I’m not really into decorating. Okay, let me rephrase that. I like playing with space, colors and textures, which is why I had the living and dining areas repainted and wallpapered, but when it comes to anything purely ornamental, I pass. That’s why you won’t find curio cabinets in my house nor knick knacks. I’m just not into those things. But when I saw these sculpted solid wood sun figures, complete with laughing faces, I melted. I saw them at Tiendesitas on a day when I was looking for a table lamp, I forgot all about the table lamp and spent quite a while haggling with the stall owner.
See, I could already imagine the set of laughing sun figures above the front door, or maybe above the double French doors that open to the lanai, or even on the corner post of the living room. The natural wood stain was just perfect for the warm colors of the living and dining areas. So, I haggled. There were three pieces, in graduated sizes, and they were individually priced. All three cost P1,800.00 but since I can be such a bully when haggling, I was able to get all three for P1,000.00. I kept them in a plastic bag inside a cabinet until I could get someone to drill through the concrete walls to put up hooks.
What’s the powdery stuff? Well, that’s the reason why you’re seeing photos of the laughing sun ornaments resting on the tabletop. If it weren’t for the darn powdery stuff, these things would be mounted on the wall and those would be the photos you’d be looking at.
See, when I opened the plastic bag to take them out a week or so ago, the powdery stuff came out. It was the wood. Termites? We don’t have termites. At least, not anymore. And not since months before I bought these things when we had the entire house and garden treated. We’ve been closely monitoring any appearance of termite trails and there have been none for months and months. Besides, if it were termites, there would be holes in the plastic bag too because there is no way that termites could have reached the wood without boring through the plastic bag.
There they are today. A close-up shot below.
My friend, Eric, said it might be bukbok — wood-boring beetles — which although smaller than termites are much harder to control. So, I started wondering if the wood had not been treated before it was sculpted and if bukbok had been inside all this time just waiting to do damage.
It’s depressing, really. I so very rarely buy ornamental items and the one time that I did, they turned out to be useless. Maybe, I should ask around if there’s a way to save them, patch the holes and apply another a fresh coat of wood stain. With the added cost, it’s probably going to turn out as though I never haggled to buy them for a lower price.
hi ms. connie! those wood boring beetles can really be a pest. we had those in our furniture and what my husband did was to buy a solution (sorry, I forgot the name)used to treat termites also. they mix this with water and you either brush it over the wood or spray it. it usually is available in local hardwares. sorry I forgot the name but if you ask in the hardware, they know it. it comes in a 1L bottle. why don’t you try it? i hope this helps. i’ll get back to you when i remember the name of the solution.
Thanks, Cheann. Any ideas how to fix the holes?
hi ms. connie. the painters use masilya to cover the holes but it’s a tedious process because you have to sand it and paint over it. i read some of the comments and i think the best option would be to use the wood filler. my husband also forgot the name of the solution we used but he said he’s going to ask his friend.
Yes, please. I don’t want my laughing suns to go to waste.
hey connie,
Im looking for pictures of these bugs that are making holes like that in an old dresser that i saved from going to the dump. I was told to spray this chemical stuff on it and it would take care of them. im still sceptical about it, but we’ll see. I think the holes in your smiling sun adds more character to it. I wouldnt cover them up! And did you take care of those insects that are making them? And how did you do that?
Michelle
Hmmm…. I wonder if the ‘bukbok’ can contaminate other wood fixtures – like the cabinet where you kept the laughing sun wood carvings.
Time to conduct an inspection, ano? The inside walls are concrete but the doors and shelves are wood…
ms.connie, try WOOD SHIELD (wood preservative) you can buy it at hardware. you can spray or brush the area affected.
Thanks. No need to mix anything I hope?
I remember when I was little, we had a neighbor who has a wood works/furniture shop. One day I saw the owner, Mang Aldo applying some kind of a glue to a cabinet and I asked what that was and he said its called “masilya”. He said ginagawa daw yun before magpintura para yung mga maliliit na butas ay mapasakan. Oo nga naman, when the cabinet was done, para syang refrigerator sa kinis. Hehehe…
Maybe you can use that too, after you’ve treated the wood with the anti-bukbok solution. I just hope you can buy masilya in small amounts kasi the masilya I saw in the shop before was like, in 10-liter pails…
Masilya is also the only solution I know. Kaya lang, I’ll have to paint the wood to hide where the masilya was applied. Kainis talaga mga bukbok na yan.
