Timber Treatments

Timber is a wonderful natural resource that we use in all kinds of building work, however timber is also very vulnerable to being attacked by Damp, insects and fungi.

DRY ROT

Dry rot occurs when timber becomes damp and the affecting damp, has a moisture content that is in excess of 20%. This can happen due to there not being enough air circulation under the floor boards or inside the basement.

Cavity wall insulation can cause dry and wet rot as when it was installed, the air vents around the property have been blocked, which reduces the air circulation and causes the moisture content to increase, becoming humid. These conditions are what Dry Rot thrives on.

Air vents around a property are important to allowing air circulation and sometimes more air vents are needed in areas that the air does not get to.

Dry rot spores which are omnipresent, meaning they surround us every day.

When these spores come into contact with wet timber, they can germinate and start to affect the structure of the timber, making the timber become unsound.

Mycelium growth will appear as a white or grey cotton wool like substance. Mycelium has the ability to spread extensively across numerous building materials like brickwork in search for a new source of food which is the wood.

If Dry Rot is not treated or issues that have caused the Dry Rot to form are not rectified, it could cause extensive and costly damage to you property.

The correct identification of Dry Rot is essential as Dry Rot tends to have far more serious consequences than Wet Rot.

Treating Dry Rot

Gaining Access to Repair Infected Wood allows us to remove any infected wood as well as any wall plaster that has been infected.

Replace Timbers and removing infected areas of plaster or masonry.

Dry rot treatment is used to treat replaced timber and existing timber undamaged by the Dry Rot
All area of masonry will be treated, in order to prevent further attacks of wood rotting fungi that maybe still present.

Improving the under floor Ventilation is a methods that we use to get rid of Dry Rot. Air flow will also help to get rid of the outbreak by aiding the drying process. By improving air flow, we are removing one of the contributing causes of dry rot keeping the moisture content below 20%.

WET ROT

Wet rot is commonly found in timbers that have become damp as a result of coming into contact with damp masonry.

Wet rot is a fungus infestation which thrives in damp conditions. Any unprotected timber in your property, which becomes damp is at risk of fungal attack. Wet Rot structurally deteriorates timbers in your property or home.

Wet rot can often lead to major structural damage if it is left to grow unchecked as it can weaken timber. Fortunately, wet rot does not spread through masonry and the growth of wet rot will cease when the moisture is removed.

Several factors can lead to the cause of wet rot including, rising damp, leaking roofs, gutters and problems with defective stone pointing or render can all cause the damp conditions in your property to germinate the wet rot fungi.

Wet Rot Treatment

We need to stop the source of the moisture and drying out the surrounding areas of the infestation, eliminating the source of ingress. In most cases, minimal areas of the infected timber will need to be cut out, replaced and potentially sprayed with a fungicidal treatment.

It is essential that Wet Rot and Dry Rot are not left and acted upon early. As this could lead to the damage caused by these wood rotting fungi to be extensive and leading to larger areas to be replaced.

Wood Worm

Identifying wood worm early is the key to stopping them before they course more harm to your property.
You may not realise that you have a woodworm problems until the resulting damage becomes visible. If woodworm is left untreated it can seriously weaken timber – this may lead to structural failure of timbers.

There is some tell tale signs which indicates you have wood worm infestation.
⦁ Small exit hole in the timber
⦁ Fine powdery dust can often be found around the exit holes, the dust can also be found beneath furniture, beams or on work surfaces, which could indicate an active woodworm infestation.
⦁ If woodworm infestation has progressed you may see crumbly edges to floorboards or joists.
The stages of woodworm are the woodworm eggs, larva, pupa and the adult beetle.
When eggs are laid by the adult beetle the larvae hatches and immediately burrow into the wood and tunnel and feed for many years. As they mature and increase in size, they bore towards the surface of the wood undergoing transformation into a beetle.
These beetles mate and the process begins again.
A free survey by our team will help and advice which is the best course of action to take.