Thread: Wood Damage?

White ants. Eaten and gone......somewhere......

Dunno. Termites don't like light and go to lengths to avoid it. They don't leave exposed damage like that... unless... maybe...

xpine? Have you cleaned up a "mud daub" type layer off that wood?

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Dunno. Termites don't like light and go to lengths to avoid it. They don't leave exposed damage like that... unless... maybe...

xpine? Have you cleaned up a "mud daub" type layer off that wood?

Thanks guys for such quick response.

It is up on my roof so I cannot reach it and have not done anything to it.

If it was open like that then scratch the white ants. As Skew said, they do not like the light.

That leaves rot.
Just a crook piece of wood.

Originally Posted by DavidG

If it was open like that then scratch the white ants. As Skew said, they do not like the light.

That leaves rot.
Just a crook piece of wood.

Thanks David. This makes me feel better. )

A pest inspector reported some fungi and wood decay issues somewhere else on my property before. So I would assume this is a similar issue.

xpine,
It is hard to say from that photo. I have had bitter experience of white ants so my advice is if in doubt get a pest inspection done. When they get established they can munch through the house in a few months.

John

Originally Posted by orraloon

xpine,
It is hard to say from that photo. I have had bitter experience of white ants so my advice is if in doubt get a pest inspection done. When they get established they can munch through the house in a few months.

John

Thanks John.

I just did a pest inspection a few months ago before I bought this property, which gave me a green light. I wonder if this issue is serious enough for me to do another inspection that is not gonna be cheap.

PS: The pest inspection report mentioned something about wood fungi and decay. Dont know if this problem is one of those.

xpine,
Fungi thrive in damp conditions and the place may have a musty smell. Dry rot is caused by a fungus.
White ants eat the wood from the inside as they do not like light. You can sometomes see dry mud tracking on the outside of the timber and brickwork. This mud tube is so they can move under cover as they are not keen on being exposed. If you scratch open the mud it has a small tunnel and sometimes you expose the beasties themselves. Wood eaten by whiteants is hollowed out and the inside is a bit like corrogated cardboard. Hope this helps a bit.

John

Originally Posted by orraloon

xpine,
Fungi thrive in damp conditions and the place may have a musty smell. Dry rot is caused by a fungus.
White ants eat the wood from the inside as they do not like light. You can sometomes see dry mud tracking on the outside of the timber and brickwork. This mud tube is so they can move under cover as they are not keen on being exposed. If you scratch open the mud it has a small tunnel and sometimes you expose the beasties themselves. Wood eaten by whiteants is hollowed out and the inside is a bit like corrogated cardboard. Hope this helps a bit.

John

Thanks John. You have been very helpful.

By the way, does termite damage always come with mud? Coz I have another hollow piece of skirting board on the same property eaten by something inside with only paint left outside. No mud found either. What would you think that is?

Cheers

The mud tunnel is usually only if they have to travel "exposed" for a distance to get to the piece of wood. If they can get to the wood by tunnelling underground or through another material less "tasty" (to termites) they will.

That skirting board does sound likely to be termite damaged.

You may be lucky and they've moved on elsewhere - termites can be random in their attacks - or perhaps a previous owner caught the signs and took action. Still, I'd carefully remove that board and look for signs of activity inside it and any timberwork hidden behind. (And pray fervently that they're not in the wall studs!)

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

The mud tunnel is usually only if they have to travel "exposed" for a distance to get to the piece of wood. If they can get to the wood by tunnelling underground or through another material less "tasty" (to termites) they will.

That skirting board does sound likely to be termite damaged.

You may be lucky and they've moved on elsewhere - termites can be random in their attacks - or perhaps a previous owner caught the signs and took action. Still, I'd carefully remove that board and look for signs of activity inside it and any timberwork hidden behind. (And pray fervently that they're not in the wall studs!)

Thanks Skew.

That skirting board is attached to a brick wall, so I think it should be fine behind. However, one end of this board touchs a plaster board which is my internal wall with timber frame behind. Do termites usually eat their way through plaster to get to the wood?

They can and have done. I've also seen plasterboards with small areas hollowed out inside, covered only by the layer of paper/paint.

First step: remove the skirting board and have an up-close & personal inspection behind the board. Inspect the end that abuts the plaster... did the termites (if it is them) actually get that part of the skirting board?

With luck this whole thread is much ado about nothing and it's just rot from sitting on the ground or being wet or... ('Tis a bit sad when you're hoping for a particular type of damage, isn't it? )

Post a few pics of the skirting board and the wall behind it. Have a prod at the wood with an old screwdriver and get an indication if it is sound.
Regards
John

If you have active termites you may be better off seeing if you can get a cheap stethescope (sp?) and listen for them - as several members testify, you can hear them chomping away. If you start rummaging about too much you may make them decide to leave their current meal & go chew on something else that wasn't damaged. Several termite extermination methods need them to be active & happy so they take the poison back to their mates & you get the lot.

From your picture, it does look a lot like old termite damage due to the exposed galleries - some of the 'reject hardwood' that is advertised on these boards comes with that sort of damage caused while it was still in the tree, but the hollow skirting does sound like old damage done while it was part of the house.