Home Improvement DIY

The biggest expense and asset in your life is normally your home which means it’s really very important that you attend to any problems as they occur. Unfortunately there are some people in this world who would rather spend their money on clothes and fancy cars than to be spending money on home repairs. This is really irresponsible, especially when we are talking about something as serious as wet rot.

If you don’t attend to wet rot quickly all sorts of problems can take place with the structure of your home. The timbers can become weakened and won’t be able to hold the weight of your home. Wet rot normally happens in parts of your home which get a lot of moisture and there are a number of reasons why this can happen such as condensation and leaks in guttering.

Loose roofing tiles are another big problem because over time rain water can get underneath then and into the roof eaves. Roofing is always a knotty issue because even if you pay good money to a contractor to have them fix any leaks, you don’t really know if it’s been dealt with correctly until it rains next. Sometimes it’s also dependant on the angle of the rain which means it can take months for any problems in the roof to become apparent. Even a tiny leak in your roof can cause problems because it will slowly seep into the timber joists causing damp but the leak might not be big enough for you to get drips through your ceiling. This can go on for many years without you even realizing you have a problem.

You should also take care to check for leaks behind your washing machine and other plumbing areas. If a pipe becomes broken or slackened then it won’t be able to do the job that it was intended for. Also check your down pips to make sure that they are still connected correctly. Your guttering should also be checked for blockages and other defects. If rain water from your gutters is spilling over it can bounce off the ground and onto your home.

So basically if you have been turning a blind eye to all of these leaks and drips then you can end up having to deal with wet rot. It must be dealt with so that there aren’t other problems happening. You should also note that wet rot can in turn develop into dry rot. Dry rot is way worse than wet rot so don’t under estimate this fact.

Luckily, the timber in your home has to be exposed to moisture for a long time before it goes beyond the point of no return. So act quickly to save yourself having to replace all of the timber. Wood should have a moisture level of less than 20% and if it goes above that you also have potential problem with fungus and mold.

If you want to deal with wet rot then the first thing you need to do is figure out what caused it in the first place. If it is the fact that a few roof tiles are missing then make sure you get them replaced. If your gutters are blocked and over flowing then get them cleaned. out. You then need to dry the wood out with a heater and perhaps a dehumidifier too.

If the wet rot is only affecting a small area then you can cut it away and replace it with new wood. Then use a epoxy based repair kit on the good wood. However if the affected area is structural then you should get assistance from a professional because you don’t want to got removing structural joists which then causes your home to fall down! You can also get preservative tablets that are injected into the surrounding good area to help protect it.

 

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