Hi Connie,
You can try using wood filler. They come in different wood shade. Choose the closest color to your wood decor. It’s probably available at Home Depot and they come in tubes. Meron ding pens na pwedeng ipang stain para makuha mo ang tamang shade kung medyo malayo yung filler.
Hope this helps.
Carol
Carol, that’s not the same as masilya? Sasabihin ko kay Speedy sya bumili. I am clueless with these treatment solutions.
It’s not the same as masilya. What i used was similar to clay that you mold into the affected area. Once it hardened, i just used sandpaper to smoothen it. I used this on our door that got accidentally chipped. I covered about 2 inches and revarnished it. Not really good as new, but it beats getting a new door. For small holes, i think it’ll work better.
Since sinagot na ni peterb ang question mo (beside, di ko rin alam if they are different), let me just remind you that this is just to fill the holes.
Hope you’ll save your pretty decor.
So, I have to 1) treat the wood 2) fill the holes and 3) retouch the finishing. Omigosh, my bargain is now turning out to be so expensive.
We have the same exact art woodwork. I checked mine coz we have them wrapped in bubble wrap since we moved to a new house a year ago. Thankfully mine doesn’t have that powdery thing and holes. My inlaws gave them to us when they came to visit us in the states two years ago and if i recall it right they got them from SM megamall. Just wondering if the wood differs when you buy it from different stores.
Ah, now that may be a factor. Some woods being harder than others.
Have you heard of Stripsol? It is a paint solution/insecticide stinks for weeks and weeks, but when applied properly, it will protect your ornaments against wood-eating insects, and stain just like wood varnish. Since the ornaments will hang outside, I don’t think the smell will bother you. It is available in all hardware stores. Be careful and wear gloves during application.
Oh, I thought Stripsol was for stripping off old paint.
Haha! Not only did you get a great discount, you also got “bukbok” as a freebie! The solution is to buy a bottle of Solignum and brush it all over the wood or, better yet, inject it into the holes to better penetrate and kill those hardworking woodborers. Then get wood filler that matches the wood color and patch the holes. Finally, re-stain them and you’ll have a spanking brand new decor.
PS: There’s another brand aside from Solignum which specifically is for woodborers but the name escapes me now. I bought them in Ace Hardware to solve the same problem as yours that I had with our wooden door.
Yun! That was the name I was trying to recall. Solignum. I remember the window frames in our old, old house were treated with it.
Hi Ms. Connie. I think Al and I are thinking of the same solution and we both have the same problem of remembering it. I’ll go check it out at Ace Hardware this Sunday if you’re still interested but Solignum is also effective.
hi connie. with those starry knick-knacks costing a fortune of sorts, maybe the vendor would just be kind enough to replace it with new ones rather than ruin their reputation and lose a possibly loyal customer.
In Tiendesitas, most stalls come and go, lease contracts being on a month-to-month basis. The stall may not even be there anymore.
We had some fairly new rattan furniture that got attacked by bukbok also. My sister and I injected the holes with green Baygon, the cockroach killing kind, and it worked. Maybe it will work for your kind of wood also. Good luck!
have you gotten rid of the bugs and how did you do it?
Not yet. Haven’t had much time to attend to it.
well, i saved an old dresser from going to the dump. i left it on my carport so i can sand it down and revarnish it. thats how i notice little dust piles with holes underneath. this guy game me some cemical stuff to mix with water to put on it and the wood would soak it up and the bugs will eat the wood and die. its been two days now and i’ve seen one new dust pile. im not sure if its getting rid of them or not. i dont want to continue working on it if the bugs wont leave! let me know if you get rid of your little friends and how. but i wouldnt cover up those holes in your suns, it shows character. where did you get them and is there more?
Michelle
hi connie,
look at this tip i got from yahoo. it might help your problem. (i figured pwede mo i-freeze yan, kasi hindi naman sila big pcs of furniture).
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A carved wooden mask I picked up at Mardi Gras last year is showing the telltale pinholes of a woodworm infestation. As they know in the furniture refinishing business, placing a wooden item in the deep freezer for a couple of weeks will kill woodworms and their eggs.
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Wow, thanks!
Yep, my rental house is being treated for them now. Have to replace two doors, had to fill and paint all downstairs wood trim, got into dining rm table and TV stand. They are a real pest. My treatment from a Pest Control company is twice a month for 6 months.