Wet Roof Timbers

Timber damaged by wet rot.

Wet roof timbers.

How wet rot occurs. The most common causes of water ingress to upper areas of a property are listed below. Unpainted and untreated timber exposed to water from roof. These wet rot fungi get their food by breaking down the walls of wood cells.

Timber suffering from wet rot will feel spongy even through a coat of paint and look darker than the surrounding timber. Condensation water arising from lack of ventilation to roof or floor timbers especially with hollow floors. Pictures of wet rot. Wet rot very simply put is a natural decay of timber in the presence of high moisture.

C wikipedia wet rot is less common a problem than dry rot and is often caused by the timbers being exposed to above average levels of moisture or humidity accelerating the natural decay of timber and is often caused by an external issue such as a structural problem or a leaking pipe. We have provided some photographs as examples of wet rot. Page 1 of 2 1 2 next dougiem. When dry the timber will easily crack and crumble into fine particles.

The most common of these wet rot fungal species is cellar fungus. Modern timber roofs are mostly framed with pairs of common rafters or prefabricated wooden trusses fastened together with truss connector plates timber framed and historic buildings may be framed with principal rafters or timber roof trusses roofs are also designated as warm or cold roof depending on how they are designed and built with regard to thermal building insulation and ventilation. Own work cc by sa 3 0 via wikimedia. 18 feb 2009 messages.

January 06 2009 08 31 08 am looking at your picture the roof trusses are quite young and would be treated in manufacture i e. In order to grow wet rot requires a regular source of moisture. When excess moisture infiltrates timber it can allow fungal spores to germinate and grow this eventually leads to the timber losing its strength. Wet rot is commonly found in cellars roofs and in timbers around windows.

Wet rot is often first noticed when floors especially ground floor floor joists become springy under foot. This often comes from sources like defective plumbing gutters downpipes or stone pointing. Vac vac and are quite resistant to rot. Wet timbers in my loft.

Possible causes of wet rot are. Timber in the roof can also be at risk especially where there is roof damage allowing rainwater to run onto the roof timbers. Many people want to know what wet rot looks like and how to tell it apart from dry rot. Reply 10 on.

Wet rot is a general term that is often used to describe various fungal species that are responsible for wet rot.