Radication Ltd has carried out woodworm treatment and damp proofing works on a property in Portaferry, County Down.
Why older buildings attract woodworm
Older buildings are where we find woodworm most often, and Portaferry has plenty of them. There are a few reasons for this.
Age of the timber. The common furniture beetle has been around Irish buildings for centuries. Timber that has been in place for a hundred years or more has had plenty of time to be found.
Sapwood. Older joists, rafters and floorboards often include a high proportion of sapwood, which beetles prefer because it's easier to digest than heartwood.
Damp. Woodworm thrive in timber with a higher moisture content. Older properties often have no effective damp proof course, solid walls exposed to driving rain, and poorly ventilated floor voids and roof spaces. Coastal towns like Portaferry get more than their share of wind-driven rain.
Untreated timber. Most timber in older houses was never treated when it was installed, so there's nothing to deter the beetles.
That link between damp and woodworm is why the two problems often turn up in the same building, and why treating one without addressing the other can leave the job half done.
How we treat woodworm
The first step is always to confirm whether the infestation is still active. Old flight holes don't always mean live beetles, so a proper survey looks for fresh frass, clean-edged exit holes and the condition of the timber. Our article on whether your woodworm is still active explains the signs, and what a woodworm survey involves sets out what you should expect from the report.
Where treatment is needed, we use a low-odour, permethrin-based insecticide that penetrates the timber. You can read more about how it compares to other treatments in our guide to timber treatment chemicals, or about our woodworm treatment service.
Damp proofing in older properties
Many older properties were built without an effective damp proof course. Our rising damp control service covers the installation of a new damp proof course.
If you're comparing quotes, our guide on how to choose a damp proofing company in Northern Ireland is worth reading first.
Covering Portaferry and the Ards Peninsula
We cover Portaferry and the whole of the Ards Peninsula, along with Newtownards, Bangor and the rest of Northern Ireland. If you're buying an older property, our pre-purchase PCA survey covers timber and damp in one visit.
If you're concerned about woodworm or damp in your property, get in touch to arrange a survey.
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