NORTHERN BEACHES of Sydney & parts of North Shore
Handy Work operates only in the areas of Sydney listed above at this time. We are typically booked out weeks ahead so cannot work outside these areas. Please see the map on the Handy Work Home Page to see if you are situated within our area of operation.
Wood Rot and Termite damage is so disheartening. It is something we do not normally expect until the wood caves-in revealing the damage previously hidden below.
Wood Rot is caused by a naturally occurring fungus, for which spores are floating around in the air most of the time. As soon as timber reaches roughly 20 percent water content the wood rot will start damaging the timber and will continue rotting until the water content drops below that 20 percent level. I still find people calling it "dry rot" sometimes. It is anything but. It is typically wet rot when you expose it. Wood rot is exacerbated by moisture, poor air circulation and lack of painting, coupled with a naturally occurring fungus of which the spores float around us in the air. Mostly around Sydney we experience Brown Rot and sometimes White Rot.
You cannot magically replace damaged timber but if the rot has not structurally damaged the timber item then digging out the soft material, filling up the craters left behind and painting it so that water cannot raise the moisture content again will do a lot to slow it down or stop it.
If you can divert the moisture or seal the leak which directed the water to the timber and keep the timber properly sealed, then you may stave off continued damage. If you cannot stop the water getting to the timber, then it will continue to rot.
When wood rot is found which is deep, replacing the effected timber is best, where it is possible, but when the cost of replacement is too great, for instance in the case of window frames then painstakingly restoring the original look can be attempted.
Window sashes (the bit of the window which moves) must remain structurally sound or the corner joints will break when opening or closing them. Therefore, it is often most cost effective to replace just that sash, given the window frame (the fixed part of the window attached to the walls) is sound enough. Handy Work has suppliers who can make up new window sashes to the measurements we take. Unfortunately, it takes weeks for the sashes to be made, mostly interstate and then we can fit it.
If the structural frame is rotted, then a combination of precision cut timber and catalysed fillers can be used to rebuild the surface to look largely like new. This is painstaking work but is mostly cheaper than the sometimes thousands of dollars needed to replace a window unit.
Handy Work will assess the damage and make the most cost-effective recommendations.
Termite Damage, is also insidious because it happens without any obvious signs and collapses or caves in with little warning. The structural integrity of the timber members affected need careful appraisal and then Handy Work can go about replacing the effected items.
Handy Work is multi-skilled in virtually all areas of property, building & carpentry improvements.
No matter whether it is new work, modifications or repairs. Get us to fix everything you need done in one go. You don’t have to hang around day after day, waiting for multiple trades, who may or may not turn up.
Call Bruce on 0418-264 649 or click 'Contact' to ask your question and we’ll call you
Taking the hassle out of your property improvements.
Handy Work - Just one call for all your property work… Done !
The old story still applies; “GOOD PEOPLE ARE BUSY, AND THOSE THAT AREN’T, YOU SHOULD PERHAPS WORRY ABOUT” Please bear in mind that we are sometimes booked with work for more than a fortnight, sometimes longer. Therefore it is always best to get your job bookings in early to avoid disappointment.
Wood Rot Repairs in Awning Panelling - Mosman
Cracked paint on a south western face of a house in Mosman, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney allowed timber paneling to begin rotting. Because it was above the owner's line of site it was missed and needed replacement. The replacement timber was Treated Pine, lessening the chance of it happening again.
Before
After
Wood Rot in Facia Boards - Chatswood
Again cracked paintwork left for too long meant the facia board on this Chatswood cottage rotted. It was made more complicated by the fact that the electrical connection point for the House Service Line was attached through the facia board. Handy Work, first had to engage a specialist electrical contractor, licensed to climb power poles to disconnect the power so the board could be replaced legally and safely. Handy Work worked closely with the electrical contractor to minimise the expense for the client by having everything ready when the contractor arrived.
Before
After
Termite Damage to Roof Structure - Bexley
The termite damage was not what Handy Work was there to fix. We were brought in to fix a roof leak which was traced down to a round a skylight. When the roof sheets were pulled off the roof to replace the skylight, the termite damage was discovered. We cut out the worst timbers and splinted them before sealing up the roof again.
Termite Damage Close Up
After the termite damaged timbers were replaced
The property was rented out while the owner was overseas for another 3 to 4 years and she didn't want very much money spent on this repair because she intended demolishing on her return to Australia and building a new house, so Handy Work was instructed to use the cheapest metal roofing that could be sourced even if the colour did not match. Not our normal standard but that was the client's stipulation
Extensive Wood Rot in window sill - Ermington
This window had extensive wood rot in the window frame but because it was an arched window, it would be very expensive to have a replacement window made so the owners chose to have Handy Work rebuild the window sill. The other unusual feature of this repair was the rot was almost completely on the inside and not that evident on the outside. Reason, it was a bathroom with little ventilation and a nearly ineffective exhaust fan. Condensation on the cold window in winter when the paint was cracked was the cause.
Handy work had to start by digging out all the soft mush that the sill was made up of, then treat the timber left behind, then fill the voids with treated pine where possible and fill the rest. Then we painted it so it looked brand new.
After all the repairs and painting
Timber Shingles Rotted and Replaced - Thornleigh
This lovely cottage on the North Shore had some nice touches like the awnings over the two front windows but the cedar wood shingles had rotted badly. Cedar shingles are hard to find, are very expensive and are really not the best product for a roof. So instead Handy Work stripped the rotted shingles off the two awning roofs then removed the rotted tongue and groove lining boards under them, replaced them with treated pine lining boards and then cut up fiber reinforced cement sheets to look like shingles and put them up. Once it was painted it looked absolutely authentic but is now impervious to the insidious wood rot fungus.
