How to Fix Wet Rot caused by an Escape of Water
After a flood or escape of water in your property, wet rot is a significant concern for damage if not treated properly. Wet rot is a fungal infestation caused by excess moisture lingering within the timbers in your home. If left unattended, the fungus can weaken the structure of your floor joists, detrimentally influencing the safety of your home.
What Is Wet Rot?
Wet rot is a fungus that sustains itself on moisture and timber. Areas that are most affected by wet rot include unprotected timber (such as floorboards and joists) as well as plaster, wallpaper and carpets. Whilst wet rot is constrained to areas that are wet or damp, large amounts of damage can be caused. The issue typically occurs when timber is exposed to excess moisture for long periods of time. The fungus develops and spreads its spores within the surrounding area.
Wet rot will eventually affect the whole area of dampness. When timber floorboards and joists are exposed to moisture for prolonged amounts of time, the decay causes softening of the wood. This has serious structural implications which may require extensive repairs.
Symptoms of Wet Rot
If an escape of water occurs within your property, it is in your best interest to contact insurance repair builders who specialise in water damage repairs. As they will not only carry out a professional inspection of the damage to your timbers. But they will also advise if the cost of repairing the damage should be covered by your insurance. In the event that wet rot develops excessively, you can spot it with these symptoms:
- Brown, yellow or darkened stains on timber that is different to its surrounding areas.
- Visible spores across the wet surfaces.
- Sponge-like timber.
- A significant damp smell.
- Crumbling when dry.
If wet rot is left untreated, it will continue to cause extensive damage and costly repairs. If you’ve had a burst pipe or leak in your home, we recommend that you take action as soon as possible.
What can Cause Wet Rot?
As discussed, wet rot occurs when timbers are exposed to excessive moisture levels. Depending on the conditions in your home, and the extent of the damage caused by the flood or escape of water, rot can develop and spread quickly. To establish if the repairs should be covered by your insurance, it is vital you contact a claims management company to assess the damage as soon as possible. An experienced Claims Manager will carefully consider the circumstances leading to the damage, alongside your policy wording to establish if you should be covered.
Many standard buildings insurance policies exclude damage caused by rot. However, some policies may cover the cost of repairing timber damaged by an insured peril i.e. an escape of water. However, there must be sufficient evidence to satisfy the insurer that the damage could not have been spotted and addressed any sooner.
Wet Rot repairs that may be covered by insurance:
- Burst pipes
- A leak from a washing machine or dishwasher
- Escape of water from a property above yours (such as in a flat)
- Flooding
Wet Rot repairs NOT covered by insurance:
- Leaks in the roof caused by wear and tear
- Blocked or leaking guttering
- Failed silicone or grout around a shower tray or bath
- Damage caused by an escape of water that wasn’t fixed promptly
Any unresolved issue that is related to a lack of maintenance associated with the property will not be covered by your insurance policy. As such, they won’t be included in the services of insurance repair builders.
Treatments and Prevention of Wet Rot
We have already mentioned how vital it can be to address an escape of water once it has occurred. By getting in contact with a claims management company and your insurer as soon as the incident occurs, the sooner the work can be completed to prevent or remedy the damages.
Nevertheless, no matter how quickly the insurance process is resolved, there is a treatment to fix any stage of water damage and wet rot development.
- Drying the Affected Timber
The sooner you are able to initiate action after water damage the better the outcome will be. After a minor leak, the issue can be resolved quickly by efficiently drying the affected timber. With the appropriate drying equipment, the area should dry up within a couple of days or weeks. Drying the affected areas promptly removes the excess moisture that was allowing the wet rot to thrive.
- Fungicides
Fungicides are an effective way of preventing and treating wet rot. They are most useful once the affected area has dried. Fungicides work by killing spores in the treated area, preventing further wet rot growth. In serious cases of water damage and wet rot development, professional contractors can be arranged to apply a concentrated solution of the treatment.
- Wood Hardener
Wood hardener can be used to restore existing wooden joists. The treatment works by penetrating the timbers in the affected area and protecting them from moisture. This treatment reconditions the wood, preventing the need to replace it. Water damage experts will be able to apply the treatment completely across affected areas, preventing further damage.
- Replacement of affected timbers
In the most extreme cases of water damage, wet rot can cause significant problems. If left untreated, floorboards and joists will become soft and weak. After drying, they may start to crumble and become brittle. This can be especially dangerous from a structural perspective. Under these conditions, the replacement of the affected timbers may be the only viable solution to guarantee the safety of your home.
Final Thoughts
If there has been a flood or leak within your property, you likely want to claim on your buildings insurance to cover the costs of necessary repairs. By hiring the services of a property claims management company, you’ll have a better chance of successfully claiming for the repairs required to restore the safety of your home.
