If your house has a lot of wood-based furniture, the biggest fear you may have is woodworm infestation. Woodworms will eat through and destroy your beloved furniture, leaving rotten wood and powdery dust. However, what about wood flooring, such as laminate flooring? Can you get woodworm in laminate flooring?
Generally, you do not get woodworms in laminate flooring. This is because laminated flooring has a hard external surface. Secondly, the wood usually has formaldehyde, meaning the woodworms will be poisoned and die. This means that the infection would be short even if your laminate floor gets attacked.
This article explores if you can get woodworm in your laminate flooring. We start by looking at woodworms and laminate flooring. Then we discuss how to detect woodworms in your wood and remove them.
Can You Get Woodworms In Laminate Flooring?
In general, you are very unlikely to get woodworms in laminate flooring. This is because the woodworms need to break through the wear layer made with aluminum oxide. Even if the woodworm managed to get through, the particle wood is usually treated with formaldehyde, which is poisonous enough to kill woodworms.
In general, laminate flooring, on its own, is quite woodworm-proof. This is because, during its production, steps have been added to ensure that woodworms cannot get to the wood easily. So if you’re wondering whether your laminate flooring is sealed, you might want to check this article. If it’s not, you probably would need to seal it.
First, the front, transparent wear layer. The layer is made of aluminum oxide and is resistant to scratch and high traffic. This makes it very unlikely to have woodworm boring through it. Woodworms can bore through wood, but this layer may be too much.
Secondly, if the woodworm finds its way through the wear layer, it may reach the wood and start boring and eating it. This is when they meet their second problem.
In general, most laminated flooring treats their wood particles with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is an industrial chemical that can be poisonous to woodworms. This means if the woodworms manage to reach the wood, they may bore through it, eat it, and then die.
One possible scenario of woodworms getting to your wood layer is when the layers of your laminate flooring become separated due to excessive moisture. This leaves the wood surface exposed for woodworms to attack it.
However, as formaldehyde is poisonous, even if you experience an attack on your laminate flooring, the attacks may only be temporary and may stop soon. The woodworms may simply die after ingesting the poisonous wood.
Can Woodworms Attack Other Processed Wood?
Woodworms generally do not attack processed wood, as processing removes the nutrients that woodworm feeds on. Most processed wood also contains formaldehyde, which can kill them. However, woodworms do and like to attack certain types of treated wood, such as plywood.
In general, woodworms like to attach to wood as it provides them with a source of food and nutrition. Often in natural wood, many cellulose and sugars can feed and sustain them.
When wood undergoes processing, these natural nutrients are largely eliminated. On top of that, most processed wood may also undergo treatment with formaldehyde, which is highly poisonous to woodworms.
As a result, you are not likely to see woodworm infestations on processed wood such as Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), laminated flooring, hardboard, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), or Chipboard.
The infection will be temporary and short, even if they attack it, as the woodworms would likely die from the formaldehyde.
One notable exception is plywood, which may be vulnerable to woodworm attacks. This is because the glue used to bind the wood sheets is casein-based. Casein is a natural sugar found commonly in milk. This could feed and sustain woodworms.
If you use plywood and you want to protect it from woodworms, consider sealing the plywood with varnish and using the wood in a bright, dry place.
How Do You Identify Woodworm Attacks?
You can tell if your wood flooring is under woodworm attacks by observing if there are exit holes, tunnels, dust, and eggs. You may also notice a general weakening of your wood flooring, for example, crumbling wood. You also may notice beetle activity within your property.
Exit Holes: As woodworms bore into the wood, they eventually exit at some point, leaving exit holes. These holes may be circular and could be around 1-2mm. However, holes as big as 6mm can also be found.
Tunnels in wood: As the insects bore and eat the wood, they make tunnels. These tunnels usually are made within the wood itself, meaning many may not notice it until they see exit holes. Tunnels are the reason your wood flooring becomes brittle and weak.
Dust: Some woodworms leave dust around or below the exit holes. These dust are also called frass, and they usually look circular.
Beetle Activity: If you start noticing beetles around your property, there is a likelihood that your home has a woodworm problem. You may want to immediately start scanning around the house if there are signs that your wood flooring is under attack.
Brittle Wood: If you start noticing that your wood flooring cracks or breaks apart when you stand on it, there is a likelihood that the woodworms have hollowed out the wood. Of course, there are more reasons for Laminate flooring to crack, but woodworm is one of them. You may need to immediately arrange a professional survey to check how extensive the damages are.
How To Treat Woodworms At Home?
Woodworm infestations may be treatable at home, provided the infestation is not extensive. You may apply some permethrin-based woodworm treatment to the damaged wood flooring and the surrounding flooring. You also want to repaint and refinish the wood to protect it.
Woodworms may be bad for your wood, but they are generally treatable. The key is to ensure that the infestation is not too extensive because if it is, you may need professional help.
Start by applying permethrin-based treatment to the wood flooring, such as Bora-Care. You can apply it by using a brush or a spray. The solution is then absorbed into the wood, eliminating any woodworms and eggs inside it.
Permethrin is an insecticide that can kill not just woodworms but many other types of termites and ants. Permethrin is also good against algae and fungi, keeping your wood flooring sterile and clean.
Once you have completed the treatment, consider repainting or refinishing with wood to protect it against woodworms.