509.

It is no surprise that a property of this construction and age has suffered from woodworm infestation at some time. With current health and safety regulations advising against precautionary treatments, it is more likely that theÿprior treatment dealt only with thoseÿtimbers believed to be actively infested at the time. So without any guarantee documents or supporting survey report showing the extent of the work, it cannot be concluded that the whole property was treated.

It will require a further inspection by a qualified surveyor to determine if there is evidence of continuing activity and only then can a meaningful treatment quotation be given.ÿ

The micro emulsion formulation developed exclusively for Peter Cox to treat wood rotting fungi contains two active ingredients - Propiconazole and 3-Iodo-2-Propynl-Butyl Carbamate. It is supplied as a concentrate in water soluble sachets (to eliminate packaging waste) and diluted on site by adding to clean water.

It has been developed to be effective at the lowest possible concentration level with the safest active ingredients thereby ensuring low mammalian toxicity.

The fluid is approved for use as a remedial treatment fungicide by the Health and Safety Executive and treated areas can be re-occupied safely after just 1 hour.

From your description it is not possible to identify the exact species of wood rotting fungi. It could be the true Dry Rot (Serpula lacrymans) or one of the Wet Rot species, most likely Fibroporia vaillantii or Asterostroma spp.

And accurate identification will be necessary because dry rot is by far the most serious and will require a specific course of treatment to ensure that it does not spread elsewhere in the property.

So it requires the services of a qualified surveyor to identify the problem accurately and a specialist timber preservationÿcompany to carry out the necessary treatment.ÿ

One important benefit of this course of action is that you will get a guarantee against the problem recurring. DIY is not recommended.

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The mushrooms indicate wood rotting fungi and the black soot you describe suggests this is a species of wet rot. If so, providing you can eliminate the source of the moisture, the problem should recede but you need to check the timbers to ensure none has been damaged to the extent that theyÿneed replacement. Theoretically the timbers when drying out could develop dry rot - which would be serious - so keep an eye on the area.

You indicate the culprit is probably a leak in the pipework so you should check that whatever tightening you have done has succeeded. Another possible moisture source could be condensation, but that should be unlikely in this age of property.

This level of dampness in the sub floor area will inevitably threaten any building timbers in the vicinity and it sounds as if this environment has been sufficiently aggressive to cause the pantry floor to rot. It follows therefore that other areas of the ground floor which are similarly exposed will also be at risk. So if you're already sensing a musty smell elsewhere, it's time to get it investigated.

For future protection you should assess the level of ventilation in the sub floor space. Are the air bricks still clear ? Perhaps you need more or you could consider installing a mechanical air circulation system. Aÿdamp and timber treatment specialist damp surveyor should be able to advise you here.

As to an insurance claim - probably best to forget the idea.ÿThey'd call it a pre-existing condition. Caveat emptor !

Much of the woodwormÿpresenceÿin our houses is thought to have been triggered by the introduction of already infested timber including furniture, particularly so when it's been stored in loft spaces.

As to whether you shouldÿopt for disposal depends on its value, monetary or sentimental, but it is possible to treat it with an insecticidal formulation.ÿProducts for home use are available in most DIY stores.