Obs is a neighbourhood of narrow streets, terraced cottages and a Lower Main Road lined with restaurants and bars.
Wood borer in Observatory cottages
Observatory's Victorian cottages are full of old pine: floorboards, roof timbers, doors, window frames and staircases, much of it over a hundred years old. Damp from the low-lying streets near the rivers keeps that timber moist, and common furniture beetle thrives in it. Signs are small round holes and little piles of fine powder under floors, doors and old furniture. A beetle certificate inspection is standard when a cottage is sold.
We inspect the floors, roof space and joinery, treat active borer and issue the certificate. In terraces, borer can spread along shared roof timbers, so it's worth telling the neighbours.
Worth knowing
When we go into a roof, the first thing we look at is the condition of the wall plates and the bottom of the trusses, because damp spots there attract borer.
For sellers, borer is often discovered at the worst moment, a week before transfer. Booking the inspection as soon as the house goes on the market takes the pressure off.
Signs to look for
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Our process, step by step
We start with an inspection to confirm the beetle species and whether the holes are active or old, because old damage does not need treating. Exposed timber such as roof trusses, beams and floor joists is treated with a residual borer spray that penetrates the surface and kills emerging beetles and young larvae. Where the wood is thick or the infestation is deep, we inject product directly into the flight holes and drilled galleries. Badly weakened timber should be replaced by a builder, and we tell you which pieces are past saving. Valuable furniture can be sealed and fumigated instead.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our wood borer treatment service works.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Use treated timber for any roofing, decking or building work, and check the treatment marks on it.
- Check second-hand furniture for holes and fresh powder before you bring it home.
- Seal or varnish bare wood surfaces, because beetles prefer to lay eggs in rough, untreated grain.
- Have the roof timbers looked at every few years in an older house.
- If you are buying or selling, book the beetle inspection early so it does not delay the transfer.
How much will it cost?
The price depends on how much timber needs treating, how easy the roof space is to get into and which beetle we are dealing with. A single piece of furniture is a very different job to a full roof of trusses. Injection work, replacement advice and certificates for transfers are all included in a free quote once we have seen the property.
You can brush a borer product onto a small piece of furniture yourself and it may do the job. Roof timbers are a different story: getting the product into every face of every truss in a hot, cramped roof is hard work, and missing the European house borer is a real problem. I would always get the roof looked at professionally.
Wood Borer Treatment questions from Observatory
Is the European house borer really that serious?
Yes. It attacks structural softwood and is a notifiable pest in the Western Cape, so suspected cases have to be reported and treated.
Do I need a beetle certificate to sell my house?
Most property transfers in the Western Cape require a beetle inspection and a Certificate of Compliance. We do the inspection and issue the certificate where the property qualifies.
Can borer spread from furniture to my roof?
It can, which is why infested furniture should be treated or kept away from untreated timber.
How do I know if the borer holes are still active?
Look for fresh, pale powder below the holes and clean, sharp edges on the holes themselves. Old holes are usually darker and dusty with no new frass.
Will my Obs cottage need borer treatment before sale?
Often, if active borer is found. The inspection tells you.
Will treatment smell or stain the wood?
Most borer treatments dry with little smell and do not stain bare timber. Polished furniture is treated more carefully.
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