Press/News

The floods may have subsided somewhat in parts of the country but experts are still predicting a possible return later in the week along with unusually cold, frosty weather.

Although the worst of the downpours seem to be over, certain rivers are not far from their peaks and dozens of flood warnings from the Environment Agency remain active. . To find out about the latest flood warning visit the Environment Agency Flood Warnings page.

After the flooding begins the hard work of making the properties habitable again following the damage caused by flooding – that where Timberwise can help!

Flooding and Flood Treatments from the Flood Remediation Specialists

When a building has been subjected to flooding it is vital that any flood remediation work is carried out by experts.   Timberwise, as members of the Property Care Association Flood Remediation Group, are specialists when it comes to repairing buildings that have been affected by water ingress.

As members of the Property Care Association Flood Remediation Group we can also:

1. Assist in the recovery of the flooded building.  

Assist the company undertaking the drying aspects of the property and can undertake investigations to highlight areas at greatest risk from fungal decay or degradation. This will reduce the possibility of problems of dry rot and other latent defects affecting the building after the drying out process is complete.

2. Provide effective repairs to damaged areas of the property.

At Timberwise we deal with damp and dampness every day and our experience in dealing with rising and penetrating dampness can also be applied to flooded buildings. We are experienced in the damage caused by water ingress and can advise on the necessary solution as a result of the water ingress. Problems with repairs that are flooding related are common – but these may only surface sometime after the property is repaired.

3. Providing refurbishment and repair solutions can introduce greater long term resilience to future flood water ingress.  

In some instances it may be possible to undertake repairs that will provide the building with far greater resilience to future floods. With our expertise in waterproofing we are ideally placed to help.   As members of the PCA Flood Remediation Group Timberwise have to meet tough criteria. Timberwise can be called upon to provide high quality flood remediation works, as well as advice and guidance with drying the building and preventing decay following a flood. For further information on floods and how to prepare in the event of a flood visit the Environment Agency web pages dedicated to flooding.

If you have a property that has suffered at the hands of flooding and needs help from our team of specialists either eMail our team  or call 0800 288 8660. Timberwise

Recent research from Aviva has revealed that at the Easter bank holiday an amazing 9.5 million people intended to carry out some form of DIY around the house. The research also highlighted that although the vast majority of people are quick to spot and act on jobs within the home millions of home owners are neglecting work that needs to be carried out outside. The cost of turning a blind eye to those external DIY jobs – a potentially staggering £10,000 in the long term.

Have you checked your chimney stack recently?

If you haven’t checked your chimney stack recently you are not alone – the Aviva research uncovered that only 15% of people check for defects on the chimney stack monthly, as recommended by surveyors, and 21% of us admit to never checking it. Although it may not seem the most important of jobs defective stacks can lead to potential damp problems within the property. Another potential area of neglect is the roof – one in ten UK homeowners have never checked for signs of slipping or missing roof tiles – this once again can lead to potential damp and rot problems. A sound roof is essential to the structural integrity of a house and if a problem with tiles is ignored it can once again land you with an unwanted repair bill.

Heather Smith, Director of home insurance at Aviva said: “Many of the common and expensive problems that affect homes often begin outside the home. For example, damage from damp that seeps in through leaky external walls, standing water on flat roofs, and missing roof tiles.”

Another area of concern is the garden - here Japanese Knotweed lurks ready to cause damage to property! 46% of homeowners admit to never checking for signs of it and 43% didn’t know that it could cause serious damage to property in the form of damaged walls, drains and paving.

Give your property a health check!

To help keep your property in tip top condition here’s a list of the top things to check on your property:

1) Defective chimney stack / roof flashing’s: Check on a monthly basis for damp stains around the chimney breast area.

2) Missing or damaged roof tiles: Check every month for damp patches on interior ceilings.

3) Defective guttering:  Keep an eye out for damp patches, discolouration or salty deposits on the outside of walls. Defective and blocked guttering is a major source of penetrating damp.

4) Wet Rot and Dry Rot in timber frames: Check for the tell tale signs of wet timber or a white fungal growth.

5) Deterioration to flat roofs: Flat roofs should be checked twice a year for standing water, vegetation and the lifting / racking of joints.

6) Japanese Knotweed: Keep an eye out for th distinctive large heart shaped leaves. Be aware though that it changes its appearance through the year.

