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● Woodworm ● Condensation ● Dry Rot ● Wet Rot
● Rising Damp ● Wall ties / Repairs ● Tanking
Woodboring insects such as the Common Furniture Beetle (Anobium punctatum) and Wood Boring Weevil (Euophryum confine) are often gathered under the generic term "woodworm".
The
Common Furniture Beetle will attack all types of structural timber and
accounts for two thirds of all "woodworm" damage to properties. It is
most commonly found in older properties although the beetle can also be
found in more modern properties. Very old properties can have holes
which became inactive many years ago and to the layman look identical to
fresh holes where damage is being done.
Common furniture beetle
(Anobium punctatum)
The surveyor will be able to determine if there is a problem and prescribe the most appropriate treatment. Usually this involves the application of a contact insecticide directly to the timbers throughout the common flight area. This will prevent new attacks and kill any adults as they emerge. As the life span of these insects is three to four years there may be continued activity from the current generation of larvae for this period.
Amongst the many other species of insects which attack structural timber the Wood Boring Weevil is the most common. This insect shares many similarities with the Common Furniture Beetle but importantly it is found only in decaying timber. An application of insecticide will kill the current generation but until the source of the problem is tackled re-infestation may be a possibility. Decaying timber is usually a sign of wet rot and the surveyor will make a thorough investigation before deciding on treatment.
There is a common misconception that central heating will "dry" the timbers in a property to a level where the beetles cannot survive. A normal centrally heated home has a natural moisture level that varies with the seasons and also varies throughout the house. Relative humidity is naturally high in summer when the central heating is off and this is when the eggs are laid. Even when the heating is on during the winter months many areas remain damp such as in the roof, the cellar and in the floor joists. Indeed, the combination of central heating and loft insulation can increase humidity levels encouraging the insects to spread. Thus it is wise to check for damage in properties of all ages.
Often referred to as the modern day problem. There are many factors that aid the cause of condensation, but the main contributory factors are poor ventilation and insulation, lack of adequate heating and the activities of the occupants that produces moisture/vapour.
One
of the inevitable consequences of condensation is mould growth on
wallpaper and other surfaces, and quite often to the layman this is the
most obvious sign that humidity is high and condensation is occurring.
Positive air vents and low heat loss vents are two of the main weapons
in our fight against condensation. Both are easy to install with minimum
disruption and prove very effective.
Dry rot fungus (Serpula lacrymans) is a serious problem which threatens the timber structure of a property.
The fungus spores land and germinate on damp timber, often in dark inaccessible areas, growing rapidly wherever there is the combination of timber and moisture to support it. The reason why this fungus is so serious is that the strands produced can transport nutrients from the main body of the fungus, the mycelium, to the growing tips allowing the fungus to spread through inert, dry materials such as brick and stone until more damp timber is found.
The
reputation for the destructive nature of this fungus is founded upon the
fact that it prefers to keep itself hidden from our view until it has
grown large enough to produce a fruiting body, rather like a fleshy
plate of orange filaments which disperse millions of spores. By this
time a great deal of damage will have already been done, leaving the
wood stained a dark brown colour with cracks running with and against
the grain forming a cubed texture of very light "dry" crumbling wood.
However, it is important to remember that all these fungi require wood and moisture to survive. The strands will not penetrate dry timber to any great extent and the spores will not germinate unless the wood is wet. Thus several lines of attack are needed to defeat the fungus. The origins of the dampness must be tackled as without moisture the fungus cannot survive in the long term. As the dormant fungus can survive for up to ten years in damp masonry this action must be thorough and continual. The fungus itself will be treated with a fungicide. Some timbers may have to be replaced with pre-treated ones and others treated in-situ with a fungicide. Other timbers at risk of attack will also need to be treated with a preservative or lined to create a barrier. The infected masonry can also be treated with a fungicide and contained with a fungicidal rendering or paint system.
Our experts will be able
to complete the work to the highest standards preventing the fungus from
re-infecting the property.
Wet rot is the name given to a family of fungi which attack wet timber.
They
vary in severity of damage but none possess the ability to pass through
inert material to spread to other damp timbers like dry rot. Thus they
are found localised in areas where they are exposed to considerable
amounts of water ingress. Externally exposed timber, timber in contact
with wet soil or masonry, or timber subject to a damp atmosphere can all
suffer from wet rot.
Some wet rots look very different from dry rot - the timber looks bleached and does not crumble. Others look very similar to dry rot and an expert is needed to make a diagnosis.
Treatment involves the removal of the source of the dampness and replacement of infected timber that has become structurally unsound together with the application of a fungicide and preservative to the affected areas.
Rising damp occurs when the breakdown of a building's Damp Proof Course (DPC) occurs allowing moisture to "wick" upwards through the structure by capillary action. A DPC installed during construction will be a physical layer of an impermeable material. This can consist of slate, bitumen impregnated felt or plastic for example.
Many older properties do not have a DPC at all and a local change in conditions can increase the level of moisture in the ground leading to an outbreak of rising damp in the property. Where appropriate we will install a chemical DPC System to control the problem.
The chemical DPC is a water based silicon compound injected into the walls at regular intervals under pressure. The plaster in this affected area must be replaced as part of the DPC System. This is because the water drawn up from the ground contains salts which are themselves hygroscopic - they attract and hold moisture from the atmosphere. There will often be a small level of moisture held in the masonry due to the salts now present even when the rising damp is controlled. Re-plastering has two functions. It replaces the salt-contaminated plaster and protects the decorated surface from any residual moisture held in the wall.
Our experienced surveyors
will be able to determine if the dampness reported is rising damp
requiring a chemical DPC and re-plastering or if it is dampness due to
salts left in the plaster by an old case of rising damp which just needs
specialist replastering.
All work is guaranteed and materials used are approved and applied in accordance with good practice as described in BS 6576.
Our abilities in property care extend beyond that of bare treatments. Carrying out major structural repairs in walls and large sections of timber is an integral part of our service.
Wall Ties The ties are used to provide simple lateral support to masonry wall panels in conversion, extension and new building work. Wall ties will contribute to the strength and stiffness of masonry walls and will resist the passage of moisture to the inside of the building.
Penetrating damp is the ingress of external moisture into a property through the walls or roof, rather than from below ground as in rising damp.
Where possible the source of the moisture is controlled such as a leaking gutter or down pipe. The exterior walls can be protected with re-pointing, rendering or the application of an invisible silicon water repellent.
When penetrating damp occurs below ground, such as in a cellar, the source of dampness cannot be removed and thus a variety of specialised "Tanking" systems are applied by our experts to provide a barrier between the damp brickwork and the decorated surface. The type of tanking system used will depend on the end requirements for the area under consideration.
Unit A6, Peblig Mill, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. LL55 2SE
Kimberleygulf@tiscali.co.uk Tel: 01286 672430 Fax: 01286 672555