Timber Resin Repairs in Howwood

Richardson & Starling were invited to carry out external timber repairs to preserve a local landmark in Howwood – Rowbank Reservoir Cottage. Damp affected timber canopy and supporting timber beams started to rot and lost their aesthetics as well as structural integrity. Our timber preservation specialists surveyed the property and used a cost-effective timber resin repair system to preserve external timbers for years to come.Wet Rot DamageHowwood5 Years

Problem

All external timbers are under a constant threat of being affected by damp. Rainwater can easily penetrate unprotected or ineffectively painted timber structures and raise the internal moisture content. All timbers have a certain amount of moisture in them but once it rises above 20%, timber is at risk of fungal attack and wood destroying fungal spores can begin to germinate and feed on the timber cells which weakens its structural integrity. This is exactly what happened to this property. Rotten roof timbers and structural canopy beams started to demonstrate the following wet rot signs that needed to be investigated:

• Damaged paint finish, highlighting shrunken and cracked timber below
• Timber easily crumbled and felt spongy to touch
• Unprotected areas demonstrated timber discolouration

Solution | Timber Resin Repair

Once our specialists carefully inspected all external timber elements and identified the scale of the wet rot damage an appropriate timber repair system was specified.

Replacing a timber rafter with new pre-treated timber
As a preservation company, Richardson & Starling always aim to preserve as much of the original building fabric as possible. In this specific case, one of the roof rafters was significantly damaged by wet rot which required a complete replacement to maintain cost-effectiveness.

Minimal timber resin repairs
Our PCA certified preservation specialists are always looking for ways of how to keep the repair cost low while still providing an effective repair solution. In this case, our preservation specialists cut back decayed roof fabric back to sound timber and repaired the timber with our timber and epoxy resin repair system. These areas are supported with plywood shutters that are removed once the resin is fully cured. Once the repaired area was fully cured it was sanded and painted with a microporous external paint system.

Timber resins penetrate the existing wood structure and creates a strong, non-cracking bond with the new section of timber and returns the shape as well as the prime strength to the timber component.

Benefits of Timber Resin Repair

For this project, in-situ timber resin repair was the quickest and the most cost-effective solution that could have been applied in this situation. As a result, the client had no need to replace any of the canopy supporting timbers, which would have otherwise resulted in roof slate removal and additional costs.

As timber resin cures fast, the repair process was completed within a short duration making the property accessible shortly after the repair was completed. All structural timber elements are now sound and repainted, maintaining the aesthetic of this authentic exterior for years to come.If you have any questions about this or any other structural timber repair contracts completed in Paisley, Carluke, Lenzie, Milngavie or Strathblane areas, then feel free to get in touch with our Glasgow branch specialists. | (0141) 647 9485

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