Do you suspect you have a damp problem?

If you think you have a damp issue at home the best advice is to have it checked out sooner rather than later by a qualified damp surveyor who will be able to identify the nature of the damp problem (be it penetrating damp, dampness caused by condensation or rising damp) and advise on the best course of action to remedy the problem. To arrange a damp survey simply complete our online damp survey request form or call your local Timberwise office on 0800 288 8661 who will be delighted to help you further.

In the course of their everyday work our surveyors come across many different types of decay that attack the timbers of properties both old and new. Here we have some pictures of some less common wet rots in the form of brown and white rot.

Brown Rot (Paxillus panuoides)

This brown rot targets very wet soft woods and spreads over damp timbers. Brown rots destroy cellulose in the timber and cause a darkening of the decayed timber. The photos below show the brown rot in situ and the fruiting body in greater detail.

White Rot (Donkioporia expansa)

This rot feeds on hardwoods such as oak and digests cellulose and lignin within the timber. This results in a lightening of the decayed timber. All species of wet rot require relatively high moisture levels in timber (above 30%) for growth. Unlike dry rot, wet rots will be restricted to areas where there is a high moisture content.

Action to take if you believe you have wet rot

Wet rot treatment can usually be carried out by firstly removing the moisture source and secondly drying out the surrounding fabric. This prevents further spread of the rot.  Where any affected timber has lost its strength the timber needs to be replaced with new timber that is treated against the potential germination of wet rot spores. This ensures the structural integrity of the building. Specialist wet rot treatment is then required to finish off the process.  This generally involves eradication through chemical spray and other wet rot treatments. To arrange a survey for wet rot call our team on 0800 288 8660 or complete our on-line wet rot survey request form.

Here we have a photo case study from one of our surveyors that highlights the dangers of ignoring leaking bath and shower seals. An insurance company contacted Timberwise Cheltenham to visit a property that showed signs of dampness and fungal decay.

From the initial survey it was very apparent that the water leak had on-going for some considerable time (between 6 and 9 months) which had allowed plenty of time for problems to occur behind the scenes. Damage had taken place to the master bedroom floor, bathroom floor and landing floor as well at the kitchen ceiling below. Wet rot was found in parts of the property as a direct result of the water ingress allowed by the faulty bath seal. The Wet rot known as Coniophora puteana is one of the most common forms of decay found in the UK and occurs when wood has become soaked through water leakage.

All the Wet rot infected timbers were replaced and precautionary treatments applied to the remain timbers. The pictures below show the devastation that was caused:

With the bath removed the damage caused by the Wet rot is clear to see. Black mould can also be seen on the wall.

The chipboard floor has lost any strength it had as a result of the water damage.

The landing floor is ruined as is the plasterboard partition. More black spot mould can also be seen.

What should you do if you suspect a leaking bath / shower seal?

Ideally you must sort the seal out as soon as possible to avoid a water ingress and Wet rot problem as seen in the photos above. To help, below is a handy video showing the correct way to seal a bath to make sure that you stay leak free!

Do you have a Wet rot problem?

If you suspect Wet rot in your property don’t panic! Timberwise are experts in treating properties that have been subjected to dampness and Wet rot. To arrange a survey from one of our timber surveyors simply complete our on-line survey request form of call your local Timberwise office on 0800 288 8660.

Timberwise Llandudno in North Wales were recently called upon to advise on fungal decay found within an historic hotel in Beaumaris, Anglesey. Upon carrying out a survey wet rot fungus (also known as Coniophora Puteana) was discovered in a bay window area. The extent of the wet rot was such that the timbers in the bay had been structurally weakened – potentially this could have lead to the bay dropping into a seating area below. Wet rot is one of the most common forms of decay in woodwork and tends to occur when the wood has become soaked by water leakage at some point.

Treating the wet rot

The Timberwise solution to the wet rot problem involved providing a caged area to the seating area beneath the bay and then erecting a safe scaffold working platform to the underside of the propped bay. The decayed timber was removed from  the bay and new timber sections added in their place. The floor area was then replaced. The pictures below show the hotel (the bay can be seen in the middle). On the second picture you can clearly see the the wet rot attacking the cantilever timbers supporting the bay window. The final picture shows the bay with damage caused by poor ventilation coupled with dampness from external water ingress.

