Help Stop European House Borer – what you need to know

Have you heard of the European House Borer? His real name is Hylotrupes Bajulus Linnaeus and he’s making a meal of tall timber around our town! He loves Perth’s humid habitat and if allowed to dine out, can cause major damage to the supporting structures of your home.

The European House Borer

A destructive pest of seasoned coniferous timber, in particular pine, the European House Borer was first discovered in Europe (hence the name) but has also been detected in Eastern Australia, although since eradicated by fumigation. It is suspected that the European House Borer made its way into Western Australia as larvae laid inside imported pine. Indeed European House Borer can survive in its larval stage for a period of up to 12 years before it matures and emerges as an adult beetle, to begin the life cycle again!
By re-infesting the same piece of wood, the larvae continue to feed until the point of collapse. The scale of damage from past infestations in Europe and the Eastern States has been nothing short
of catastrophic as the European House Borer tends to invade structural roof timbers, but has also been known to infiltrate architraves, door frames and other articles made from timber, including
pine furniture!

The European House Borer invades structural roof timbers

Protecting your home with treated timber

In order to protect Western Australia from the potentially devastating effects of the European House Borer, our State Government introduced legislation in 2006 restricting the movement,
storage, treatment and disposal of susceptible timber within affected areas. Additionally, all timber (including pine and other soft woods) used for building construction in WA must now be treated with preservative chemicals in accordance with accepted Australian Standards and the Building Code of Australia.

To ensure that the timber used to construct the roof frame of your home not only meets, but exceeds these requirements, the Shelford Group guarantees to use only H2 (hazard level) treated timber made from machine-graded pine when we build your home. The use of this material not only creates a more stable roof structure, helping to prevent ceiling cracks and roof sagging, but it also provides protection against attack by termites and the pesky European House Borer, delivering increased durability against decay which in turn extends the life of your home.

Shelford Group guarantees to use only H2 (hazard level) treated timber made from machine-graded pine when we build your home

Build with Confidence

It’s just another reason why you can Build with Confidence when you build with Shelford First and Shelford Quality Homes. As part of the wholly Western Australian owned and operated Shelford Group, we’re committed to providing you with the best quality, the best value and the best customer service of any home builder in Perth, which is why we also offer our Shelford Build with Confidence Guarantee with every new home we build.

Of course, since 1991 in the construction industry, our talented team also knows a thing or two about residential building excellence, which is why our Shelford Build with Confidence Guarantee is backed by our rock-solid Shelford Lifetime Warranty. As a testament to the quality of the tradespeople we employ and the quality of the building materials we use, this extended warranty period ensures your dream home will stand the test of time – and for a period of up to 25 years!

For further information about the home building process, contact us today.