How Can Woodworm Affect a Working Kitchen?

28 June 2024

Woodworm are one of the most prolific and widely discovered pests in the UK, and the fact that they can be discovered in any kind of property means they can be discovered in a home, a shop, or even working restaurants and cafes.

Making sure that a kitchen serving the public, or a private area, is clean and hygienic is going to be the top of any list of priorities. However, the unknown presence of woodworm can have a drastic affect on a kitchen, both during everyday use, and when it comes time for an inspection.

Why Might Woodworm Be Found in a Commercial Kitchen?

Woodworm are attracted to all kinds of timber, and it’s only the moisture level in the timber itself that plays a part in how woodworm select what timber they are going to inhabit.

So, if you have a kitchen that makes use of timber for any of its features, it is going to be susceptible to woodworm, because woodworm are capable of inhabiting any timber that they find enticing,

So, why would a commercial kitchen in particular create an attractive spot for woodworm?

Well as we mentioned, timber with a higher moisture level is more attractive to woodworm. How that timber gets a higher moisture level can happen in a number of different ways, but one of the most common is through condensation.

Condensation occurs when moisture laden air is created in a space without any ventilation options available. This lack of ventilation means that over time the surfaces that the condensation is created on can develop lasting damp problems. In brick walls for example you might begin to see a damp patch form.

In timber however, you are going to see the moisture level within the timber rise. As well as making the timber more susceptible to developing problems like dry and wet rot, it makes the timber more enticing to woodworm.

Kitchens often develop condensation problems thanks to the high temperatures they need to sustain to retain output, and the energy level of all the people working within. All of this means that in many cases commercial kitchens develop problems with condensation, which cause further issues with mould growth, damp, and of course, woodworm.

What Can It Mean for My Business If Woodworm Is Discovered in a Kitchen?

Woodworm being found in a commercial or working kitchen is never a good thing.

At the very least, it will mean that when the weather gets warmer you may well see insects flying around the infested timber as the woodworm – not something you want in a kitchen. Outside of free-flying insects, you are going to have to contend with the creation of substances like frass, woodworm waste that collects underneath the infested timber.

Then there is the big problem, that of structural integrity. If the timber that has been infested is structurally significant then the woodworm pose a real risk of compromising the integrity of the timber itself, putting your kitchen in real danger.

Of course these are all immediate problems that are to do with the quality of the timber itself. There are of course, further implications regarding the discovery of woodworm in a working kitchen that can have serious ramifications on your business, especially concerning food and hygiene inspections. insects, like woodworm, being discovered in a kitchen could seriously affect your grading, and in turn impact customer perception and turnover.

What Should I Do If I Discover Woodworm in a Kitchen I Work in or Manage?

 

The discovery of woodworm in a kitchen is never a welcome one, and you might be worried about the next steps you will have to take if woodworm is found in a kitchen you run, own, or work in.

The good news is that our team are well equipped and heavily experienced in the treatment of woodworm in all kinds of spaces, and that includes working kitchens.

We are acutely aware that downtime within a kitchen is a significant disruption, either to the normal operation of a business like a restaurant, or to staff perks in a kitchen that serves a companies staff.

Our team are capable of working quickly to identify the extent of the problem in your kitchen, putting forward a solution and timeframe to restore your kitchen to a safe and hygienic standard.

Our technicians will then begin work on treatment of the timber within the kitchen, safely applying a woodworm treatment to the affected timber and removing or repairing any timber that requires further attention.

Timberwise are committed to delivering lasting solutions, and once our team have completed their work you should be left with a kitchen free of woodworm, with newly restored, repaired, or replaced timber. We believe in the quality of our work, and that’s why we offer a twenty year guarantee on all timber treatments that we carry out.

To arrange for Timberwise to help you with your kitchen’s timber just give us a call on 0800 288 8660, or fill in one of our online contact forms for our team to get in touch with you.

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