Wood Rot

[gypsymoth]

Hello everyone!

Please could someone offer me some sound advise.

I have lifted the floor boards in our dinning room, only to find lots and lots and lots of rot!. Tofu city down there!

I heave read the other postings on similar problems, but not sure weather they also apply to me??

The ground between the joist bearers is simply earth. When it gets wet it becomes damp enough to create moisture, hence this problem.

There are air bricks, but not sure why there is still not enough vent.

I was thinking? Should I just lay Damp proofing in-between the joist bearers?
Will this solve the problem?
Or any other solution some one could offer please.

Very grateful. Thanks

I hope the images come up.

 

[gregers]

as i cant see on the pics clearly,are you just talking about wood worm and wet rot?or was there evidence of dry rot?
from what i can see with the on going work when replacing the new timbers ensure dpc is fixed under the wall plates,keep the joist ends away from the walls(wrap if needed),use tanilized timber and spray the whole area with some form of dry rot/woodworm fluid.
and make sure there are sufficent air vents and that they are not blocked.
you dont usually install any form of dpm on the oversite,again with good air flow this is normally kept resonable dry by air movement.

now if its dry rot?be prepared to investigate a lot furthur then you have done already,i:e inspect evidence of fungal growth on brickwork,joinery and plasterwork.
hth a little.

 

[gypsymoth]

Hi Gregers

Thanks for your reply. The rot is purely form damp. No worms down there.

I have had a little shuffty concerning air bricks. The ones facing outdoors seem fine. There is one however that leads into next doors under floor like ours. That one is blocked, I have had a chat with our neighbour, and they don't seem to have a problem with rot...or perhaps not yet!!!

But my feeling is that since this adjoining air brick is blocked it may be causing restricted air movement under floor thus not allowing damp to evaporate out, if you know what I mean?

I think that the old internal wall might have had a little collapse internally and so blocked this air gap.
I wonder am sure that if I reopen it....hopefully it will not continue to collapse..... the air flow will by sufficient again to move and dry out the under floor.


This is an old property and has been fine up to now.

I am going to take up you advice on timber treatment etc.

Thanks again for you help

GM