Timber treatment is best carried out with a professional wood preservative to protect structural integrity and ensure longevity.

What makes wood vulnerable?

Insect Infestation – Common woodworm attack represents a relatively low risk to durability if caught early and treated with preservatives. Larger beetles, such as death-watch and longhorn have potential to cause much greater damage.

Fungal Decay – Wet rot and dry rot represent a much higher risk to the integrity of wooden members. Rot develops where timber is exposed to dampness and ventilation is poor. Wooden joists sitting on sub-floor brickwork is a good example.

Look out for signs of woodworm activity

Round holes in woodwork, coupled with dusty deposits may be evidence of infestation by the common furniture beetle. Fresh flight holes are formed during the emergence season of April to October, which is the best time to treat the timbers with an insecticidal wood preserver.

Look out for signs of wood rot

Areas of wet rot may feel spongy and look darker than the surrounding timber. Dry rot may manifest itself in the form of a white/ yellow fungus, dusty orange spores and/or thick branch-like strands extending over walls and floors. Badly decayed timber may be susceptible to cross-grain cracking. Treatment includes actions to eliminate all sources of dampness, cut away and replace rot-affected lumber and apply a protective fungicidal preservative to treat surrounding areas. .

Insecticide and fungicide wood preserver treatments can be applied in different ways

• Spray treatments are ideal for treating large areas of timber such as wooden floors.
• Surface applied gels treat timbers that are particularly susceptible to rot, for example joints ends.
• Injected boron preservers provide maximum protection for buried wooden posts.

Twistfix offers an array of wood preservatives at trade prices including wood treatment formulations to preserve new lumber in vulnerable situations and multi-action timber preservers for remedial applications by professional builders. Each timber treatment is HSE registered for professional use against wood rotting fungi and wood destroying insects and are not suitable for amateur use.