How to Identify Woodworm

	Identify Woodworm - Borax Boron Based Products - buy direct		Property Repair Systems 01626 331351

	Identify Wood Worm, Dry Rot, Wet Rot, Death Watch Beetle, House Longhorn.

Identifying Woodworm - ring our Specialist, Angela on - 01626 331351

Common furniture beetle, (Anobium punctatum in Latin), has a 5 year life cycle, but the adult only lives for a few weeks and cuts the hole you see in order to exit and find a mate.

Eggs are laid onto the timber surface or in old holes.

The baby grubs bore back in and the cycle is repeated.

Active holes are ones where you can see fresh, bright wood dust and freshly cut holes (a magnifier is useful)

Surface treatment alone is sufficient for Common Furniture Beetle, but other insects, including Death Watch Beetle, may require injection of chemicals as well.

The Common Furniture Beetle is a woodland insect, but also loves old furniture, particularly the plywood backs and drawers.

It is slow acting, so there is no need to rush into an expensive treatment.

The insects prefer damp timber, so water leaks or high humidity under timber floors or in roof spaces should be avoided.

The eggs cannot bore through paint or varnish, so infestation of modern furniture and fixtures is considered unusual.

They most commonly arrive in old furniture, or can be found in your roof timbers, ground floor timbers or around toilets and baths.

Occasionally we see them in brand new furniture, particularly Oak. This may be because Kiln Drying has not continued for long enough - we suspect that the cost of energy may be a factor.

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Hole size - 1mm to 2mm in diameter.

Common furniture beetle, Anobium Punctatum, has a 5 year life cycle, but the adult only lives for a few weeks and cuts the hole you see in order to exit and find a mate. Eggs are laid onto the timber surface or in old holes. The baby grubs bore back in and the cycle repeats.

Buy Book - Identifying Wood Boring Insects, Rots and Moulds: full colour: BRE - £55.00.

BORON GEL, PASTE, RODS - treatment to kill Woodworm and Dry Rot attack deep inside timber

1. ECOBOR ULTRA GEL 20 - Surface Applied Gel

A 20% active clear Gel ideal for end grain and bearing area treatment of beams and joists. Also useful for medium to heavy active infestations of insect attack and treatment of new timbers for use in vulnerable areas (e.g. skirting boards).

2. BORON ULTRA 78 - Deep Injected Treatment - for damp wood

A unique SUPER STRENGTH paste using a special blend of technical grade glycols as carriers. It can be injected into timber, with the advantage of supplying a highly concentrated mobile preservative which will spread even at low moisture content levels. Simple to apply with a standard skeleton gun; more effective to use because of the higher available level of active content, which allows the use of smaller (8mm, rather than 10mm) and/or fewer drill holes.

3. ULTRA TIMBER PASTE - Deep Injected Treatment - for dry wood

An alternative treatment for drier timber (under 12% TMC) - Permethrin in an emulsion cream base. Has some odour and solvent. Do not use in buildings housing fish or birds. Essential for deep seated active Death Watch Beetle, or the voracious House Longhorn Beetle, where the moisture content of the wood is too low to spread the Boron based paste.

4. BORON RODS - Solid Rods for placing in holes to act as a reservoir

These solid rods of HIGH STRENGTH Boron 173 are used to protect timbers which are constantly or occasionally damp: external joinery, wall plates, embedded beam ends, posts etc. They can also be used in conjunction with BORON ULTRA 78 paste, to act as a long term reservoir (Standard Sizes - 8mm x 24mm and 8mm x 65mm).

5. DRY ROT BARRIER PAINT - Coating

A special preservative biocidal emulsion paint designed to prevent the surface spread of Dry rot. Ideal for timber and masonry in the treatment of adjacent areas, to provide visual lasting evidence of treatment. It prevents surface spread of strands and mycelium.

Benefits of Borax Borate based products

* no odour

* non-flammable (actually retards flame spread)

* does not evaporate (stays in the timber or masonry, unlike some other chemicals)

* low mammalian toxicity

* world-wide safety reputation

* kills insects and rots

* 1 hour re-entry time for all three uses of liquids

Technical Support

All 'Ultra Kit' products are supported technically with Method Statements and Specifications.

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Types of Treatments

1. Dry rot - in timber, in masonry, in sub-site soil - apply Boron Ultra 12 Powder in water, Gel, Paste and Rods

2. Wet rot - in timbers indoors and outdoors - apply Boron Gel, Paste and Rods

3. Insects - Woodworm and Death Watch Beetle - apply Boron Ultra 12 Powder in water, Gel and Paste

4. Insects - House Longhorn or Death Watch Beetle in dry areas - inject Ultra Timber Paste (Permethrin based)

Boron Kills Dry Rot

Dry Rot on an office wall

Example - Dry Rot treatments with Boron based products

Hampton Court - after the fire in the Cartoon Gallery - Boron in glycol was 'blown' into the ceiling voids below the gallery to eradicate mould and fungal growths, which were active because of the water pumped into the building above during the fire.

