Woodworm treatment quote - fair?

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Permalink Reply by David Deane on July 20, 2012 at 14:29

Are you sure it's even necessary?

Most woodworm occurs in damp timber - floorboards won't normally be damp, so if they are, you'll need to sort that out (fixing leaks, improving underfloor ventilation etc.). Once it's dried out, it won't be woodworm friendly, so that's your problem solved.

if you've looked and seen holes, that doesn't mean you have a woodworm problem, it just means that there have been woodworm at some point since the tree the board came from was cut down. Check to see if they are active (is there any dust around the holes that the worms might have , ahem, discharged?)

If you're still not sure, get some wax or filler and block up all the holes. if any new holes appear, then you've got a problem. If not, then it's historical damage and as long as it's not honeycomebd with holes adn affecting the structural integriy, you'll probably be fine.

On the other hand borax is what they use for cockroaches, isnt' it? so you could be killing two birds, as it were, wiht one stone...

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Permalink Reply by pipplypig on July 20, 2012 at 15:18

Im not sure it's necessary actually so I think I'm going to take my time and do some of the investigations you suggest. It came up in the survey but then doesn't everything sound more serious in the survey that it actually is?

I know there is a mild problem with damp so sorting this out should probably come first.

Thanks for your help.

Rosie 

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Permalink Reply by Maddy on July 20, 2012 at 21:31

The stuff they use to spray with is incredibly toxic, so if you've got small children who will be crawling around on the floor, I would leave it. I had mine sprayed when I moved in - didn't know better, and the survey said the same as yours. Fifteen years later when my (leaking) washing machine had to be replaced, there was a floorboard beneath that had been eaten through - so clearly the spraying hadn't eradicated the problem anyway. I just replaced the board and am hoping for the best.

There is a guy called Jeff Howell who writes in the Telegraph who has some useful things to say about surveys - you might read him before tackling your "damp" as well.

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Permalink Reply by pipplypig on July 20, 2012 at 23:32

Thanks Maddy. I'm really pleased we've cancelled the treatment now as we have a very small baby and I wasn't convinced that the 48hrs they recommend is enough for all the toxic chemicals to magically disappear.

I think we might end up just hoping for the best too. I reckon once we've moved in (next week!) we will never get around to doing anything about it.

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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on July 31, 2012 at 16:52

The damage done by woodworm takes years to manifest itself, so if you're only going to be in your house a few years (working on the assumption that babies grow and acquire siblings, so you may move in a year or two!) hoping for the best is a sensible option.

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Permalink Reply by Doro on July 26, 2012 at 23:36

That's significantly cheaper than what we were quoted for something similar from Abbott Damp Proofing, who I strongly do NOT recommend, based on our prior experience with them.   (We used Peter Cox, who were good.)  Also, as you can see from boron's placement on the periodic table, it's inert.  

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Permalink Reply by David Deane on July 31, 2012 at 14:17

Boron is not inert. have a look here for some of the weird and wonderful things you can do with it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron

I seem to remember a whole module on Boron chemistry as part of my degree, although after all these years, very little about it...

it's use as ian insecticide is covered here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boric_acid#Insecticidal

as well as poisoning the insect if eaten, by abrading the exoskeleton it causes the insect to dehydrate, even if it doesn't eat it.

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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on July 30, 2012 at 11:09

I seem to remember paying about £500 to spray the whole of my house, but that was about 6 years ago now.  I used a firm called Abbotts Damp Proofing who came highly recommended and who I really liked.  Very sensible and likeable chap in charge by the name of Dave Prince.  Their website is abbottdampproofing.co.uk.  Not sure why Doro had such a bad experience with them.....

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