post beetle

bling72

Hi there,

I really need some advice, i ordered mahogany door frames from an irish company about a month ago and they were just about to be put up but the builder discovered post beatle in them. The builder said its more than likely the post beetle is dead but theres no way im taking the chance, my builder said he would not put them in if it was his house. i rang the company i purchased them off and told them i wanted them removed and replaced with new ones. they said they would ring me back in an hour..what do i do if they refuse to take them or replace them? i dont want them treated, its a new build and im taking no chances.

slowburner

bling72 wrote: »

Hi there,

I really need some advice, i ordered mahogany door frames from an irish company about a month ago and they were just about to be put up but the builder discovered post beatle in them. The builder said its more than likely the post beatle is dead but theres no way im taking the chance, my builder said he would not put them in if it was his house. i rang the company i purchased them off and told them i wanted them removed and replaced with new ones. they said they would ring me back in an hour..what do i do if they refuse to take them or replace them? i dont want them treated, its a new build and im taking no chances.

There are two main aspects to be dealt with here, carefully, as soon as possible and with concrete information:

1. Your rights as a consumer who has been supplied with potentially defective timber.
2. The implications of importing/supplying timber with wood boring insects present.

As regards your consumer rights - I am not qualified to offer any advice, but I would expect that the degree of damage would be an important factor; as would the potential for further spread if the beetles were still alive.
It will have to be established if the beetles infested the timber here, or in the country of origin. It will also have to be established if the beetles are still alive - if they are, then it's likely that the timber was attacked while the frames were in storage in Ireland - presumably, they were constructed in Ireland? If the timber has been imported with a live infestation then the implications are very serious indeed.
Imported timber must by law, be kiln-dried to kill any insects which might be present and should be stamped to prove it. At this stage of the timber process, though, you will have no access to the stamp.

Before you go any further with installation, it would be prudent to contact the authorities for more advice because they may request a sample of the infected/damaged timber. Coford.ie and possibly Coillte.ie should help with regard to the timber aspect. I would just like to make it clear that I am not qualified to give advice in this matter and would urge you seek advice from the authorities. Hopefully, others in this forum will suggest who you should contact.

bling72

Thank you slowburner for your helpful reply. They have not rang me back as they said they would. I am going to ring them and ask for my money back and for them to take back the frames.

William Powell

Some interesting info here in particular this...

They are primarily pests of timber yards, but also cause considerable damage to furniture, sports equipment, wood block floors and joinery.

slowburner

My timber store has a great variety of these bugs

William Powell

slowburner wrote: »

My timber store has a great variety of these bugs

Maybe you shouldn't have stored it for so long in the hope that it might come in useful one day

slowburner

William Powell wrote: »

Maybe you shouldn't have stored it for so long in the hope that it might come in useful one day

For sure, but who doesn't store too much wood?
Here's the result of another bug attack - not post beetle, but the larva of a moth - not sure what species, though. It originally came from some old Ash trunks I salvaged. The wood in the picture is Californian Redwood and is part of the deck of a bridge.

[Embedded Image Removed]

artycrafty

Apart from the fact that the larvae may be dead or alive, the strength and stability of the wood is compromised.
If you install them, you will never be happy that they are there and may eventually replace them down the line causing more expense.
In my opinion, they are a defective product and do not meet standards that you are entitled to.
Let us know how you get on.

bling72

I will post an update artycrafty, thanks. awaiting a call this afternoon from them.

bling72

Heres an update since yesterday.. no one got back to me since so i had to ring the place that sold me the frames again this morning. I told them i wanted the frames returned and my money back and they said well they would have to get someone to inspect them and said they would send a rep to see them. i said fine but they would be taking them away with them and the boss man then said if they are more likely to be ambrosia beetle then rest assured he would not be taking them back!! what is ambrosia beetle? i googled it but could not get much info only that it does not cause structural damage just cosmetic? i told him i was not accepting defective wood as he said it was not defective blah blah blah..after a somewhat heated few words he then said would i be able to email him a photo of the holes in the wood and he could get the manufacturer to look at them (hence now not sending a rep) so thats where its at. does it matter what type of beetle has made the holes? and who can i get to inspect the wood in case this goes to court? I dont think i will be getting my money back without a fight. any advice much appreciated..

artycrafty

Thanks for the update, I don't not know enough about the different species of beetles, but regardless, I think that even a cosmetic issue is enough reason to return the doors/frames.
Would a customer be expected to buy a strong well built sofa with raggy fabric, after all, it is structurally sound, just cosmetically compromised!
Keep at the supplier, I understand that he may be under pressure in these times, but that does not justify supplying unacceptable products.

slowburner

It seems to me that the "boss" is gearing up to argue that the wood might have become infested while in your possession. It might be wise to be prepared for that.
From the little I could glean from the web, it seems that the Ambrosia beetle primarily attacks palms. There were some reports of attacks in Douglas Fir forests in the US. It originates in Asia and seems to be widely distributed in continental America.
I couldn't find out enough about the pest, to state that this species would not attack mahogany - nor could I find any warnings in Ireland about it. Importantly, there was no mention of it in the national invasive species database.
Perhaps if you started a thread in the nature & bird watching forum here
somebody might be able to tell you more than I can. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

bling72

Another update on the door frames. the "boss" rang me this morning and said he tested a sample of the same wood from his yard and it was as he guessed it had ambrosia beetle in it when the tree was live but he said its well gone now. he said all the woods he imports are klin dried and he has all his papers in order. then he finished on the note that he would be sending me a solicitors letters stating the above! I repeated again to him that it did not matter what type of beetle made the holes, the wood is not acceptable and again he said they was nothing wrong with it. Meeting my own solicitor on monday. Thank you to all for your advice over last few days.

artycrafty

Thanks for keeping us updated! Wish you luck with the meeting....

William Powell

These are hardwood frames so many people would want to keep the natural wood finish, so the question has to be does the worm damage mean the frames are only suitable for a paint finish?

slowburner

bling72 wrote: »

Another update on the door frames. the "boss" rang me this morning and said he tested a sample of the same wood from his yard and it was as he guessed it had ambrosia beetle in it when the tree was live but he said its well gone now. he said all the woods he imports are klin dried and he has all his papers in order. then he finished on the note that he would be sending me a solicitors letters stating the above! I repeated again to him that it did not matter what type of beetle made the holes, the wood is not acceptable and again he said they was nothing wrong with it. Meeting my own solicitor on monday. Thank you to all for your advice over last few days.

If you could post up a picture of the damage, I'm sure you would get a few opinions as to whether the damage was acceptable - not that this would be much help from a legal point of view, though.