"Mark" wrote in message
...
On 14 Jul 2003 12:30:24 -0700, (Steve Fisher)
wrote:

We've got dry rot under our stairs.

A company has been round and told us that all the floorboards in hall
will need replacing with treated floorboards. Plaster will need
replacing to height of 1 metre (up to Dado rail) by 3 metres wide. Two
air bricks will need installing.

The quote has come in at £3000 for a weeks work.

This seems fairly expensive considering the quote effectively covers

1) what the cost of floorboards are (hallway measures 2 metres by 6)
2) 2 people for 2 days to lay floorboards
3) install 2 airbricks (cover one exisitng air brick which is level
with pavement outside (this is where water has been coming into the
house)
4) the cost of a plasterer for a day and his material.
5) treating all new wood with dry rot prevention chemicals
6) finsihing work

Can anyone recommend any companies in North Manchester/Bury area which
deal in this type of work?

Regards

I'm no expert or even sure of this but if they are replacing the
woodwork that has rotted and fixing the problem causing it why treat
the new wood ? Or will any remaing traces of rot spread to the new
wood.

I'll do it all baring the plastering for a fiver. ;-)

Mark S.


I had a dry rot afflicted floor replaced 30 years ago and they neither
removed the cause of the problem nor sterilised the brickwork and
surrounding timber. 10 years later it was back and I did it myself this
time, cut well back, burned and soaked the brickwork, everything according
to the text book and it's not returned.

Today I witnessed some carpenters, on bonus, replacing a nearby house floor
ruined with dry and wet rot. In their haste they removed the timber without
ceremony, treading on spores, no effort to sweep up infected debris. New
joists were rapidly installed on a 'that'll do' basis and floorboards thrown
down without any clamping up. Their attitude was that the new wood was
pressure treated and it would 'last long enough'....... . Not my idea of a
proper job, so be warned and watch the builders if you do place the
contract. IMHO it's better to go OTT when it comes to Dry Rot, rather than
regret it years later.

But £3 k does sound very expensive.............(and a fiver way too cheap).
I reckon about £1k would be fair if properly done, using round estimates for
your list of jobs and materials above.

BAH