Dry Rot Mycellium

Dry Rot mycellium on a bathroom panel

How to treat Wet Rot

1. Remove the source of moisture, ventilate, control humidity

2. Cut out the decay to sound timber, where structurally weakened beyond repair

3. Apply Boron Ultra Gel to end grain and vulnerable surfaces, Boron Ultra Paste and Boron Ultra Rods to 8-10mm holes drilled to prescribed hole pattern in timbers at or above 18% moisture content.

Log House - treated with Borons

The Log House, wet rot

Examples

The Log House, near Lymington - wet rot decay had destroyed a large number of logs on the weather side of this £1.5 million + home, facing Southampton Water. Boron Ultra Paste and Boron Rods were installed in the remaining sound logs to provide long term protection.

Wet Rot in Logs

The Log House, wet rot being dug out

Telegraph and Electricity Poles - these are susceptible to rot after the creosote treatment has diminished, especially in the ground zone, where splits and shakes allow moisture and air into the core. Boron Ultra Paste and Boron Ultra Rods are used in combination to prevent further decay and extend the working life of the poles.

Drilling a Pole for Boron Injection

Telegraph Pole

being drilled

for Boron Rods

How to treat Woodworm

1. Remove the source of moisture, ventilate, control humidity

2. Cut out the decay to sound timber/plaster and/or de-frass

3. Apply Boron Ultra 12 by spray to timber, Boron Ultra Gel to end grain and heavily attacked surfaces

Farmhouse with Woodworm

Barn awaiting treatment for common furniture beetle

Example

Antique rocking horse - heavily attacked by Common Furniture Beetle. Sprayed with Boron Ultra 12 plus Boron Ultra Gel to end grain and heavily attacked surfaces

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Horse with Woodworm

Rocking horse with woodworm

How to treat Death Watch Beetle
1. Remove the source of moisture, ventilate, control humidity 2. Cut out the decay to sound timber 3. Apply Boron Ultra 12 by spray to timber, Boron Ultra Gel to end grain and vulnerable surfaces and Boron Ultra Paste to 8-10mm diameter holes drilled to prescribed hole pattern, to surrounding areas at least 300mm in all directions from the limits of the attack and to all timbers at or above 18% moisture content.	Typical Wet Rot Beam End - ideal repair situation for a Timer-Resin Splice
Example
Bindon House Hotel - the roof tie beams were badly affected by Death Watch Beetle, Wet Rot and Dry Rot. These were replaced with TYPE E Timber-Resin Splice Units and the timbers were treated with Boron Ultra 12 by spray, Boron Ultra Gel to end grain and vulnerable surfaces and Boron Ultra Paste by injection.	Bindon House - beautifully restored

How to treat posts and frames

Posts in the ground - use our special 'Save a Post' kit - drill holes in all four sides at ground level downwards at a 45 degree angle to overlap within the post beneath the ground. Blow out the holes. Inject Boron Ultra Paste to the base of the hole and insert a Boron Ultra Rod through the paste.

Frames and door legs - drill 8-10mm diameter holes above and below each joint to within 15mm of the opposing face. Blow out the holes. Inject Boron Ultra Paste to the base of the hole and insert a Boron Ultra Rod through the paste.

Testing Railway Sleepers for Rot

Railway Engineer detecting rot in sleepers

Example

Railway Sleepers - yes, these enormous, creosote treated timbers do rot and London Underground and Railtrack have used 1000s of Boron Ultra Rods, but in a much larger size, to extend the life of these expensive components. Special carriage mounted Ultra Sound machines detect the rotting sleepers and these are then drilled, injected and capped as part of regular maintenance.

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WOOD PRESERVATIVE AND BIOCIDE SAFETY

Use wood preservatives and biocides safely. Always read the label and product information Data Sheet before use.

Wear the correct safety equipment and keep unprotected people and animals out of the treated area for the statutory period given on the label.

All products have some hazards and the COSHH Regulations (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) apply to ALL building repair and construction products that we sell, even Cement. Always wear a dust mask when handling powders.

If in doubt consult us for free technical help. Take care not to contaminate soil, waterways or the environment with the product or the waste and packaging. These can be returned to us for disposal.

Avoid using any type of chemical in your home if any of the following are likely to come into contact with treated surfaces: babies, young children, asthmatics, pregnant women or those vulnerable due to ill health.

Property Repair Systems
Unit 3, Olympus Business Park, Kingsteignton Road
Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2SN
T: 01626 331351
F: 01626 331143
E: help@propertyrepairsystems.co.uk

For more help go to:

www.boron.org.uk - how to use Boron based insecticides/fungicides to treat timber rots and insect attack

www.dampness-info.co.uk - how to treat penetrating dampness in walls and plaster

www.deck-treatment.co.uk - how to treat patio decks and yacht decks

www.dryrot.biz - how to cure and prevent Dry Rot

www.epoxy-info.co.uk - epoxies, polyesters and polyurethanes for all applications

www.joist-repair.co.uk - how to quickly repair joists and beams of any size

www.timber.org.uk - systems of repair, with step by step methods

www.timber-repair.co.uk - how to repair timbers in buildings without wrecking the place

www.propertyrepairsystems.co.uk - fire paints, crack injection, metal fabrication, hygiene treatments

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Fitting Boron Rods to Sleepers

Railway Engineer install Boron Ultra Rods in sleepers