What should I do if I suspect I have wet rot?

If you believe you have wet rot in your property don’t panic! For an expert diagnosis of the fungal decay simply call your local Timberwise office on 0800 288 8660 or complete the on-line wet rot survey request form.

A couple of photos today from one of our Manchester surveyors that show an attack of Wet Rot. Typically Wet Rot is is not as difficult to eradicate as Dry Rot it can cause major damage within a property if it is allowed to go unchecked – this then can result in structural defects. In the case of the property below a leak from a sink  lead to water spreading between the hardboard sheeting floor  and the original timber floor in the utility room. The resulting conditions of moisture and the presence of wood provide the ideal breeding ground for Wet Rot spores to germinate.

The tell tale signs of Wet Rot

Typical signs of Wet Rot are white or fern like growths (Mycelium). Where there are no obvious signs of Mycelium growth Wet Rot can be identified and differentiated from other funagl decay (such as Dry Rot) by the different colour of the decayed timber as well as by the size and type of cracking of the timber as a result of the Wet Rot.

The damage to the timbers and the still wet walls are clearly visible

Close up of timbers infected by Wet Rot

Treating Wet Rot

It is vital that a specialist in timber decay is used to identify the type of fungal decay and to specify the the correct Wet Rot treatment forthe property. In the case of this property the source of the water ingress was identified and the leak rectified. The area was then dried out and the infected flooring  (timber that has lost it’s strength) was then removed. The floor and joists were also replaced with timbers in the immediate area also chemically treated to ensure the Wet Rot was truly eradicated. Further information about Wet Rot can be found on our Wet Rot page or you can speak direct to your local Timberwise office for specialist Wet Rot advice on 0800 288 8660.

At Timberwise we cater for a wide variety of property care problems – from properties where there are damp issues through to large basement waterproofing projects for multi national clients. One of our core services, as our name suggests, is the repairing of damaged timbers.

This is a photo from one of our Manchester technicians who is currently working on a timber replacement project at a college in Northwich, Cheshire. The existing timbers within the roof area had suffered decay, in this case wet rot, as a result of defective flashing and roofing. Timberwise were called in to replace the rotten rafters with new throughout the entire roof area.

We have a variety of timber replacement techniques at our disposal. Our trained technicians, some of whom are skilled joiners, can replace timber with timber but there are instances when we have to use other timber replacement techniques – for example timber resin repairs.

When Dry Rot or Wet Rot occurs in timber beam or truss ends it normally requires extensive opening up and destructive works to replace the timber or “bolt on” unsightly steel plates or side-splice. Thanks to timber resin technology defects can be repaired economically and in-situ using a variety of specially formulated resins, coupled with innovative application techniques.

For more information on the Timberwise way or repairing damaged timbers have a look at our timber engineering page or check out some of our timber repair case studies.

For years Sarah Beeny has advised people on making the most from property – now she takes on her biggest restoration project yet – the renovation and total transformation of Rise Hall, a 97-room stately home in East Yorkshire in need of much love and attention. Rise Hall is suffering with many problems that Timberwise come across every day – from fungal decay in the form of dry rot and wet rot through to dampness and woodworm.

Don’t forget to tune in to Channel 4 on Thursday at 8pm to find out more or click on the image to the left to watch the first episode on-line.

Help! I’ve got the same property problems as Beeny!

If you have a property suffering with dry rot, wet rot, fungal decay, dampness or beetle infestations we can help! Simply pick up the phone and call your local Timberwise property care experts on 0800 288 8660 or complete our on-line survey request form.

Are you looking for a property care company you can trust to care for your property? Do you have rising damp or condensation problems and not sure which way to turn or who to trust?

To help show why Timberwise are the property care company of choice for many we have compiled a short animation that looks at what makes Timberwise different from everybody else. From our skilled surveyors and technicians to our office based teams all at Timberwise are dedicated to providing the best quality service for you and your property.

Timberwise have over 4 decades experience in the caring of properties – from damp, rising damp and dry rot through to basement waterproofing  and woodworm our highly skilled surveyors are able to diagnose a solution to suit your needs. As members of the Property Care Association

Don’t just take our word for it though! To become one of the many satisfied clients of Timberwise simply complete the survey request form or call 0800 288 8660.