Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Mold, tasked Timberwise with surveying the property to address significant timber decay and structural instability. This property was a farmhouse of traditional timber-framed construction and was both unoccupied and unfurnished at the time of our inspection. This meant we could not comment on the state of the rest of the property. The weather conditions were sunny.
Challenges
We noted that the roof void and support beams required complex structural requirements due to the traditional timber frame methods, which included the mortice and tenon joints. This meant that it required bespoke repair solutions rather than just using modern connectors. We had to work careful as the roof was dealing with severe structural instability in the primary support members of the timber, especially the lintels and large central beams, due to the advanced decay. This posed a safety concern to our team and great care had to be taken when moving around the roof void and repairing it.
The rest of the property was also undergoing an active renovation during the time of our survey and subsequent repairs. As such, we had to be mindful of other workers and teams in the area, as well as any equipment or debris. We also had to ensure we worked to the best safety standards to not jeopardise our safety or of those around us.
Observations
A brief external inspection of the farmhouse was done from the ground level only. We noted multiple external defects which we identified as potential water ingress points. These were further supported by our moisture profile readings which we obtained using an electronic moisture meter. We found poor pointing and cracked external rendering, leaking and blocked gutters, slipped or broken roof tiles, and decayed window and door frames.
Moving inside the property, it was clear during the internal inspection that there had been significant ingress of water at some point, which had seeped heavily into the roof timbers. Despite the repairs to the roof, a lot of the timbers were still heavily dedicated and hollow, making them structurally unstable. A lot of the timber in the roof void also had direct contact with the masonry, meaning it was liable to be susceptible to heavy water ingress.
We found that the property was suffering significantly from advanced wet rot fungal decay and woodworm. Our inspection of the front left lounge, we noted that the floorboards and hoists were severely decayed and heavily infested by the Wood Boring Weevil – a highly destructive type of woodworm that exclusively attacks damp timber. This woodworm and wet rot were also heavily present in the roof void.
A subfloor inspection was carried out to the ground-floor timbers from the basement area. It revealed that decay by wet rot, to the following areas, and high moisture readings were also noted along with fungal decay to the underside of the floorboards. Decayed and hollow timbers were identified in the front lounge, the basement subfloor, and the first floor roof sections as mentioned earlier. We surmised that the attack was attributed to timbers being in direct contact with masonry and sustained moisture ingress from the building’s exterior.
Solutions
Our goal for this project was to secure the property by replacing the timber. Much of it was too severely decayed for minor repairs or drying it out for it to be safe. Our preparatory works started by us preparing and securing the area before work, taping down dust sheets and hardboard in designated work areas. We installed specialist propping systems, including strong boys and props, to support the structure while we removed the affected timber. We also erected tower scaffolding in order to access high-level structural roof repairs. We removed all of the decayed floorboards and joists in order to fully access the subfloor and support beam ends.
We used in-situ structural resin repairs using a reinforced bar and resin specification to restore integrity to the existing timbers that could be salvaged. We then installed bespoke, like-for-like oak replacements for all of the severely decayed joists, wall support lintels, and window and door lintels.
We cut and installed bespoke new oak sections to match the original dimensions and decorative edge characteristics of the property. We did side spliced repairs and structural adhesive pouring for large central support beams and ends and used traditional joinery fixing measures to bond new timber sections for the large central support beam ends, in line with the property’s traditional and rustic aesthetic. We also used traditional joinery fixing used to bond new timber sections to the existing frame.
For the large support beam in the living room, we provided a separate quotation to carry out structural repairs to it, as we noted it had significantly decayed and dropped. We will repair this using a new section of oak and carry out a structural resin repair.
For damp proofing measures, we outlined a few key things to further protect the property. We applied a LignaTek fungicidal gel and a water-repellent fungicidal fluid to all of the timber contact surfaces. Our team also isolated the timber ends from the masonry using PVC DPC membranes and new pad stones. We then sterilised the remaining affected masonry with fungicidal treatments after we had removed the decayed organic material present.
Results
We successfully identified and mapped all of the structural defects through our specialist timber and damp survey. We provided the client with a comprehensive remedial specification to help restore the property to its former glory and provide critical structural stability while it was undergoing extensive renovations.
We successfully integrated new bespoke oak replacements to the original timber frame. While the removal and replacement of the timber mostly eradicated the wet rot and woodworm, we provided further treatment using fungicidal and insecticidal treatment to further prevent the property from attacks. This provided the client with a 20 year guarantee for the structural timber repairs and wet rot control.
Do You Want Help with a Wet Rot Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in North Wales are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 020 8226 6486, or you can request a survey online.
