Rotting timber can be a serious problem for homeowners and property owners, especially if the problem is not identified early. Rotting timber can lead to structural damage to your home and can also be a fire hazard. A professional wood rot specialist will be able to identify the cause of the rot and whether it can be treated or must be replaced.
A good way to identify rot in timber is by looking at the ends of the timber where they have been exposed to the elements and see if there are any signs of decay. The first thing that you will notice is some discolouration around the edges of the timber which may have begun to turn yellow or brown. If this is present then there may be some internal decay within the timber as well.
Rot is not always easy to identify and treat rot, but there are a few tell-tale signs.
Inspecting timber can be a bit like playing detective. You need to look for clues and then use your experience to draw conclusions about what has happened to the timber.
The first thing you should do is gather as much information as possible about the history of the building before you start inspecting it. This will help you understand how long it has been standing and whether any problems have been reported in the past.
If there have been problems, you may find that previous builders have already identified rot or other defects in the timber. This is why it’s important to talk to them before starting work on an old building so that they can advise you on what to look out for and how best to deal with any issues that arise while working on your project.
There are two main types of rot: dry rot and wet rot. Dry rot can be identified by checking for discoloration and powdery white growths called spores. Wet rot is identified by dark patches on the surface of the wood.
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Dry rot
Dry rot (also known as white rot) occurs when a timber is exposed to high humidity levels over a long period of time, causing the cellulose fibres within the timber to become waterlogged and break down. The breakdown process creates spores, which are then released into the air as dust particles. These dust particles can spread through an entire building if there is no ventilation system installed in your home or business premises.
Wet rot
Wet rot occurs when water enters a timber member through excessive moisture exposure or damage caused by leaks or floods. This type of damage often looks like wet patches on a wall or ceiling, but may also look like dark spots on wooden floors or furniture pieces where moisture has seeped through cracks in skirting boards, etc..
