Old house borer beetles would be my guess if the walnut wasn't kiln dried.

Thank you green designs!

I bet you are right! I have found some beetles in the house lately. Or do you think they were in the wood all along? I poked something in the hole and I heard something! It was like a vibrating sound. It sounded bigger than termites. Do you know if this can be treated? Is there anything I can get tonight to put in the hole??? I will call the pest control co. tomorrow.

I'm not sure about the bugs but, I'm pretty sure I've seen your place on Houzz?

Hi schicksal, no I dont think it's been on Houzz. I take that as a compliment though!

I think it is a beetle. I will call a pest control co. and see what they say to do. I think the walnut part that is pulling away is warping and has nothing to do with the beetle. I cant find any signs of anything anywhere else on the island. I hope if I can get rid of it, the hole can be fixed and I will be done with it. Yuck! the whole thing grosses me out, even though I have always liked bugs and thought they were interesting. (I dont kill the crickets or spiders in the house - I take them outside).

No ideas, hope you figure out a solution. My gosh, that close-up picture of your walnut is just stunning!

I have to say, you are taking this incredibly calmly. I'd be freaking out. Your kitchen is gorgeous so I hope you can get this fixed, and soon! You don't cook?

Beautiful kitchen!

Just had a similar thing happen on a ash counter, we never figured out what it was (although we did suspect it was the asian beetle)...ended up having to make a new counter for the client, pest man could not figure out a way to make sure whatever was in there was going to be permanently removed

No way that Walnut was air dried, 100% kiln dried

For the pulling away, there is not much you are going to be able to do with that...all that solid wood on the counter needs to be able to move, all you can do is make sure your humidity levels in the house are consistent and not fluctuating wildly.

Only thing I would check is to make sure the underside of that top is sealed with finish, preferably the same finish and same mil thickness as the top side....if it is not the same material and same thickness it is considered an unequal panel and the potential is there that it could cup even with perfect climate controls

I am pretty sure it's a beetle. If I poke something in the hole, it gets irritated and vibrates. I hope there is only one. The pest control people are coming out tomorrow afternoon to look at it. I am also going to have them spray the house, although I dont seem to have a problem with bugs - just crickets and beetles every now and then.

The cabinet guy is on vacation but called this AM. He said to let the pest control people look at it. He will come look at it when he returns. He said he will do whatever he can to make it right on his end.

I am trying not to stress because it wont do any good. If it needs a new top, then I will just have to deal with it. It sounds like the cabinet contractor will work with me on it.

ajc71, are you saying the wood in the island looks like it was kiln dried? I would guess if that is the case, then the beetle(s) infested after installation? This would seem wierd, though, as I dont have a lot of wood in the house. The only wood I do have is on the exterior, which is 50-60 yrs old, and in great shape. But if it came from my house, maybe it will be more easily treated (I hope).

I will check to see if the underside is sealed. I think it is, but not sure.

Thank you for the comments! And thanks for the compliments on the kitchen!

For sure the wood is KD, that is a good thing not a bad thing...based on the look of the craftsmanship of the kitchen and the attention to detail in the grain matching etc there is no chance he used air dried lumber!

Again based on the attention to detail, the cabinetmaker seems like a true craftsman who takes great pride in his work..and one who would do whatever it takes to work this out with you.

FYI....on the ash top that we just replaced, the client offered to pay for a new top, we agreed that if he paid for the material we would make the top for no charge. Neither of us could determine what the problem was, so I/we felt that was fair

Good luck!

Thanks ajc71! I am really happy with the work. If the beetle came from my house, than I am more than happy to pay for a new top. Do you think it did since this looks kiln dried?

I don't think there is anyway to tell where it came from, but seeing as it has been installed for 2-3 years I find it hard to believe that it is just working it's way out now..

I am by far an expert, maybe your pest guy can answer?

"Only thing I would check is to make sure the underside of that top is sealed with finish, preferably the same finish and same mil thickness as the top side....if it is not the same material and same thickness it is considered an unequal panel and the potential is there that it could cup even with perfect climate controls."

ajc71:

This guy disagrees:

Here is a link that might be useful: Myth

The thing about old house borers is that they take years for the larvae to mature and chew their way out of wood. And that's why kiln drying is so important for both insect and fungal control. Theoretically, the sustained 140ð F should kill the larvae.

However, walnut is a wood that is typically air dried, because the heat affects it's coloration, dulling it down. So, what can you do? Do you have access to a walk in freezer? That can kill them as well as heat. But, because of the minimal humidity inside most freezers, you may experience more wood movement than you are already experiencing. Wood swells and shrinks in response to humidity. That's normal and is to be expected---and planned for in wood tops attachment points. Keyhole slots are preferred to a single bored hole type attachment.

Trebruchet:

I know he disagrees, Bob and I have been friends for many years and have had this debate/argument on several hundred occasions...I am right, well in my mind I am right that is....

For what it's worth, I bought some wood picture frames made in Indonesia and had them for years when suddenly they had a whole bunch of tiny holes bored in them and sawdust at each hole. Something was in there dormant and then got active.

What live_wire_oak said makes the most sense to me. Hopefully you don't have a big infestation!

I can only tell you what happened to our headboard. We had one made. Few weeks go by. Beetles appear in the bedroom. I think, no biggie, it's spring (April), odd buggies are getting in.

Nope. Wood borer beetles. Larvae can stay in the wood for years then they come out.

I hope your counter top has a better outcome than my headboard posts!

Also what spanky_md wrote, I had noticed sawdust around my posts too, so fine, from the little buggers boring out!

Thank you so much everyone!

I have an answer and it's not what I was expecting...it's termites! The pest control guy came out just to look at the island. He can see a tiny tube if he shines light at the gap where the wood is warping. He said they likely came along a crack in the concrete floor that runs from the wall, under the sink to the island. He said it is subterrainean termites and they do not eat walnut, but must have found a weak spot. He is coming back Monday with a couple guys and they are going to treat it. He said it is treatable but they will have to be innovative in getting the treatment to the bugs. He may use a syringe. Anyway, these termites dont eat walnut usually and he thinks the island will be fine after the area is treated. I am guessing this is the only part of the island that will show damage, and I am pretty sure the carpenter can repair it. I am relieved! This termite and pest control co. is really awesome.

He also said that if it was the beetles or drywood termites (which do eat walnut), we could cover the island and heat it up. Anyway, I am happy that this is something fixable.

I will update this post if I hear anything new on Monday when they come back to treat it.

Treb and ajc71, I have discussed this same issue with Bob as well as others. It is definitely one of those age old topics for discussion. One of those individuals I have discussed this topic with is Charles Neil. Charles is an expert who is on the same level as Bob yet is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to this particular topic. Below is one link that discusses the finishing process he employs:

http://charlesneilwoodworking.com/references/finishingatozreference.pdf

Charles also has a great book on finishing which serves as an easy to read manual. My take has always been that rare is the instance when you would regret having finished both sides of the wood on a project. Finishing both sides of wood removes one possible cause of wood movement. Secondly I believe in craft above all, aesthetic and quality should be carried throughout a project not just on the parts of a project that receive the greatest attention.