[Greenbuilding] [BULK] Re: Oak

[Lawrence Lile]

I'm starting to be glad I didn't use oak logs in my own house.  I used
Cedar, which seems to be less susceptible to bugs.  YMMV
 
 
Lawrence Lile, P.E., LEED AP
-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Bruce
Donelson
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 12:31 AM
To: Sacie Lambertson; Chris Green
Cc: Greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: [BULK] Re: [Greenbuilding] Oak
Importance: Low


SAcie said:
I found out that there is no way to really get rid of them except to to
officially exterminate them through a tenting procedure.  I could not
buy
the necessary poison in this State and the  professionals required I
transport them to a trailer where they could take care of them, an easy
solution had there not been 56 timbers many 16 feet long and darned
heavy.

Borate is not effective I was told and read in any number of articles,
nor
are any of the commercial products on the market.  The beetles have a
cycle
where they escape from the wood at some point (thus the small holes you
see--the size of which and the frass, is what determines powder post or
other) and then there is a return to the hole at some stage of the
critter's
development.  If one covers the hole so no return is possible it was my
understanding the infestation could be limited.  So I painted my timbers
with several coats of clear acrylic. And hope.

I've had good luck getting rid of powder post beetles in boards by
heating
them to 140 degrees F or a little higher if you can manage it. Heat is
the
only way I know to kill the critters. I have seen them make a mess of
oak
boards in just a couple of years. Oak is not the only material they
like: I
have seen them in cherry, and I have a friend whose Fir plywood subfloor
is
being eaten by beetles brought in via madrone flooring.

Bruce Donelson
A Better Builder


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