Guest Post: How to Keep Woodworm and Beetles from Damaging Home Furniture

Posted on April 23, 2010 with No Comments

The following article is from Jim Beadman. Jim is the Managing Director of Construction Chemicals UK Ltd, who are experts in their field – from basement conversions for the serious renovator to DIY timber treatment products for protecting your home from insects and mold. With depots around the UK and an in-house chemistry specialist, they are the ideal partners for anyone wishing to undertake a renovation project, amateur or professional. When Jim isn’t working full-time helping people to transform their homes, he uses his experience to create articles which can be found around the Internet and organizes charity events from his home in Leicestershire, UK.

While looking at damage to wooden furniture, it may appear that wood has simply grown old and started to decay over time.  Without proper maintenance of wooden furniture, this possibility is not unlikely, yet woodworm or other insect infestation may be the real cause of the damage.  There are a number of ways to deal with a woodworm infestation, while the methods of prevention are just as easy to handle and will offer peace of mind to any homeowner.  In addition, installing wood in any area of your home should be accompanied by certain measures.

Maintaining Furniture Will Help Prevent an Infestation

Most experts in the field point to maintenance as one of the best ways to avoid having a problem with wood-boring beetles like woodworm.  For some types of insects, damp wood is the target, so it is important to keep on eye on furnishings and floors when maintaining a home in medium-to-damp climate.  Finishing all types of wood in your home is a good way to keep the surfaces dry and woodworm and other beetles out.  Homeowners have to be careful of rafters and older flooring, which is usually unfinished.  Otherwise, when seeing a change in the color or texture of some piece of wooden furniture, the way to react is by re-finishing the surface as soon as possible.

Methods of Treatment upon Noticing an Infestation

Once you notice the deterioration of some piece of wooden furniture or flooring, the time to act has arrived.  The process should begin by identifying the type of insect causing damage to the wood.  Each different insect will have a specific treatment recommended.  Sprays and coatings for the common furniture beetles are widely available, though removal of the wood pieces may be advisable as well.  The decision to spray an insecticide fog into the exposed areas may also appeal to a homeowner, though this method will introduce a lot of chemical material into the home.  To make sure the right plan of action is followed, a manual which helps identify the type of insect should be consulted.  Once the infestation is properly identified, the timber treatment should begin immediately to avoid further damage.

Methods of Prevention when Starting from Scratch

Many homeowners will consider how to protect hard woods years into the future when installing flooring or shelves.  The best way to avoid infestations is planning from the very beginning.  Borates can be applied to wooden pieces to keep the surface protected and unappealing to wood-boring insects.  Even unfinished pieces of wood will benefit now and in the future from a borate treatment.

The same approach can be taken to soft wood substances, including floor joists and the studs present in any wall.  Once woodworm gets into wall studs, damage can turn from moderate to severe in a very short time.  Replacing the pieces of damaged wood should be handled right away, while treatments of all other pieces of soft wood in the vicinity should be given a borate treatment.  Check back on these areas shortly after applying treatment to see if the infestation has been properly addressed.