There is an interesting story developing that sheds light on the problems of woodworm and wood rot in the UK. We live in a wonderful place – you might even say the best place on earth – but our natural environment is a perfect environment for woodworm, dry rot, and wet rot. So much so that a builder working in the Forest of Dean is using modern materials instead of traditional lumber to build new holiday cabins.
Builder Chris Turney has been working on developing his Forest of Dean project for quite some time now. After finishing phase 1, he went to the local council with plans to continue with phase 2. The council decided to put his plans on hold after learning that Mr Turney was not building the holiday cabins out of logs. Instead, he is using modern composite materials that combine wood products and resin.
Turney says the modern materials are safer and more resilient to environmental damage. They certainly do not burn as easily as straight wood, and they are much more resistant to woodworm and rot. He believes the modern materials are the best choice for cabins being built in an area that would otherwise be welcoming to those problems that affect the timbers of so many older structures.
Treat Woodworm by Preventing It
Although we take no official position on the dispute between Mr Turney and the local council, we understand Turney's point. Real wood is subject to real woodworm. He is hoping to prevent it from ever occurring. That is not necessarily a bad strategy from the builder's standpoint. Prevention is the best way to avoid woodworm damage if you can manage to pull it off.
Woodworm is a problem for older timber structures because of the biology behind it. A woodworm condition is caused by adult beetles who lay their eggs in tiny crevices and cracks. Once those eggs hatch, larvae begin burrowing their way into the timbers in order to feed on the pulverized material. The holes you see when you identify a wood worm infestation are the holes left behind by the burrowing larvae.
The problem with wood worm is that much of the damage is already done by the time an infestation is discovered. This is especially problematic for older structures whose integrity might be significantly compromised by woodworm. Older timbers that have already been weakened may not survive if an infestation goes too long before being addressed.
We Are Your Woodworm Experts
We have been in the timber treatment business long enough to know that woodworm can cause big problems. We don't know how the dispute in the Forest of Dean will turn out, but we do know that any structure built with traditional timbers is at risk of woodworm at some point.
If you have noticed any signs of woodworm on your property, please contact us right away. The sooner we can get to it, the more damage we can mitigate.
Sources:
Gloucestershire Live – https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/log-cabin-forest-holiday-woods-1551463