Having today exchanged on our new house (hooray), can now start thinking properly about plans. Light infestation of woodworm was flagged up in the survey (and subsequent report by damp/timber company). From what we can see, there are just a few flight holes in one bedroom - but the house is fully carpeted, although carpets are knackered, so it's hard to be certain.
According to Jeff Howell, woodworm only like damp wood. I had been planning to lift carpets, sand floors, and hope that with heating/ventilation, problem would be solved.
Have just had a bit of a heated discussion with my father, though, who is of the view that JH talks nonsense, and woodworm actually prefer bone-dry oak. He thinks that by not preventatively treating the floors, I'm taking a risk with the wooden furniture.
I'm by nature opposed to unnecessary use of chemicals but now in a bit of a quandry - would be grateful to hear people's views
Second attempt to post this so you may get two for the price of one! Woodworm do generally favour damp-ish conditions (although not saturated). Are you certain that your infestation is live? If so I would probably treat it and as it's localised you should be able to get away with an off the shelf DIY remedy rather than calling in the Ghostbusters with their scary protective clothing and gadgets. Lifting the carpets and sanding & varnishing the boards will improve ventilation and make your home less appealing as a woodworm habitat. Oh, by the way, many many congratulations on exchanging!!!
Woodworm don't eat wood for fun, they are eating the cellulose/sugar. Their favourite food is the adhesive used in old plywood, usually the back of old wardrobes etc. Thay are also opportunists and will follow along after dry rot has done the damage.
My experience of woodworm/damp cos is that they always find woodworm and/or damp. When we moved in to our current house over 10 years ago, one company we consulted wanted to spray the entire house against woodworm after finding signs of previous woodworm activity in one room - they only noticed it because it was uncarpeted, didn't take an expert to spot it. The other timber/damp company we consulted just wanted to do a small amount of damp work, so we went with them and had no woodworm treatment. We have a lot of wooden furniture and most of our floors are stripped boards - and guess what, ten years later none of it has been attacked and the previously attacked boards are in exactly the same state as ten years ago, not surprising since the house was treated for woodworm 20 years previously so they had been dead a long time.
Of course, each case is different so that may not be the case for you, just telling you my own experience.
Originally posted by susiecam: Oh, by the way, many many congratulations on exchanging!!!
Thank you
And thanks for views on treatment.... I suppose I should reserve judgment until carpets are up really, but there seems to be very little damage apparent so far.
Thanks all
ps - Velvet, why have you only got one silver star but 3227 posts? I don't understand this board....!
It is a beautiful, shiny and big silver star. On my office PC (not that I graze the forum from work of course.... hmmmm) the connection is ultra ultra fast and the stars at a certain point start glittering and then they glitter AND rotate! Someone on this forum commented glumly that they had a big, fat, grey star when in fact on a fast broadband connection it looks much more glitzy. Think you have to have posted about 20000 times to earn one of those though Gulp....
