The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
The Care Of Wood Work In The Home
Lyctus, unlike the furniture beetle, only attacks the sapwood of certain newly felled or partially seasoned hardwoods. It is no danger to antiques, and as timber for new furniture was properly seasoned by all reputable manufacturers before the war and most of the sapwood eliminated before use, lyctus infestation was then rare. During and since the war, however, considerable quantities of lyctus-infested 'green' timber have been imported in this country. Unfortunately, too, it is now in many homes, because in the immediate post-war period officialdom, against the advice of experienced manufacturers, and in the interests of so-called economy, insisted on sapwood being included in utility furniture. The order no longer applies and pre-war practice again prevails, but much damage has already been done.
From the brief details already given, it will be realized that 'worm' holes are no sign of age and that 'antiques' are not attacked by lyctus. Their enemy is the furniture beetle, which attacks nearly all seasoned hardwoods and softwoods, also plywood and wicker- work of any age. Admittedly the furniture beetle has particular favorites: among hardwoods these include beech, ash, walnut, all fruitwoods, birch, elm, sycamore and oak. In heavy sections of hardwood it usually, but not always, confines itself to the sapwood. Dense hard-woods, such as calamander, Macassar ebony, lignum vitae and boxwood, are hardly ever attacked and to a somewhat lesser degree this remark applies to the dense Jamaican and Cuban mahoganies, but the more porous Honduras variety is by no means immune. In softwoods, the most prone to attack are pine, spruce and larch. Yew and pitch-pine, being dense, seldom suffer. The liking of the creature for both hardwoods and softwoods constitutes its great menace, because it means, unfortunately, that destruction may commence in floors or other structural timbers of a building and spread to the furniture or vice versa.
The remedy is the same for both lyctus and furniture beetle: thorough application of a good, penetrative insecticide which will poison the wood as food for the larvae, whilst, if possible, acting at the same time as a wood-structure preservative. Many people pin their faith to paraffin or turpentine, both of which are cheap and reasonably effective; but both of them soften the wood rather unduly and damage polish or patination if not wiped off the surface quickly. Even if wiping is done speedily, there still remain smears and some dullness to eliminate, which requires considerable wax polishing. It is, therefore, better to use one of the well-tested proprietary preparations which are on the market now. These are more deadly, have greater penetrative powers, and some of them are specially formulated for polished woodwork and do not damage surface patination. They slightly darken the flight holes, and this factor aids discovery of any fresh beetle attacks.
