Decay in timber is caused by two agents, wood-boring beetle (woodworm) and fungal infestation (wet and dry rot). Both of these require the right conditions for an attack to be serious. However, once the infestation has started, both types have alarming abilities to spread and sustain themselves. Damp conditions within a building are a typical starting point. Warm and poorly ventilated areas provide ideal conditions.

They emerge from the wood during the summer months cutting characteristic small (~2mm) ‘flight’ holes in the surface and leaving telltale traces of wood dust or ‘frass’.

A small infestation may consist of ten or twenty flight holes, usually on the edge of the timber or close to the remains of bark. In major infestations the timber section becomes riddled and the surface falls away if hit with a hammer, revealing a rough furrowed texture.

Deathwatch and Longhorn Beetle
These beetles attack hardwoods such as Oak and Elm, leaving flight holes of 3-6mm in diameter often of an oval shape. Generally found in old properties, infestations are much less common than that the furniture beetle but they pose a serious threat to structural timbers.

Dealing with this type of infestation is a job for a professional contractor. Risk of further spread and the nature of its attack on structural timbers warrants priority attention.

The Weevil
Although this pest will damage all types timber through boring both as a grub or an adult, it is only a threat in timber that is already under attack from fungal decay. The timber has to be in an extremely moist condition and once this has been remedied the weevil attack will cease.

Baggaley & Jenkins (Remedials) Ltd has the facilities and experience to deal with all types of beetle infestation. They will undertake a detailed survey of the property and provide a full report of any active infestation found, detailing the nature of the infestation and the remedial actions necessary to treat, repair and eradicate it.

Wet Rot
A fungal decay that occurs in wood with high moisture content. Once the water source has been removed the fungal attack stops. Although not as serious as dry rot, if not checked it will still lead to a serious weakening of structural timbers. Wet rot often affects external timbers that are exposed or poorly painted such as window and doorframes.

Dry Rot
Dry rot infestation is very serious. It is a fungal infestation that thrives in warm damp but not wet, poorly ventilated conditions. It can spread rapidly through the fabric of a building, sending out its pale green/grey vein-like tubules though brick walls and up under plaster in search of new wood to feed on. These tubules can pump water from the source infestation. In this way it can attack sites that are dry, spreading the infestation throughout the structure. Unfortunately central heating helps to accelerate its spread once the base conditions are right. Infested wood is turned into a characteristic shrunken, brittle cube-like structure and eventually reduced to little more than brown powder. Characteristic signs of infestation include white cotton wool-like growths called mycelium and in advanced cases, pancake shaped fruiting bodies that produce millions of microscopic rust-red spores. These are expelled rapidly to cover surrounding timber and masonry. Dry rot decay often produces a dank and musty odour.

Dry rot will attack all types of timber. All infected timber has to be removed including a safety margin in surrounding wood, plaster and in some cases brickwork. The treatment of dry rot infestation nearly always involves extensive building work and requires expert skills and knowledge to ensure the eradication is successful.

It is nearly always the presence of damp or water that triggers or enables these attacks. Fast and effective remedial action is vital to avoid worse decay and increased cost. Baggaley & Jenkins (Remedials) Ltd has the experience to do this.