Wood Borers

MaylandsManor · Oct 23, 2008 7:08 am

Hi Everyone,
I was hoping someone could shed some light on our recently polished oak timber floor (thanks TDL for prompting me to post this!).
After polishing, the floor has come up in lots of small raised air bubbles, scattered throughout the timber. :cry:

These seem to be more in the areas that receive sunlight rather than the darker hallway. Our floor polisher reckons that the timber has or had tiny bugs called Borers :shock:

in them, but we aren't convinced that it wasn't just dusty! TDL sent me a link to some information on Borers and I am not a bit more concerned!
Does anyone know anything about these little creatures? Our floor guy thought they were probably dead and that it was just air coming out of the holes that were left behind. How do we tell what is going on? what sort of tradesman / professional might come out and have a squiz for us?
We have 20 mm boards (approx 50 years old) on 20mm battens on concrete slab (double brick house so no frame for them to nibble on ; but truss roof!).
will try and take some close up pics but it is more significant when you 'feel' them.

here is the link TDL posted
http://www.csiro.au/resources/WoodBorers.html

thanks everyone, much appreciated

Helen

Dukekamaya · Oct 23, 2008 6:33 pm

When you say 'oak' do you mean ash eucylypts that are known under the trade name as oak ( as in Tassie Oak) or are the boards real oak i.e. english oak or american oak etc.

I'd say the bubbles are caused more by the application of the finish rather than dead borers in fifty year old timber.

MaylandsManor · Oct 24, 2008 8:53 am

Hi Dukemaya,
thanks for your comments.
i think they are real oak (that's what we were told anyway!) but i am not sure which type. they are a reasonably dark colour, here are some pics that show the colour

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what in the application process would cause bubbles? How can we tell the difference between bad application and borers? would the borers be dead or can i expect a bunch of bugs flying around us in 2 years time!! :shock:

as you can tell i am a little worried!

cheers
Helen

DeeElle · Oct 24, 2008 5:40 pm

I can't imagine bugs getting out of the finish :wink:

... you should be safe enough.

I think someone else posted its basically the way they apply the finish i.e. shaking cans which causes bubbles to appear in the poly. Or it could be the fact that they didn't vacuum between coats and left a layer of dust on the boards before coating.

Try posting a close up pic of the boards.

Dukekamaya · Oct 25, 2008 10:30 pm

Can't see on those pics. There weren't too many imported floorsthat long ago apart from Baltic pine.