"Bob Smith \(UK\)" bob@nospamplease wrote in message ...
1. Treatment of the wood - I would like as to treat the wood which has
become soft so as to stop any more damage being caused. What would be
the best product to do this with bearing in mind the wood is/will be
damp?

There is a liquid called "wood hardener" oddly enough. I think it was
cuprinol, and found it at B&Q near the wood fillers. I used some a few
years ago on a window ledge that had gone soft.

I removed the spongy wood first with a wire brush, then painted it on what
was left before filling. It looks like water, but does make the wood go
hard.

I don't have a tin to look at, and can't remember if it said it would work
on wet wood, but like Pete C said, if the wood is dry, it will soak in and
treat a greater depth of wood (I don't think you would want to remove your
wood with a wire brush, since filler is probably not strong structurally)

I have here a tin of Ronseal "Wet Rot Wood Hardner" which says the
"wood should be reasonably dry...", so I assume it doesn't have to be
completely so, This is just as well as I've left the windowsill
painting a bit late and there's not much chance of nature drying out
the soft bits completely. I'm trying a heat gun, but I doubt if it
goes very deep.

Chris