The spread is stopped
Treating affected timber prevents an infestation extending into sound structural material elsewhere in the building.
Woodworm Treatmentin Shetland, Stop ItSpreading Through the Property
Deal with active infestation before it moves through the structural timber of your property: treatment of affected timber, plus the repair work, from one team.
17 years' property experience · Our own maintenance team · Free, no-obligation estimate
17 years' experience
In Shetland property
Shetland & Orkney
Lerwick-based team
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Local office hours
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Overview
What woodworm treatment involves
Woodworm treatment is the treatment of affected timber to stop an infestation spreading through the property. The term covers the larvae of several wood-boring beetles, which tunnel through timber for years before emerging and leaving the small round holes most people recognise.
The important point is that the holes are exit holes. By the time you can see them, the damage inside the timber has already been done, and if the infestation is active, it is continuing.
Our approach is to establish whether the infestation is active, treat the affected timber, and deal with the conditions that allowed it. Damp timber is what wood-boring beetles favour, so the moisture source matters as much as the treatment.
Why professional work matters here
Telling active infestation from historic damage is the first decision, and getting it wrong means either treating something dormant or ignoring something that is eating your joists.
Treatment needs the right product applied to properly prepared timber, with sensible precautions for the people and pets living in the building.
Structural timber that has been significantly weakened needs repair or replacement, not just treatment, and our own team can carry out that joinery work.
Who it is for
- Homeowners who have found small round holes or fine dust in timber
- Owners of older properties with exposed structural or floor timbers
- Buyers or sellers where a survey has flagged woodworm
- Landlords and property managers dealing with affected timber in a let property
When it is needed
- Small round exit holes in floorboards, joists, roof timbers or furniture
- Fine, powdery dust (frass) beneath or around timber
- Timber that feels soft, weak or crumbling at the edges
- Beetles seen indoors, typically in late spring and summer
- A survey or valuation has identified woodworm
- Damp or previously damp timber anywhere in the property
What It Costs To Ignore
What happens if it is left
Woodworm works out of sight. The larvae spend years tunnelling through the inside of timber, and the visible damage on the surface is a fraction of what has happened within. A joist that looks acceptable can have very little sound material left in it.
Structural timbers are the real concern. Floor joists, roof timbers, lintels and staircases all depend on the integrity of the wood, and progressive tunnelling reduces that integrity until something sags, flexes or fails. Replacing structural timber is disruptive and expensive work.
Infestation also spreads. Beetles emerge, breed and lay into nearby suitable timber, so what starts in one damp corner of a floor or roof space extends outwards while nobody is looking. And because damp is the common factor, woodworm frequently sits alongside rot: meaning two problems in the same timber.
Common mistakes we are called out to
- Assuming old holes mean old, finished damage without checking for activity
- Painting a shop-bought product over the surface and calling it treated
- Treating the timber while leaving the damp that attracted the beetles in the first place
- Ignoring weakened structural timber because the treatment has dealt with the insects
- Waiting to see whether it gets worse, which it does
Our Process
How we carry out woodworm treatment
Step 01
Inspection
We examine the affected timber and the surrounding areas, looking at the holes, any frass, and the moisture conditions in that part of the building.
Step 02
Diagnosis
We assess whether the infestation appears active or historic, how far it extends, and what condition the timber is actually in.
Step 03
Clear pricing
You get a straight explanation and a clear price covering treatment and any timber repair that is needed.
Step 04
Preparation
Areas are cleared and protected, timber is prepared so treatment can reach it, and any covering material is lifted where required.
Step 05
Treatment
Affected timber is treated to stop the infestation spreading through the property, with appropriate precautions for occupants throughout.
Step 06
Repair and completion
Weakened or damaged timber is repaired or replaced by our own joinery team, the moisture source is addressed, and the site is left clean with a clear account of the work.
Benefits
What you actually get out of it
Structural timber protected
Joists, roof timbers and staircases keep the strength they were designed to have.
The cause tackled
Damp is what makes timber attractive to wood-boring beetles. We look for it and tell you what needs doing.
Treatment and repair from one team
Where timber has been weakened, our own joiners replace or repair it, no handover to another trade.
An honest assessment
If what you have is historic damage with no active infestation, we will tell you that rather than selling you a treatment.
Clear for sale or survey
Dealing with flagged woodworm properly removes an obstacle from a sale or a valuation.
