Tips from a Timber Frame Repair Expert | Preventing Deathwatch Beetle Damage

Just months after moving in, we started to hear the tapping of deathwatch beetles in our house. After much searching, we finally found an expert who could help us. This video features Paul Marlowe as he surveys the damage and offers advice on what we can do.
Marlowe Restorations
www.marlowerestorations.com
[e-mail]
203-484-9643
00:00 We’ve got deathwatch beetles. Now what?
01:32 “I wouldn't fix your basement until you solve this”
03:14 “You never want
organic matter
so close to wood”
03:49 “Peeling paint is often the first
sign of decay”
04:21 “Don’t spray”
05:54 “Pull it like you plan to reuse it”
06:20 “Chase the rot”
06:33 “Keep plantings
at least three feet
from the building”
06:58 Collect Data...
“get an inexpensive humidistat”
07:55 “That's probably the original clay mortar”
08:29 “Find out as much as you can
about the foundation
before you plow into it”
09:34 Collect Data...
“take a plumb stick”
11:35 “You want to have a true HEPA”
13:24 “What I like better than plastic is EPDM”
14:16 “Remember, first gear”
16:42 “This animal here, you gotta keep an eye on”
20:47 “You've got hardly any beetles on those main timbers"
22:13 “You might want to get into some borates”
25:41 “These are water-sawn boards”
28:41 “They ate that one good”
34:30 “Each lamination adds strength”
36:42 “Are frogs slimy?”
Paul mentions briefly that he has a product that can be used when boards have already started to rot. For more information on this process, please check out conservepoxy.com/
This video, by Ross Charters, actually shows the beetle making the sound and also offers many useful tips: • Deathwatch beetle surv...

[@helen1962]

We are losing these very knowledgeable fellas every day, what a gift he is, hard to find guys like this any longer!

[@betweentwobrooks]

Agreed! We're so lucky to have found him.

[@jonboy8181]

I could listen to this guy talk for hours!

[@betweentwobrooks]

I know! Luckily, we get to keep chatting with him as we execute the plans he's helped us make.

[@ballsflying]

Never lock up the moisture. It gets in and gets out naturally. The structure survived for hundreds of years naturally. Where the wood contacts stone use a hot lime mixture ( protect your skin an eyes with this stuff) it is moisture regulating and the high pH kills mound and fungi. Ventilation is key and indeed regulate the moisture outside by drainage.

[@betweentwobrooks]

Great advice, thank you very much!

[@amjwh99]

Nice video. Thanks for sharing.
Did you guys end up doing anything to eliminate the death watch beetle? I live in Connecticut and have a historic home. We recently started hearing tapping. Curious what treatment options are available to get rid of them…

[@betweentwobrooks]

Thanks for watching! We are taking steps to reduce the moisture content in our house and timbers. Apparently the beetles need a certain moisture level to survive. Otherwise we listen to the gentle tapping every spring as fumigation or spraying of the timbers is not a realistic option

[@RenovationFarmhouse]

Regarding your moisture issues, I have found a lot of value from Peter Ward’s videos especially this one:
th-cam.com/video/RbyaRgkfhwg/w-d-xo.html
Basically you need to manage moisture from the basement using dehumidifiers, natural airflow, repointing walls with lime mortar and exterior water management. Do not “tank” the basement walls or floors like these waterproofing companies want you to do.

[@betweentwobrooks]

I will check that video out, thanks for the tip