ATi Damp SurveyHome / Services / Timber Decay and Woodworm
Woodworm and timber decay: an independent view before you treat
Most woodworm quotes we are asked to review are for treatment of infestations that stopped decades ago. Beetle activity needs damp timber; when the leak that wet it was fixed, the infestation ended and the holes stayed. Distinguishing a record of an old problem from a current one is straightforward on site, and it is the difference between a large invoice and none.
What a report should establish
- Whether the infestation is active or historic, which changes the cost by an order of magnitude
- Which species is present, since deathwatch beetle in structural oak is a different matter from furniture beetle in a floorboard
- The moisture content of the affected timber, because activity depends on it
- Whether any timber has lost structural section, which is a carpentry question not a chemical one
- Why the timber is wet, since that is what determines whether the problem recurs
Active or historic, and how it is told
Fresh frass is gritty and the colour of clean sawdust and accumulates below active holes. Old frass is grey and compacted or gone entirely. Active flight holes have sharp, pale edges; historic ones are dark, dusty and frequently painted over. Alongside that, the moisture content of the timber itself: sustained activity requires damp wood, so dry timber with old holes and no frass is a record rather than a problem.
This is not a difficult judgement to make, and it is routinely not made, because the party inspecting is often the party who would carry out the treatment. ATi treats nothing, so a conclusion that no treatment is required costs us nothing.
London specifics
Deathwatch beetle is associated with older hardwood, sustained damp and fungal decay, and London has a great deal of Georgian and earlier oak in daily use, particularly in the City fringe, Spitalfields and the older parts of the boroughs. Where it is present the priority is the moisture and the fungal decay, not the beetle, and the treatment quoted is frequently addressing the wrong thing.
The commonest structural timber finding across London stock is decay at joist ends built into a solid external wall that has since been dry lined. The wall can no longer dry inward, the joist end sits in permanently damp masonry, and the decay is invisible from the room. It is worth looking for specifically rather than waiting for a floor to move.
What you get
A written report within 24 hours of the visit identifying what is present, whether it is active, the moisture conditions supporting it or not, and any loss of structural section, with photographs and readings. Where treatment is warranted we say which timbers and why. Where it is not, the report says so in terms you can put in front of whoever quoted for it.
We carry out no treatment, take no commission and recommend no contractors. If work is needed you instruct whoever you choose, and nothing about the conclusion is influenced by who that turns out to be.
Get a second opinion before treating
An independent inspection with moisture readings and species identification, and a written report within 24 hours of the visit.
Book a surveyOr call 020 3355 4944.
Questions
We have been quoted for a full woodworm treatment. Should we get it checked?
Almost always, and this is one of the most common reasons people instruct us. Blanket treatment of a whole property is rarely justified, because beetle activity is confined to timber damp enough to support it. A survey costs a small fraction of a treatment quote, and in a substantial share of cases it concludes that the activity is historic and no treatment is required at all. If it is active, you have confirmation and a targeted scope rather than a whole house.
The survey for our purchase flagged woodworm. Is that a problem for the sale?
It is a question to resolve rather than a reason to walk away. Homebuyer surveys record flight holes and refer the matter on, which is what they are required to do; they do not determine whether the infestation is active. An independent inspection usually resolves it quickly, and the outcome is either reassurance or a properly scoped figure you can negotiate with, both of which are more useful than an open referral.
Can decay be present without any visible sign?
Yes, and the most common example in London stock is decay at joist ends built into a solid external wall that has been dry lined. The wall stays damp because it can no longer dry inwards, the buried joist end sits in it, and nothing shows in the room until the floor starts to move. Where the construction and the damp history suggest it, it is worth looking for deliberately rather than waiting for a symptom.