What Do Wood Borers Look Like
Wood damaging insects or wood boring beetles are of several kinds. However, the larvae of these insects look quite similar. They are creamy white, wriggly, soft-bodied insects with curved bodies. It is quite unlikely you will spot these larvae as they remain inside and do not crawl out from the wood. The adult wood boring beetles look different and most species are usually three to four millimeters in length. The larvae munch away on the wood. Most wood-boring insects nest inside wood with fairly high moisture content. Most frequently spotted in homes are the brown winged beetles. The adult version of these common furniture beetles invades and damages furniture and wooden pillars and structural supports.
Some of the most common wood boring beetles are
- Common Furniture Beetles
- Powder Post Beetles
Different Types Of Wood Recycling
Because the recycling stream is largely meant to be clean and residue-free, only untreated wood is suitable for recycling. You should avoid trying to recycle these types of woods:
- Wood otherwise contaminated with chemicals
While most wooden furniture cannot be recycled ,clean wood like timber, stumps, and limbs are perfect for recycling. Other wood waste that can be recycled includes:
- Yard waste: brush, roots, wood shavings, pruned branches, sawed lumber, whole trees from your yard, and Christmas trees
- Untreated wood: wood trim, used lumber, pallets used for shipping, and wood debris from construction and demolition
Lumber And Scrap Wood
It may grow on treesbut all the more reason to recycle wood if you can.
If You Have Unused Tongue-and-Groove Flooring, take it to a dealer or give it to a resale store. These places may also want large pieces of undamaged lumber and wooden doors. Find salvaged-wood dealers at yellowpages.com.
If You Have Lumber Scraps and leftover pieces of raw lumber, contact a wood-waste dealer for recycling or repurposing. You may have to pay a fee, but it should be less than the cost of disposal. Look for wood-waste dealers at yellowpages.com.
If You Must Toss It, make sure you are not handling baseboards and other woodwork that could contain lead paint. For tips on safe handling of materials painted before 1978, consult U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Ask your sanitation department for rules on disposal.
Drywall and Other Construction Debris
Here’s how to get rid of gypsum scraps and other rubble.
If You Have Asphalt Shingles, you may be able to find a nearby recycling center at ShingleRecycling.org.
If You Have Mixed Debris, look for a center where gleaners sort and sell recyclable wood, metals, concrete, gypsum, and other materials. Often they charge a nominal fee. Contact the Construction Materials Recycling Association or call 630-585-7530 for locations.
If You Must Toss It, ask your sanitation department if there are special pickup days for construction materials, or call a hauler such as 1-800-Got-Junk?.
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How To Remove Black Water Stains From Hardwood Floors
You will follow a three-step approach to remove black water stains from hardwood floors.
The solution you will use in step one is an old favorite, vinegar! Soak a clean rag in this acid-based solution and let it sit on your stain for ten minutes. You may need to repeat this procedure a few times before seeing any results.
The second step to removing black water stains from hardwood is to soak another clean rag in hydrogen peroxide and apply the soaked rag over the stained area for ten minutes. Before adding this step, ensure the solution is safe by testing it first on an inconspicuous area before applying more directly onto any type of stain!
Now you are required to use mineral spirits over the stained area and gently scrub with steel wool.
Finally, make a solution of water and bleach, and spray it onto the stained area to completely remove the stain from hardwood floors.
How To Get Rid Of A Water Heater
Its a lot easier to move a water heater in two piecesespecially if it has 50 lbs. of sediment in the bottomand its surprisingly easy to cut one in half. You could use a recip saw, but a circular saw with a ferrousmetal cutting blade is faster. Be sure to wear goggles or a face shield, hearing protection and long sleeves. Many appliances can be cut just be careful not to cut through refrigerant tubing or glass.
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Wood Mites Vs Termites
Both of these bugs feed on decomposing wood, but wood mites are very different from termites. Wood mites are a species of mite in the order Acarina, otherwise known as minute arachnids. Termites are wood-eating insects in the order Blattodea.
Both pests have white bodies, but termites are quite a bit larger than wood mites at a quarter- to half-inch long. They also have wings, while mites do not. Whereas wood mites are relatively harmless bugs, termites cause significant structural damage. Get rid of termites immediately when you spot them before they cause more problems.
Submit It To Hazardous Facility
We understand that most of the alternative solutions were for natural wood, so what to do with treated wood? The option is to take the treated wood to the hazardous waste facility. You can give the wood to the facility for a small fee. In fact, in some facilities, you do not even have to pay from residents, but if you are a business owner, then you might be charged.
