Our Customers Love Us!

Home Insurance

Get a Quote

Get Quote

HomeProperty InsuranceHome InsuranceWoodworm Dry Rot

Woodworm Dry Rot

Dealing with Woodworm and Dry Rot

Woodworm, Dry Rot and Wet Rot. One of the most costly maintenance problems for homeowners is woodworm, dry rot and wet rot. If left untreated it can huge amounts of damage to the interior of your home. There are treatments and remedies to prevent it’s spread and to eliminate the problem it becomes critical. Woodworm is most commonly caused by the furniture beetle which leave larvae boreholes inside the major woodwork elements of a property. These area include the roof timbers, joists, staircase and floorboards. Woodworm can also infest ordinary household furniture causing a home insurance claim problem.

Another type of woodworm is the house longhorn beetle which will eat into softer types of wood. The boreholes inside the wood are interconnected by tiny tunnels and can only be treated using an aerosol-based application. Homeowners will need to seek professional assistance in dealing with woodworm, particularly if there are large areas inside the roof timbers being affected.

Wet rot is equally destructive and is caused by various types of fungus that enjoys timber that is frequently wet or damp. It usually appears where protective sealants such as paint have flicked away from the wood which has not been properly protected when it was constructed. Leaking radiators or pipes or holes in the roof where water had seeped through likely areas where wet rot is to be found.

The problem can be dealt with because fungus can be killed using a combination of different solutions, depending upon the level of rot and the area of surface affected. Major areas of the roof affected by wet rot may have to be cut away and replaced with new timbers. Minor areas such as window frames can be treated using domestic spray and fluid solutions available from most DIY stores.

It is important to eliminate the cause of the damp before any treatment takes place so that it is not reoccur in the future. For instance, it is sensible to check the integrity of the damp proof course to ensure that water cannot rise up through the walls and into the property. Likewise checked ventilation points around the property such as the air bricks that help to keep wooden floors aerated. Owners of properties where there is no window inside the bathroom for ventilation should ensure extractor fans are working adequately.

Dry rot can be even more difficult to get rid of as the fungus that causes it can spread rapidly and embed itself within masonry walls, doors and wooden floors. Dry rot can be identified via a brownish looking mushroom spores that spreads quickly. It should only really be dealt with by a professional maintenance company who will probably use specialist chemicals to treat the infected areas. These chemicals can be highly toxic and their application involve major disruption to a family residential property.

Assetsure provides UK home insurance for buildings and contents for homeowners in the United Kingdom.

Latest News & Advice

Types Door Window Locks

Types Door Window Locks

Types of Door and Window Locks – when purchasing a home insurance policy, you may find that your insurance company want you to have certain security measures in force at your property. These should be studied most carefully as without the correct protection being in force, you may find your cover compromised in the event of a claim. For most people, this involves having good quality door and window locks. Good physical security at your property, will be of a far greater benefit in deterring Theft than having an alarm fitted, but not being a lock expert, have do you discover if you have the correct locks fitted at your home?...

Subsidence Structural Problems

Subsidence Structural Problems

Preventing or Dealing with Subsidence and Structural Problems.Whilst subsidence is usually covered by a building insurance policy, it is definitely something that you do not want to happen at your property if at all possible. Claims for subsidence can be on the large side ( hence the reason for the standard policy excess being £1000) and even if the building is repaired by the insurance company, you may find that’s in the future, insurance is harder to source ( and possibly more expensive) and the market value of the property and it’s marketability may also diminish...

Small Print Policy

Small Print Policy

All insurance policies of what ever description will contain terms and conditions, which some people like to refer to as small print. (Literally small printing containing terms & conditions that is difficult to read). In recent years most insurance companies have tried to move away from being associated with this type of document and great efforts have been made to make sure policy documents are written in plain English with full details of any onerous terms & conditions supplied before your commit to buying a policy. The Financial Services Authority, when deciding to regulate the insurance industry came up with a list of rules governing the sale of insurance. One of this rules stated that all potential customers were to be provided with a “Keyfacts” document which would provide key information relating to the contract of insurance on offer....

Why choose our specialist insurance cover?

Artboard 2 copy 18

Home Insurance from Assetsure icon-thin-chevron-down

Our Home Insurance can provide cover for your Buildings, Contents and Personal Effects. Monthly payments available

Artboard 2 copy 20

Legal Assistance as Standard icon-thin-chevron-down

All our policies include Legal assistance as standard up to £50,000 This offer Legal protection for problems relating to employment, contracts, property and personal injury etc.

Artboard 2 copy 21

Home Emergency as Standard icon-thin-chevron-down

All our policies cover Home Emergency as standard up to £500. this offers protection against unexpected events such as the failure of your main heating system, blockage of drains or failure of your domestic gas or electricity supply

Artboard 2 copy 22

£1,000,000 Cover for Buildings icon-thin-chevron-down

We automatically provide you with £1,000,000 cover for rebuilding cost of your property, ideal if you are unsure of your re-building cost.

Artboard 2 copy 17

Excellent service offered icon-thin-chevron-down

We like to offer all our customers a first class service, which is backed up by our Trust pilot ratings. We are open 6 days a week to assist you with your enquiries.

icon-instant_cover

Instant cover and policies icon-thin-chevron-down

Most of our policies you can now buy online and receive instant documentation. Of course, you are more than welcome to call us and we can provide your cover over the phone