rotten floor boards

anyusernamenottaken

Hi All,

We moved in to our new house at the weekend and after getting settled in, we've noticed that there are some rotten floorboards in the cupboard under the stairs which I'm worried might be the result of damp/dry rot.

We had a homebuyers survey done and he said that there was no sign of damp anywhere in the house.

Its a 1900 built terrace so it may be the case that the floor boards are just ancient but if there is a damp/rot problem, should it have been flagged on the survey?

Lastly, we've only just really noticed that there are no air bricks anywhere in the house...could this cause problems for us with damp?

Thanks,

Paul

cattie

The surveyor would only check bare floorboards if they were completely uncovered and in clear view. They will not move boxes or any other items to enable them to cast an eye over them. So they can only check for damp in accessible areas.

It's possible the previous owners stored stuff there that contributed to the floor boards deteriorating.

Yes, having no air bricks can help to cause damp, as can blocked air bricks. I would have expected a surveyor to flag this, unless of course air bricks were not part of the criteria when this kind of house was built.

It might be in your best interest to think about having a couple of air bricks installed at a later date to help with air flow in the property.

googler

Have you lifted any floorcovering in the cupboard?

Is there anything in the survey scope to say that the surveyor wouldn't lift floorcoverings?

anyusernamenottaken

The surveyor noted that the floor was suspended timber and that there was a hole in the floor in the cupboard which he said should remain uncovered to help with airflow...but the rotten floorboards are around said hole, so I assume if he saw the hole he saw the rotten floorboards?

richardw

Could the boards be rotten because of a bucket of water spill or similar?

How extensive is the rot in the boards?

anyusernamenottaken

I'm not sure how extensive yet...just had a quick look late last night as I was putting the hoover away but the board was literally crumbling in my hand!

BitterAndTwisted

Rotten floorboards are always a result of damp or dry rot. But not all damp has the same cause. There could have been a slow water-leak somewhere in there or maybe the joists underneath are rotten, too. The only way to know is to get them up and have a look at what may be going on.

richardw

Is there any evidence of damp on the walls near the floor boards?

richardw

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

..But not all damp has the same cause...

Exactly, best to try and ascertain the cause.

David_Aldred

Hi anyusernamenottaken
Dry and wet rot spores are in the air all the time and will germinate upon the wood they land upon if the moisture content of that wood is above a certain level. Accordingly the key to preventing decay is to ensure the wood remains at a moisture content below that threshold. This is irrespective of preservatives which shoudl be seen more as a support measure than a replacement for good traditional construction. If decay is occurring and you lower the moisture content sufficiently the decay should cease and this is true for both wet and dry rots.

The surveyor may have an exclusion clause that says that they will not lift floor coverings to inspect but that does not mean that they should and could not discretely sample the moisture content of the suspended timber floor using the probes of their damp meter with reasonable care and skill and if that moisture was excessive place you on notice of the risk of decay and flag it to be further investigated prior to you purchasing the property. In any case as you point out the surveyor noted the hole in the floor so it is reasonable from what you say to suggest that they should have sampled the moisture content of the timber around that hole as it would be cause for concern.

The surveyor should also be mindful of the external air bricks to properties that have suspended timber floors, noting if there is sufficient number, whether they appear blocked or bridged by high path levels etc since the suspended timber floor relies upon cross ventilation in order to remove moisture laden air typically rising off the oversite within that void before it can permeate into the timber flooring and cause the moisture content of that timber to rise above the threshold of decay. Accordingly if there is an obviou slack of air bricks / such bricks are blocked this should be ringing alarm bells with a the surveyor that the suspended timber floors are at risk of decay requiring further investigation.

Prior to opening everything up you may be wise to photograph the evidence with a date stamped camera and also to photograph any issues such as decay prior to undertaking any repairs and then photograph the repairs upon completion. If the floors are decayed in one area it would be prudent to investigate the entire sub floor void for decay.

Replacement timber should be pre-treated with preservative. Decayed timber cut out 500mm beyond the last visible sign of infection and usually to the nearest support beyond that. No wood or wood based products to be left on the oversite as they are a primary site for decay to commence.

The cause and type of the decay needs to be clearly identified (especially if dry rot as this requires additional measures) and addressed otherwise repairs will be a waste of both time and money as the decay will return if high levels of moisture remain.

If replacing floor joists the bearing ends / sufaces of the joists should be isolated from dampness (stainless steel joist hangers preferred), any cut ends treated with boron preservatives. Timbers considered at risk during the drying down phase can be treated with preservative as a holding measure.

Sub floor ventilation should be improved sufficient to maintain the moisture content of the suspended timber floor below the threshold of decay (20-22%). Again you may wish to photogrpah things with a date stamped camera before fitting new vents. Also check for any contributory leakage and whether any sub floor vents (if present) were blocked by insulation the consequence of which you may be insured for in both cases and if you are don't do anything before notifying your insurer that you have found such issues.

The surveyor should have acted with reasonable care and skill of a person in their profession. If you can show that they have not then you may well have a case for recovering costs.

Hope the above generic comments help in some small way but which should not be relied upon as specific advice as cases may well vary and which is by no means an exhaustive list of things to consider, kindest regards, David Aldred Independent damp and timber surveyor.

G_M

Jenna/Adam

Touting for business on this website is against the rules. I notice you are posting similar messages on several threads.

Please stop.

Spam reported.