A Place In The Sun’s Laura Hamilton reveals horrible discovery she found during house renovation in Mallorca: ‘It’s nearly impossible to spot’
Laura Hamilton has revealed her new home in Mallorca had a woodworm infestation when she bought it.
The presenter and property expert, 42, bought the house in the heart of Pollença in August and agreed to buy it ‘as seen’.
This means that she had a huge job to strip the building, which was decorated in a very old-fashioned style and with old furniture.
But during her renovations, Laura discovered that part of the house had woodworm and was therefore forced to demolish part of the roof.
Woodworm is a general term for the larvae of wood beetles that can attack wood and cause structural damage to property.
The A Place In The Sun star shared a photo of herself inside the house with the roof above ripped off.
Laura Hamilton has revealed her new home in Mallorca had a woodworm infestation when she bought it
The presenter and real estate expert, 42, bought the house in the heart of Pollença in August and agreed to buy it ‘as seen’
Alongside the post she wrote: ‘I recently looked at a property in Spain… (thankfully not @myrenovationinthesun) that had suffered serious damage… and it was all caused by WOODWORM…
‘A woodworm infestation can cause major damage to your home. Woodworms can eat wood fibers and permanently damage the structure of your building, requiring extensive repairs.
“Worst of all, they are almost impossible to see before the damage is done.”
Laura then gave fans a list of tips on what to do if they think they have woodworm.
She wrote: ‘What can you do? Well, you have to act quickly. 1. Identify: Look for small holes and powdery dust (frass) as signs of activity.
‘2. Determine if it is active or structural. Consult a professional if you are unsure.
‘3. Move affected items away from other wood to prevent spread.
‘4. Use a DIY woodworm treatment for minor cases or call a professional for serious or structural infestations.
Laura wrote: ‘A woodworm infestation can cause serious damage to your home. Woodworms can eat wood fibers and permanently damage the structure of your building.
‘5. Replace or repair damaged wood. 6. Keep wood dry, improve ventilation and apply wood preservative.
‘If you are unsure whether a property has woodworm before you buy it, have a survey carried out!’
Laura ultimately demolished most of the house to create her dream swimming pool as the centerpiece of the holiday home.
In late November, she posted an update to her fans on Instagram, writing, “LOOK HOW FAR I’VE COME…”
‘In August I bought a holiday home in Mallorca. But of course, as I am, it had to be a ‘renovation project’. It’s a huge undertaking and I love the process and of course the transformation.
‘I decided not to post much about my renovation on this page as I know not everyone is interested, so I decided to create a separate page with more content about the project on @myrenovationinthesun.’
Laura ultimately demolished most of the house to create her dream swimming pool as the centerpiece of the holiday home
She also ended up demolishing most of the house to create her dream pool as the centerpiece of the holiday home.
Laura talked about how difficult it was to empty the house as it was located on a small street in the middle of the city – and it took a team of eight people three days to empty everything
She also gutted the old-fashioned bathroom, downstairs bedroom and kitchen to make way for a more modern design
Laura has been one of the rotating presenters of Channel 4’s lifestyle series A Place In The Sun since 2012
Laura talked about how difficult it was to empty the house, because it is located on a small street in the middle of the city. It took a team of eight people three days to clear everything.
The entire back of the house has been demolished and the roof terrace has disappeared to create space for a courtyard garden with a plunge pool.
She also gutted the old-fashioned bathroom, downstairs bedroom and kitchen to make way for a more modern design.
Laura has been one of the rotating presenters of Channel 4’s lifestyle series A Place In The Sun since 2012.
She started her rise to fame in 2003 when she appeared on the popular children’s program Fun Song Factory on CITV – alongside JLS’s Aston Merrygold.
Laura also presented Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards and was in talks to host The X Factor companion show, The Xtra Factor.
Since becoming a firm favorite on A Place In The Sun, Laura has appeared on Dancing On Ice, where she came second.