Campbell
Damp Control
Tel: 0121 320 2051
Professional Independent Damp proofing
Contractors Birmingham
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Damp proofing Birmingham
TIMBER TREATMENTS
:Woodworm treatment
:Dry rot treatment
:Wet rot treatment
:Carpentry & Joinery
:Bricklaying
:Plastering
Woodworm
Dry Rot
Wet Rot
Woodworm is significant because given the right conditions it can invade a wide variety of timber products including structural building timbers.
If left unchecked infestations can lead to
severe structural weakening and eventually total collapse.
Signs indicating woodwom are small holes in your woodwork,Fine powdery dust around these holes which indicates active woodworm.
Dry rot breaks down wood cellulose and causes timber to become dry and powdery. Serpula lacrymans grows in strands, digesting adjacent timber until it "fruits" and discharges fungal spores.
In buldings with solid 9 inch or above thick walls dry rot has been known to travel through and along behind the plaster .
Plaster and wall covering should be stripped back 1mr past infestation in all direcations prior to treatment.
Wet rot is more easily identified than dry rot, quite simply because affected timber will feel damp to the touch. With painted timber, the area may look and feel sound superficially, but the underlying timber may be rotten – try pushing a knife into the timber, you should feel resistance after a few millimetres. Timber affected by wet rot feels spongy and looks darker than surrounding wood. When dried, timber affected by wet rot cracks and crumbles into fine particles.
Rot will only affect timber that is physically damp. Dry rot requires a modest moisture content of 20%, while wet rot needs an elevated level of moisture (28-30%) to become established. Thereafter it can persist in timber which has a minimum moisture content of 20%
: STEP 1 - remove the source of moistureThe most common reasons for damp timber are leaking appliances, poorly sealed sinks/baths, leaking roofs and overflowing drainpipes and rising damp.
STEP 2 – promote rapid drying conditionsIf you can find and fix the source of the water and allow timber to dry out properly, you can control and ultimately eradicate the rot. To speed up drying, ensure good ventilation and increase the ambient temperature.
STEP 3 – remove and replace affected timberBadly affected timber should be removed and replaced. Sections of rotten timber can be replaced with epoxy resin. This is especially appropriate for repairs to valuable/historical beams.