Woodworm in 2 year old Oak Furnature

Aeropars_

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advice.

I purchased around £2000 worth of furniture from Oak Furniture Land around 2 years ago. Last weekend I noticed some saw dust looking substance on the kitchen floor under the dining table. this is not the fist time I have noticed this however it was the first time I notice a hole directly above the pile of dust. On closer inspection I saw around 50 holes across my dining table legs and after researching them its clear they are woodworm.

I am 99% certain this is not something that was infested while in my house as if you look into the conditions needed for an infestation to take place, its the total opposite of my house and where the table is. I live in a new build house, the furniture is on a tiled floor, there is no damp and they are located in a high traffic area.

does anyone know how I can approach this with oak furniture land? All advice appreciated.

Regards

m0bov

Why don't you take photos of the damage and around the area and write to OFL and see? Might have to get pest control in for a report to back that up.

Aeropars_

That's what I was going to eventually however I wanted to try and understand how to position it. I'm not wanting to have a fight on my hands and I've heard that they can be pretty dismissive so if I understand my rights on this I can get a quicker resolution to the issue.

anmarj

After six months the onus is placed on you to prove the furniture is inherently faulty, so you may need to obtain an expert report that confirms the woodworm was present from the start.

shaun_from_Africa

It might be worth printing out something like this:
https://www.timberwise.co.uk/2008/03/lifecycle-of-the-woodworm/
and taking it along with you so if they say that the woodworm were picked up in your property then you can refute it.

Woodworm Causes Structural damage

3. The worm, or larval stage, carries on for anywhere between 2 and 5 years. In that time, the larvae eats its way up and down the timbers and causes the structural damage to the timber. It is at this stage in the life cycle that the frass, or dust, that is associated with woodworm is produced.

As the damage & dust only starts to appear 2 years from the initial infestation, it's extremely likely that this happened prior to you taking possession of the furniture.

Fosterdog

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

It might be worth printing out something like this:
https://www.timberwise.co.uk/2008/03/lifecycle-of-the-woodworm/
and taking it along with you so if they say that the woodworm were picked up in your property then you can refute it.


As the damage & dust only starts to appear 2 years from the initial infestation, it's extremely likely that this happened prior to you taking possession of the furniture.

Now I read that differently to you in that the larval stage can last anywhere from 2-5 years and that for the whole larval stage the dust will be present rather than it being 2-5years before it happens, considering it is the larvae itself that does the damage the dust would be present as soon as the larvae are feeding on the wood.

DoaM

I agree. So the important question is ... how long can an item be infected before the larvae start to appear?

This website seems to suggest it is only a few weeks, so on the balance of probabilities the furniture was not infested at the time of delivery. (Unless the larvae were well-buried in the wood such that obvious signs of infestation did not appear until much later. That's why a proper analysis and report is probably needed).

Aeropars_

Thanks for the response guys.

I have noticed these piles of dust for well over a year but never thought much of it. Its only now that we noticed the holes which, to the naked eye and from a distance, are very well hidden. It was only because 3 holes appeared on the table top that we saw them as the dust piles remained on the surface rather than falling to the floor.

so it seems there's no certain way of establishing when the infestation occurred however I would expect there to be a way of telling how long an infestation has been there from the amount of holes?

shaun_from_Africa

Fosterdog wrote: »

Now I read that differently to you in that the larval stage can last anywhere from 2-5 years and that for the whole larval stage the dust will be present rather than it being 2-5years before it happens

Reading it again, I think that you are correct and I misinterpreted when I read it the first time.

[Deleted User]

Aeropars_ wrote: »

I would expect there to be a way of telling how long an infestation has been there from the amount of holes?

Yes, but it will have to be an expert report confirming that the pests were already present at the time of purchase if you want a refund or replacement. An expert will also be able to see if there is anything else in your locality where the worms could have spread from.

You'll have to arrange and pay for this report yourself, but you'll of course be entitled to a refund of the costs from the retailer should the report favour you.

m0bov

Why don't you phone OFL now and ask what the process is, then report back?