Jan 25 2007
Timber preservation specialist Peter Cox Ltd (www.petercox.com) has recently demonstrated its ground breaking new Insectacoat woodworm treatment at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford upon Avon.
Insectacoat is an innovative formulation specifically designed to eradicate wood boring insects infesting timber coated with varnish or paint.
Traditional insecticidal treatments for buildings are designed to work by penetrating deep into the timber, but these are generally rendered ineffective on varnished or painted surfaces. Limited success is feasible via laborious and time consuming injection of insecticide into the flight holes but there is little spread of the active ingredient to the surrounding timber.
In this new development by Peter Cox the Insectacoat insecticidal formulation is mixed with a water based varnish, paint or stain and applied by brush to give total surface coverage. So when the adult beetle bore its way to the surface and emerges, it is poisoned by the insecticide before it has chance to fly, mate and continue the infestation life cycle.
This highly innovative technique is expected to attract particular interest for use in the many churches and other historic buildings which feature oak or other hardwood panelling, flooring and furniture.
The subject of the treatment in Stratford was a two storey Elizabethan style watchtower in the grounds of the Institute built around 1750 and now known as the Gazebo. The first floor accommodation features hardwood strip flooring and is fully panelled in oak / hardwood.
Peter Cox technicians carried out the treatment in two phases. Firstly holes were drilled discreetly into the timbers to give access to back spray the surfaces with the company's standard micro-emulsion insecticide. These holes were then refilled with oak plugs to remove any evidence of treatment.
Then Insectacoat was brush applied to all the facing surfaces of the book cases, shelves, writing tables and panelling and this will provide protection for the future throughout the concluding life cycle (up to 6 years) of the existing common furniture beetle infestation.
The Institute, part of the University of Birmingham, is a centre for post graduate Shakespeare studies centred at Mason's Croft which is located just a few hundred yards from Shakespeare's home and was formerly the home of the Edwardian novelist Marie Corelli who reputedly used the Gazebo as her writing room.
Peter Cox is now discussing the new treatment technique with owners of similar property.