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How Long Is Wood Stain Toxic
The length of time that wood stain is toxic depends on the type of stain and the woods it was used on. For example, water-based stains are usually not toxic after drying, while oil-based stains can be toxic for weeks or even months. The best way to find out how long your particular stain is toxic is to read the label or contact the manufacturer.
If you are working with a water-based stain, the fumes might be unpleasant, but they should not be harmful. Oil-based stains can be much more dangerous. The fumes from oil-based stains can contain lead and other heavy metals that can be very harmful if inhaled. Therefore, working in a well-ventilated area is important when using any oil-based stain.
If you can smell the wood stain, it is still releasing fumes into the air. The best way to get rid of the wood stain smell is to ventilate the area as much as possible. Open windows and doors and use fans to circulate the air. If the weather is nice, you can also work outside. The wood stain smell will eventually dissipate, but ventilating the area will speed up the process.
Disassemble Your Old Box Spring
Faced with the problem of how to get rid of his old bed, Field Editor Andrew Pitonyak stripped the fabric and padding from his box spring and left the metal springs on the curb for the local scrap collector to pick up. He saved the $20 cost of getting rid of the box spring and helped the environment by recycling the metal.
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What Do Wood Mites Look Like
Like dust mites and spider mites, wood mites are incredibly tiny, measuring less than a tenth of an inch in length.
Wood mites are distinguished from other types of mites by their white color and the long, silken threads they leave behind on wood and plant matter.
While it is rare that wood mites bite humans or pets, they may cause problems for people who suffer from allergies.
Although invisible to the naked eye, they sport long body hairs that they frequently shed. These hairs sometimes transport allergens around the house and cause allergic reactions in some people.
How To Dispose Of Wood
If you have wood or lumber left over from a building or dismantling project, you have several options for getting rid of it. Wood is a useful material with a vast number of applications. And, with the price of lumber at an all-time high, unused and scrap lumber is in high demand. In fact, chances are, one of the best ways to dispose of your wood is to give it away or even sell it to someone whos looking for some. Here are five ways to dispose of wood.
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Common Ways How To Dispose Of Old Deck Wood
Its time to tear that old deck down and build a new one. Or maybe you need to do some deck repair, and youre replacing some old boards.
Either way, youre going to have a lot of old material to get rid of. How to dispose of old deck wood? What options are safe and responsible? Wholl come and take it, and how much will it cost you?
In this article, well go over all the options you have for disposing of old decking material and provide you with the pros and cons of each, so you can get the old wood out of the way and begin building a new deck.
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Is Wood Stain Smell Harmful For Your Health
The odor from wood stains can be strong and overwhelming, especially when the stain is fresh. The fumes from some wood stains can also be harmful to your health if youre exposed to them for too long. While the smell of wood stain may not be pleasant, its not usually harmful to your health. However, if youre pregnant, have asthma, or have other respiratory problems, you may want to avoid exposure to the fumes.
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What Attracts Wood Mites
Aside from damp wood, there are two strange things that attract wood mites. Snakes and cigar smoke. They often gather in snake enclosures. The same goes for other reptiles that are kept in similar cages.
As for cigars, wood mites are very attracted to the humidor that cigars are kept in. So you have to be careful with them and keep them protected, checking for mites regularly. This can help you prevent needing to learn how to get rid of wood mites.
Can You Recycle Wood
The short answer is yes, but the reality is slightly more complicated than that.
Recyclable resources are ones that can be used again and again, but require a process to prepare it for re-use. So while you cant put wood waste curbside with your other recyclables, if brought to a facility that specializes in wood recycling, it can be recycled.
Rather than allow wood to become a sadly wasted resource, these facilities grind clean wood down to a size that can be useful to others. Usually, this means they will turn it into wood chips and mulch , but wood can become other things, too, including sawdust , plywood, and particleboard.
In fact, recycled toilet paper is made from processed tree paper.
Just remember that, as with any recycling center, wood recycling criteria varies from processor to processor.
Generally, they only accept wood that is free of contaminants like leaves, plants, dirt, rock, concrete, plastic, and metal that can damage their equipment. Some, on the other hand, may accept them and simply charge more for performing the separation.
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Borax And Water Spray
Mixing a little bit of borax and water and throwing it into a spray bottle is a great way to spray the wood for bugs. It will not only kill any insects that are currently living in the wood, but it will also prevent any new bugs from taking refuge in your reclaimed wood. Heres an example of how to mix it!