In Detail
Woodworm Treatment, methods, materials and situations
Signs of woodworm
- Round exit holes, typically 1–2mm across, in timber surfaces
- Fine powdery frass below or around the holes
- Timber that crumbles at corners and edges, especially on joist ends
- Tunnelling visible where timber has been cut or broken
- Adult beetles seen indoors, usually between spring and late summer
- Weak, springy floorboards or noticeable deflection underfoot
Active or historic?
Exit holes on their own prove only that beetles left at some point, possibly decades ago. Fresh, clean-edged holes and recent frass suggest activity; darkened holes with no dust and no frass often indicate an old, finished infestation.
Moisture is the other indicator. Timber that has dried out is a much less attractive prospect, whereas damp timber invites reinfestation, which is why we always look at the conditions as well as the holes.
Where we find it
- Floor joists and the underside of floorboards, particularly near damp walls or poorly ventilated voids
- Roof space timbers, rafters and purlins
- Joist and beam ends built into damp masonry
- Staircases and their supporting timbers
- Unventilated cupboards, voids and under-stair spaces
- Outbuildings, sheds and timber structures
Damp, ventilation and reinfestation
Wood-boring beetles favour timber with a raised moisture content. That is why infestation clusters around leaking plumbing, failed drainage, poorly ventilated floor voids and walls that have been getting wet from an overflowing gutter.
Treating the timber and leaving the water in place leaves the door open. So part of the job is identifying where the moisture is coming from, and because we carry out roofing, gutter and joinery work, we can usually deal with that source rather than just reporting it.
Treatment and structural repair together
Treatment deals with the infestation. It does not restore strength to timber that has already been tunnelled through, and that distinction matters for anything structural.
Where a joist end, rafter or floor timber has lost meaningful section, it needs repairing or replacing. Our own maintenance team carries out that work, so the treatment and the joinery are part of one job with one point of accountability.
What to do before we arrive
Leave the affected timber as you found it. Clearing away frass, sanding holes or painting over the area makes it harder to tell whether the infestation is active, which is the first thing we need to establish.
If you can, note where you have seen holes, dust or beetles and roughly when. Photographs help. Clear access to floor voids, roof spaces and cupboards so the timber can be inspected properly on the first visit rather than needing a second one.
Where We Work
Woodworm Treatment across Shetland and Orkney
We are based on Commercial Street in Lerwick and travel across both island groups for cleaning and maintenance work.
Shetland
- Lerwick (base)
- Scalloway
- Brae
- Sandwick
- Whalsay
- Bressay
Orkney
- Kirkwall
- Stromness
- St Margaret's Hope
More detail on the areas we cover is on the homepage areas section.
Questions
Woodworm Treatment: the things people ask first
How much does woodworm treatment cost?
It depends on the extent of the infestation, how accessible the timber is and whether repairs are needed. We inspect it, explain what we have found and give you a clear price: free, with no obligation.
How do I know if the woodworm is still active?
Fresh, clean-edged holes and recent powdery frass point to activity; old darkened holes with no dust often mean a historic infestation. We assess it properly and tell you which you have.
How long does treatment take?
Most domestic treatments are completed in a day or two depending on the area and access. Where timber repairs are needed as well, the joinery work adds to that. We confirm the timescale when we price the job.
Do I need to move out during treatment?
We will tell you before the work what precautions apply for your situation, including any period when rooms should be kept clear, and plan the job around the household.
Does treatment repair the damaged timber?
No. Treatment stops the infestation; it does not restore lost strength. Where timber has been significantly weakened it needs repair or replacement, which our own joinery team carries out.
Will the woodworm come back?
Reinfestation is far more likely where timber stays damp, which is why we look for the moisture source and tell you what is causing it. Dry, well-ventilated timber is a much harder target.
Is woodworm common in Shetland properties?
Damp conditions and older timber construction are exactly what wood-boring beetles favour, and we see affected timber in island properties regularly. Poorly ventilated floor voids and roof spaces are the usual places.
My survey has flagged woodworm: what now?
Call us and we will inspect it, tell you whether it looks active, and price the treatment and any repair work so you can move the sale or purchase forward.
Do you cover Orkney?
Yes. We work across the Shetland Islands and Orkney from our base at 68 Commercial Street, Lerwick.
Related Work
Other work the same team handles
Free Estimate
Get the timber checked before it spreads
Tell us what you have found: holes, dust, soft timber, or a note on a survey. We will inspect it, tell you honestly whether it is active, and price the treatment and any repairs.
property@arthurandsimpson.com
68 Commercial Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE2 9EZ
Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm · Closed Sat & Sun
17 years' property experience · Lerwick-based team · Free, no-obligation estimates