Fungal and Insect Inspection Services
Protect Your Home’s Longevity By Investing In A Fungal Or Insect Survey Before Infestations Get Out Of Control.
How do fungus and insects affect your property?
Fungus and insect infestations greatly impact the structural soundness of your property, as well as affecting the health and well-being people living in your home.
FUNGUS
Wood-decaying fungi like dry rot and wet rot thrive in damp conditions. They specifically target the timber that holds up the structure of a building, causing it to weaken and crumble and weaken. This can be visible wood like beams and floors, or it can the timber underneath flooring and inside walls. If there is fungi growth in the foundation of the building, this will weaken the entire structure over time which can lead to cracks, subsidence and other foundational issues.
Fungal spores can also trigger allergic reactions (sneezing, coughing, rashes), and exacerbate respiratory conditions such as asthma. Fungal growth also often leads to a musty odour that can permeate your home and be difficult to remove.
INSECTS
Termites, carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles are the most common wood-destroying insect. Termites eat the wood from the inside out, and can go undetected until significant damage has already been sustained. This ‘hollowing-out’ of timber leads to weakened structures and potential collapse.
Carpenter ants excavate wood to create nests and tunnels, compromising the timber’s integrity which can ultimately lead to structural collapse. Wood-boring beetles lay eggs in the wood, and the hatched larvae bore through it as they grow leading to internal damage.
Such an infestation will also pose health and safety risks from allergic reactions, bites and hygiene issues,
How can you protect your home?
The key prevention measures when it comes to fungal and insect damage are:
- Controlling moisture levels: proper ventilation, fixing leaks and ingress promptly and avoiding condensation.
- Regular inspections of the property for any signs of infestation, particularly in vulnerable areas like basements, attics and the foundations.
- Responsive pest control at the earliest signs of an infestation.
- Timber treatment on structural beams and exterior wood to help resist fungi and insects.
This why getting a comprehensive damp survey report is essential as soon as you spot any sign of damp. What you see may be an unsightly stain or persistent mould that you’re sick of cleaning up… but underneath that may be deeper problems that you need to address asap.
FAQs on Insect and Fungus
How can I tell if I have a fungal or insect issue?
The following signs can indicate a fungal issue, but some of these can also indicate other forms of damp. It’s important to get an comprehensive report to ascertain the true cause of the issue.
- Visible mould or mildew appearing on walls, ceilings and floors.
- A persistent musty odour.
- Damp or discolour patches on walls, ceilings and floors.
- Bubbling paint or wallpaper, which indicates damp and mould underneath the surface.
- Rotting wood which feels soft and spongey to touch. They can also emit a musty odour, and is darker in appearance than healthy timber.
- Buckling floors or sagging ceilings, showing signs of imminent collapse.
- Worsened symptoms of allergies and respiratory conditions.
- Physical evidence of insects, such as shed wing (termites), wood shavings or frass from wood-boring insects, and mud tubes found along foundations, walls and other structures which insects use to protect themselves when travelling to collect food.
- Clicking noises from the walls, indicating the presence of insects.
- Gnawed wires or insulation, fabrics and carpets.
Does damp make insect and fungal damage worse?
Yes. Fungus thrives in damp conditions, and damp in and of itself can damage the structural integrity of wood. Damp also attracts wood-destroying insects, and encourages breeding.
How much does a fungus and insect survey cost, and what does it include?
Since each case is so different, it’s best for you to fill in the form and get a FREE quote from us by clicking the button below. The questionnaire will guide you to give us the information we need to give you a comprehensive quote by email.
All of our damp check surveys include a thorough inspection of the whole building – inside, outside underneath and over the top! We use top of the range equipment that to detect and track moisture throughout the building, so we can know for sure what’s contributing to the infestation and address the issue at its root.
Don’t take our word for it…
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David was very helpful, knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions I threw at him last week, and there were a lot!
His feedback has saved the need for unrequired damp proof course work and will no doubt have saved our house sale from stalling. Thank you, I would have no hesitations in recommending or using David again.
Russell G. Handsworth
(Birmingham)
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With thanks for the report and your work. We will be speaking to the builder about action to try and resolve the problem.
We appreciated your warm approachable manner and your willingness to listen and are grateful that you identified condensation to be the problem after various other attempts to try and identify the damp patch had not been successful.
Rev K
(Tewkesbury)
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Thank you so much for doing our survey. I can’t get over how detailed it is, definitely worth the money. I’m glad to see there isn’t too much wrong and appreciate how thorough you were.
Elecia, whose house it was, said she was so impressed that she will try to hire you herself and you can’t get a better recommendation than that.
Elizabeth and Dennis
(Birmingham)