Identify The Source Of The Wood Mite Infestation
The first step in mite control is to find out where they are living. Wood mites live in house dust and debris, and their preferred food source is damp wood, like mold mites.
Look for signs of excess moisture or mold around your floorboards, kitchen cabinets, and pantry, and eliminate the moisture source. If you live in an especially humid climate, consider installing a dehumidifier.
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, think about storing your firewood in a sealed container so that any mites present cant escape. Regularly clean up all of the fallen pieces of bark or wood material around your fireplace.
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Contact Your Local Waste Management Department For Directions
Waste departments are in every major city. However, some of the community and state laws regarding waste management may vary from one city or state to another, so it helps to contact the authorities and get some clarity from them.
You should find their contact number on their website use this to call them up and get the answers you need. They should also guide you on how to dispose of wood stain and paint according to your local regulations.
All you need to do is follow the instructions they give you.
Wood Roach Control: How To Get Rid Of Wood Roaches
This page is an expert guide on getting rid of Wood Roaches from your property using the products and methods suggested by our experienced pest control specialists. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee you will be successful in eliminating Wood Roaches.
Cockroaches infestations that take place indoors can frustrate homeowners. While the more common cockroaches which invade indoor dwellings are the German cockroach and American Cockroach, there are other species which can also wander indoors, like the Wood Roach.
Unlike the German and American Cockroach, the Wood Cockroach prefers to be outside and only trek into a home by accident. They require consistent moisture in their environment to survive and can often be found under logs, woodpiles and leaf litter.
If you have been encountering Wood Roaches in your home, read on to find out how to can treat this pest and prevent it from coming indoors.
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How To Seal Wood With Wood Mites
It is possible to seal even the oldest wood to get rid of wood mites and prevent them from coming back. It all starts with heating the wood which will kill the bugs and their larvae. This works best with deconstructed wood.
Note that this should not be done on already constructed buildings as it puts you at a risk for a house fire. Hire a professional if you want to get rid of wood mites in your home for faster relief.
How To Get Rid Of Scrap Wood
Scrap wood can seem like an inconvenient and low-value woodworking byproduct, one to be ignored or cleaned up and thrown away. Lumber mills, firewood dealers, flooring companies, and cabinet companies all tend to end up with large amounts of wood waste and scrap wood that they may not know what to do with.
That makes sense.
Figuring out just how to get rid of scrap wood can easily stump you.
Without knowing how to get rid of scrap wood, you could easily end up with large amounts of wood waste lying around your shop or mill. You could throw your wood scrap away, or give sawdust to nearby farmers for bedding.
While theres nothing inherently wrong with that approach, you should know that your wood waste and scrap wood can be much more than just a pesky problem to solve.
With briquetting, a simple way to make dense, high-quality wood pucks or briquettes out of your scrap wood and sawdust, you wont have to handle the headaches of selling scrap or dealing with wood waste. Instead, youll be able to make a profit from your byproducts!
In this piece, well discuss how to get rid of scrap wood via recycling, vacuum, and briquetting and talk about just how accessible briquetting can be.
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Not All Wood Waste Is Green
When we speak of household, or residential, junk removal and wood waste, its best to think of wood in terms of categories. In fact, there are four generally accepted categories of household wood waste:
Yard Waste
Your yard can be a source of wood that can be put to good use in your own garden or landscaping. Composting makes use of carbon-rich brown material – limbs and branches – to aerate compost piles and provide food for the bacteria which breaks down organic matter. Many communities have regulations for wood waste that differ from place to place.
Untreated Wood
Untreated scrap lumber from backyard fences, decks and home improvement projects has a number of uses when recycled. For example, depending on the type of can be chipped and used in compost or mulch. It can also be turned into particle board or chipboard lumber. Where you can recycle wood varies from community to community.
Home Goods
Think toys and kitchen accessories. That matching wooden fruit bowl and paper towel holder you as a wedding gift, for example, doesnt have to go in the trash. The toy building blocks your eighth grader no longer plays with can still be used. And those old patio chairs? If they are in good shape, they, too, can be reused. In fact, instead of simply throwing them away – which could be a problem anyway have a garage sale or donate them to your favorite thrift store.
Treated/painted wood
Use It In The Fire Pit
Considering that you have the approval from the local ordinances, you can add the wood into your fire pit. Purchasing wood can be expensive, and this proves to be a perfect way to utilize your unused wood. It is recommended to use natural wood in the fire pit. This means that the wood should not be painted, stained, or treated in any other form.
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