Just found out floorboards in inner bay window of bungalow are rotten

youth_leader

Hello everyone, I bought this bungalow in March, and did have a full RICS survey. 

The vendor asked me if I wanted to have a very large heavy wicker chair, which was in the bay window at the front.  I moved it for the first time today.

My curtain person came round this morning to put the rail up,  and as he walked into the bay we heard an ominous crack.  He said he wasn't happy to continue without investigating and I said to pull the carpet back - no underlay, and boards are damp looking and bouncy, he nearly put his fist through.  I've just bought a dehumidifier because there was so much condensation on these bay windows a few weeks ago. 

I've got in touch with a local builder, but wonder if this has happened to anyone else.  Am I likely to need the whole floor ripped up and redone? Thank you.

FreeBear

youth_leader said: I've got in touch with a local builder, but wonder if this has happened to anyone else.  Am I likely to need the whole floor ripped up and redone?

If you are lucky, you should be able to get away with just the flooring& joists in the bay replaced - But it really depends on how far the rot has extended.

You also need to investigate the source of the damp that caused the timbers to rot. The usual suspects are elevated ground levels breaching the DPC and/or leaking gutters/down pipes.

youth_leader

Thanks FreeBear, I've been asking the gutter cleaning company to come since April, just so busy I assume. There is a blocked up chimney on the wall facing the bay, but it does have a ventilation slot. 

I've just been back in for another look and there is underlay, and it's dampish, as are the floorboards. Hopefully the builder will get back to me before 2022! and help me find the source.

 I do feel upset, I've spent months getting this room ready for my daughter to visit and the curtains were the last thing to be done.

theoretica

A decent joiner should be able to replace just the rotten stuff - however far that extends, but as above you need to find out where the damp came from and sort that.  Is the underfloor ventilation OK?  While the floor is up do you want to think about underfloor insulation or any other work like threading cables?

The house we moved to when I was 3 had rotten floor in places.  But once sorted, not a hint of any issues with it for at least 20 years, until sold.

Nifty_Purse

Does your survey mention the condition of the floor? If it was a full structural survey this should have been found by the surveyor?

In the meantime, you can probably reduce this moisture. If the underlay is plastic foam-backed remove or pull it back along with the carpet as far as the damp floorboard area extends this will allow the floorboards to start drying out. Any plastic covering will be trapping the moisture under it with nowhere for the moisture to go and keeping the timber wet.
Suspended timber floors have airbricks somewhere in the exterior wall below the level of the floorboarding make sure they are not blocked up. They exist to provide ventilation to the floorboards and stop them getting damp.
Get the guttering looked at.
Get the windows open frequently and find out the source(s) of the condensation. 

youth_leader

Thank you very much for all your comments, I've just found my survey.  I've also set up my new gigantic 20L Aldi dehumidifier.  

In the 'external walls' section it was recommended that I have the cavity wall ties checked, which I did, and they had to be replaced.  In my early days panic I hadn't taken on board that it also says ' following which the mortar joints should be raked out and repointed', so I've got to find a builder to do that.

In the 'floors' section of the report it says the floors to the majority of the original property is of suspended timber construction, and fitted floor coverings were in place and this limited observations. The kitchen and extension are concrete.   Also reiterates that the airbricks to external walls are kept free of obstruction.  The sub floor void was not inspected and the floor joist condition was not inspected, but at the time of the inspection there was no visible evidence to suggest defects.

I do think this chair was very strategically placed, and will go and move it and strip back as you recommend Nifty_Purse.  I've just remembered the vendor rang me about something and apologised for the damage to the carpet in the bedroom because she'd 'overwatered' a plant.  It's a dark bedroom and I can't see that she would would have had a plant there, I was suspicious when my cat's blanket and basket went mouldy.  I'm going to take that carpet up as well tomorrow, so much stuff on top of it as I haven't fully unpacked yet.  Just had my wisdom teeth out so can't do too much 'pulling'!

Jaybee_16

Are there air bricks in the external walls allowing air flow under the property? 
Recall many years ago a similar situation with somebody I knew. Seems a builder had rendered over the air bricks and the floorboards and joists in the bay window had been slowly rotting away over many years. He stood in the bay and his foot went through the floor. 

twopenny

Youthleader it happens to us all. Just put the music on, cup of something and set to it.

Annoying but you will feel better for knowing.

Air brick first, look for soil build up next to the wall though that shouldn't go into the room. It's more likely something that should have been stopped sooner and will be fine once sorted.

I had ants in the living room, place uninhabited they'd eaten through the mortar where it got damp and the air brick. I couldn't get anyone to do that small job but although I was upset I dug down by the wall, scraped out the mortar, let it all dry and then remortared myself. It's quite an easy job. Just when it's on top of trying to unpack and make a home.

Good luck.

youth_leader

Thank you everyone for your reassuring words.

Being an elderly widow on my own I don't have much equity cash left in my savings, and am fearful of being 'ripped off' by trades, following an incident where I paid an intimidating someone a ridiculous sum to clear and repair a cast iron gutter.  

I feel much better and have checked the air brick, all clear.  The front does need repointing and I've got back in touch with the company who did the cavity wall tie replacement.  I've just written to my surveyor and asked for an appointment for him to come round and have a look, hopefully he'll be able to identify whether it's wet rot/dry rot etc and whether it's localised or not.

Great forum!

twopenny

Youthleader well done. You aren't the first, young or old to get ripped off. It happens to most people some time in their lives. Hopefully it is a reminder not to rush or be rushed when a job needs doing. 
Something I still need to fix in my brain.
Hope it's nothing much and just a small thing neglected.

JohnB47

All good advice I think but no mention about the state of the bay roof. Could there be a problem there, allowing water to get into the cavity wall around the window frames and down to the joists and floor boarding over time?