Though wet rot is easier to combat than dry rot, it does occur much more often and should not be ignored. You may notice a damp, musty smell and even spot fungal growth, whilst the timber in your property may soften and become discoloured and cracked. None of these things you observe make for an attractive picture of your property. The problem only gets worse if left untreated as it can eventually weaken the overall strength of your property, eventually becoming very dangerous.
A professional property survey carried out by our experienced surveyors can pinpoint the location of wet rot even in concealed areas of the building. Wet rot is the result of moisture that can be from faulty pumping or gutters coming into contact with wood. These conditions of water ingress and damp cause rote spores to grow. Our surveyors can determine the source of the dampness causing the wet rot and prescribe the best treatment to solve the problem. Though wet rot is confined to just damp timber, we thoroughly recommend and carry out an survey of the strength of all the timbers attacked by fungal decay.
A major building decaying fungus that can often causes extensive damage, dry rot needs moisture to thrive. Anything from damaged gutters, pipes or a leaky roof can serve as the source of this moisture. The dry rot fungus can spread on wood and other cellulose containing material, and is also able to grow through brick and plaster. Once it starts growing, often unnoticed, it can inflict serious damage on timber anywhere in a building, leading to the structural integrity of a property being dangerously compromised, if left untreated.
Dry rot will only affect timber that is damp, typically affecting timber with a moisture content of 20 – 35%. In suitable damp conditions dry rot growth can extend a distance of several metres from its food source, producing a large, silky ‘fluffy’ looking fungus resembling cotton wool. Other symptoms include the wood shrinking and splitting into small pieces, becoming lighter in weight and a dull brown shade.
Similar to wet rot, a professional survey needs to be carried out by our team of qualified surveyors to assess the extent and level of seriousness of your property’s particular dry rot situation. From there our experts can get to work removing the temperature and moisture conditions the dry rot requires to continue to spread. We identify and remove the source of the damp and, if the problem is a minor one, a combination of removing the damp and anti-fungal treatments should cause the rot to stop growing and render it dormant. If the issue is more severe we may have to remove plaster, use anti-fungal treatments and replace infected timbers with new ones.
The primary aims of remedial works are to establish dry and well ventilated conditions. The quicker dry rot is treated the cheaper cost of repairs are likely to be. Our team are always happy to answer any questions you have and discuss and explain each point of your property’s timber treatment with you.
The term ‘woodworm’ is a general one used to describe a range of insects that use wood as a food source, feeding on the cellulose within the wood leaving a network of tunnels in their that can cause severe damage to the timber structures within a property. Woodworm are at their highest concentration levels between April and October, with beetles being the most common pests. Indicators of woodworm infestations are small round holes appearing in your woodwork and fine powder or dust surrounding these holes, plus crumbly edges to boards. If no holes are visible, discovering the dust underneath old furniture is another sign of active insects.
You would be forgiven for wanting this particularity grotesque problem with your property dealt with as quickly as possible. Our team work efficiently to carry out a extensive survey to establish the level of damage, to recommend the most suitable woodworm treatment. Usually, if the infestation is not too widespread, only the surface of timbers need to be treated to kill emerging woodworm and prevent them from laying more eggs. We can also effectively apply a variety of chemical treatments to combat more severe problems, replacing parts or all of the timbers that have had their structurally strength compromised.
It is not uncommon for supported joist ends to become damp too as they rest inside or nearby to structural walls that are also riddled with damp. Blocked gutters, water leaks or damaged tiles can all be the causes of this dampness. The most basic yet effective way to repair damaged joist ends is to install joist repair plates, which are a pair of L shaped, metal plates and screws.
Support beams are usually bigger timbers than joists and therefore it might not be possible to use the joist repair plate system to resolve the problem of faulty beams. Instead we may use a Timber-Resin Splice to replace and repair defective beams. This solution entails using a new piece of timber that contains strengthened metal rods at one end. We fit these metal rods at the other end of the beam securely using resins.
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