Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Nottingham, asked Timberwise to survey their property for a suspected case of wet rot fungal decay. The property was a semi-detached house of solid brick construction and was occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather was overcast but dry.
Challenges
During our visit, our inspection was restricted to the front living room only. This was the outbreak site where the suspected wet rot had become immediately visible. This is a common restriction during internal inspections, but this can restrict access to other areas of the property where there is potential for an infestation to spread. Our surveyor called upon their years of experience to thoroughly diagnose the area, as well as identify points of concern where the wet rot outbreak may have spread beyond the immediately visible areas.
Observations
This investigation was performed internally only, where Wet Rot Fungal Decay was identified and confirmed in the front living room. The likely cause of this outbreak appears to have been caused by previously limited sub-floor ventilation: Our client had recently had new air bricks installed to improve air flow to the sub-floor void beneath their floorboards.
However, a closer inspection of the floorboards revealed that not only was a wet rot infestation prevalent in this part of the room, but that a likely further cause was identified. Both the floorboards and the joists were in touch with damp masonry. If the sub-floor wasn’t ventilated adequately for some time, and moisture was allowed to ingress into the timbers, this created the perfect breeding ground for wet rot fungus to thrive. More information on Wet Rot can be found on our What Causes Wet Rot page.
Wet Rot cannot begin attacking wood unless there is a sufficient supply of moisture, most notably when a significant dampness issue is present. This is often associated with defective rainwater goods, but in this case, the timber joists were left unprotected when installed next to the masonry walls. Masonry is semi-porous and attracts moisture naturally just by being in contact with the ground. This is often known as rising damp, and even with a Damp-Proof Course (DPC) installed, dampness can ingress into adjoining floor timbers if given a point of access, depending on the outside ground levels and the height the DPC is installed at. Our Rising Damp Treatment page goes into more detail about how rising damp can develop in any property.
Solutions
The only way to remedy this situation was to remove any rotten material and replace it with new, treated replacement timbers. This included not only the rotten floorboarding and joists, but also the adjoining wall plate, which also had some evidence of rot within it. Wet Rot does not spread unless accompanied with a moisture source, and so removing the affected materials would adequately treat the rot outbreak itself.
Once removed, our technicians replaced the rotten materials with new pre-treated wall plate, floor joists and floorboards. These treated timbers are more resistant to rot and fungi outbreaks and so can protect the property from any kind of recurrence in future. Additionally, where the timber elements would meet the masonry, these would be further protected with a layer of Damp Proof Membrane on the joist ends, with a DPC installed behind the wall plate. These measures would ensure that the timber materials had complete protection against further damp ingress, preserving the newly installed timber flooring for years to come.
Results
Our client was overjoyed with the swift but thorough analysis by our surveyor, as well as the immaculate work completed by our technicians. Our expert team solved the wet rot issue for our client, and they now have peace of mind that their repairs are guaranteed in the unlikely event that the problem reoccurs later down the line.
Do You Want Help with a Wet Rot Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Nottingham are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0115 901 7742, or you can request a survey online.
