Timber Preservation
Timber is a living material and is used for structural support in many homes. Resilient and long-lasting, timber is often used for door and window frames, structural strengthening, roof support and decorative purposes. Timber is relatively low maintenance and requires little treatment. It can, however, be susceptible to damage from dry rot, wet rot and woodworm.
It is crucial to identify and resolve these issues quickly, as they may damage the property significantly.
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Timber Preservation
In its natural state, timber is strong and durable. When cut down and treated, however, timber becomes susceptible to a multitude of problems. Timber is generally low-maintenance and lasts for decades, but its longevity and structural stability may be adversely impacted by dry rot, wet rot and woodworm.
Early and effective timber preservation treatments are crucial and are something that Watertight Homes are proud to provide. Timber preservation treatments minimise damage to your property, allowing you to conserve money later on.
The Causes & Types Of Timber Rot
There are two types of this kind of infestation – dry rot and wet rot.
Dry rot happens over an extensive period of time, as wood spends years in dry, warm conditions. It is caused when the area around the wood is poorly ventilated, which effectively starves the wood of oxygen. Dampness may also cause dry rot.
Areas of wood may become dry or brittle, or even show cube or dice shaped cracks.
Wet rot is a much more common cause of decay and can cause damage to timber fittings, such as roof joists and exposed timbers.
The first signs of wet rot are long cube-shaped cracks similar to those seen with dry rot. In cases of dry rot, though, the timber will appear bleached or turn darker. The change in colour is dependent on the specific type of rot.
As the name suggests, the primary cause of wet rot is high levels of moisture. The source of the moisture must be identified and eliminated as quickly as possible. Usually, this removes the wet rot problem, both in the affected area and adjoined timbers.
Wood rot may also be caused by woodworm infestation. Woodwoorms bore into pieces of timber, living there until they are fully grown.
The third major cause of wood rot is a woodworm infestation. Woodworms will bore into a piece of timber and live and breed there until they are fully grown. While growing, woodworms feed on the nutrients in the wood. Until they are eliminated, the wood will continue to deteriorate.
Watertight Homes has extensive experience in resolving woodworm infestations. Get in touch with us today, and ensure your timber never suffers from woodworm again.
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Effective Timber Preservation Treatments
The treatment we recommend to eliminate your wood rot will depend on the type of rot involved.
Watertight Homes are experienced in treating wood rot with state of the art chemicals and application techniques. This may take some time to be fully effective but will prevent further issues and future reoccurrence. Depending on the extent of the damage, we may recommend further steps to replace the damaged wood.
If you have a woodworm infestation, we will apply a liquid insecticide to the affected area. Depending on the severity of the infestation, we may recommend removing and replacing the rot-afflicted timbers.
Problems relating to timber preservation may affect your home’s value. Get in touch with us as soon as possible. We’ll arrange a date to carry out a thorough, comprehensive inspection. We’ll produce a report, making recommendations for treatments and estimations of cost.
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Timber Preservation Treatment FAQs
If you are buying softwood timber for use outside from a specialist supplier, they may already have had the wood treated. Wood is treated to ensure longevity. If you are unsure, try contacting the outlet that you purchased the wood from.
Yes, a number of common wood treatments are certified as being safe for garden applications such as raised bed or box construction. Very small amounts of the preservatives may leach from the wood and into the soil over time, but they will not cause a health or safety hazard.
To alleviate any concerns about preservatives migrating into plants, place plastic sheeting between the preserved wood and the adjoining soil. A report by Oregon State University on the use of preserved wood for garden boxes found that vegetables grown in soil into which copper from such preservation treatments had seeped were still safe to eat, provided the foliage, roots and tubers were completely removed before preparing and cooking.
Preserved wood is a great environmental choice in comparison to products such as plastic and plastic composites, galvanised steel, and concrete. The timber preservation process produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the production process of alternative materials.
Your home could be in need of timber preservation to help the vital wooden parts of its structure last longer. So if you see any of the signs we’ve listed above, contact us at Watertight Homes straight away, and we will arrange for a member of our survey team to visit you and prepare a report detailing what we think you should do next.
We have over 19 years of experience and specialise in a number of aspects of the waterproofing industry as well as timber preservation.
Watertight Homes are damp proofing specialists based in Leeds. We also operate in Manchester and throughout the rest of Yorkshire, so whether it’s West Yorkshire, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Harrogate or Halifax, don’t hesitate to give us a call for a free survey and quote.