How to splice this wood?

[ellal]

I have a piece of wood on the front gable of our house that is quite rotten at the end.

I want to splice in a new piece, but wondered which is the best angle to make the cut - see image below.

Cheers.

View media item 94761

 

[foxhole]

Cut at A angle but as higher up . needs some paint soon.

 

[ellal]

Thanks foxhole.

Paint has just been stripped off in order to be redecorated, and the rotten area was bigger than expected.

Apart from the end the wood is very solid.

 

[Flyboytim]

Paradoxically, if the wood had never been painted, it probably would not have rotted. Splits and cracks in paint films occur over time as the paint becomes brittle due to ageing, with the changes in temperature and humidity causing the timber to expand and contract. Cracks may let in water, but the rest of the film of paint can prevent the water from evaporating encouraging wet rot.

Once the timber is spliced, there are 3 new potential end grain surfaces to suffer future paint cracking, saturation and rot.

The traditional finish for exposed timber was a lime wash as explained here:

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lavenham-guildhall/things-to-see-and-do/view-page/item873169/

 

[ellal]

Part of the rotting I think was also due to a decorative bit of wood which was spliced onto the bottom of what you can see, and thus introduced a split on the end.

I'm just debating whether it's best not to redo this with the new bit of wood.