Rot & What NOT To Do…

DON’T PANIC – The most common type of rot found in older buildings is common wet rot (Coniophora Puteana).

This type of rot does NOT require chemical treatment.

DON’T get a FREE survey from a damp and timber contractor. If a company doesn’t charge
for its time and expertise it is in their interest to find areas that require treatment in order to
offset the cost of making the visit and supplying the report.

Avant Garde charge a small fee for providing an expert report. This charge allows us to be
impartial with our findings and if billable work IS required, we can usually offer a refund on
the cost of the original survey.

DON’T allow the source of moisture to continue. By pinpointing and stopping the cause of
the outbreak as soon as possible you will be removing a key component to the process that
allows rot to spread.

Avant Garde can help you realise the cause of the outbreak and can signpost you to any
additional services that may be required in treating the issue.

DON’T treat the entire area with chemicals!

Avant Garde give due consideration to the Control Of Substances Hazardous to Health
(COSHH) 2002 when recommending a prescription for preservation.

DON’T underestimate the value of an invasive survey. It is common for damp and timber
companies to offer an over inflated price based on a guesstimate of the extent of the rot within a concealed area.

Frequently this results in the client overpaying for unnecessary works.

Avant Garde offer the option of an invasive inspection, whereby the full extent of the
problem is realised, at which point a firm price can be offered based on our findings.

DO call in the experts if you notice cuboidal cracking on any timbers. Although this can
sometimes be a feature in some of the less invasive types of rot, it is also a feature of dry rot
(Serpula Lacrymans).

Cuboidal cracking

DO make sure that your property has adequate sub–floor ventilation. Blocked airbricks are a
common issue that can lead to moisture underneath your floorboards. Increased underfloor
moisture can result in rot and insect attack.

Ground levels impeding an airbrick

Look out for French drains that might be hiding existing airbricks. These gravel filled
drainage channels are intended to relieve the damp proof course but sometimes contractors
can install them incorrectly as seen in the photo below:

French drains obscuring airbricks

DO check that your gutters, hoppers, pipes, rainwater goods, external joinery, roof tiles,
flashing, brickwork and render are all in good repair. Defects to these areas are the most
common cause of moisture leading to timber decay.

Leaking rainwater goods can cause rot

OBSERVE the four stages of responsible timber treatment:
1. Check to see if the moisture causing the outbreak is historic or ongoing
2. If the source of moisture is ongoing – fix it!
3. Promote rapid drying by increasing ventilation to the affected area
4. Repair or replace any damaged timbers

REMEMBER: Treating timbers with chemical preservatives is not always necessary and
should be avoided if possible.

DID YOU KNOW: Avant Garde have successfully treated rot and woodworm infestations in
houses in North and West London, including Ealing and Hampstead for the last 20 years?
We strive to provide the best possible service for damp and timber issues, which is why we
invite our customers to let us know what they think about our work.

From private individuals to commercial clients – such as chartered surveyors, architects and
English Heritage, our excellent customer service and quality workmanship have earned us an
impressive record of reviews.

Have a browse through our extensive collection of testimonials HERE.