There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.
http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at £15 each...

[geroge]

On 20 May, 12:30, "george (dicegeorge)" wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at £15 each...

[geroge]

Not unless the volume is structurally insignificant and even then not
advised

If within 25% of the top of the joist (compression zone) near the
bearing use two folding sliding timber wedges to fill the gap and pin
it
if not near the bearing it will be much less and take engineering
knowledge to determine if it can be repaired with a wedge or
supplementary side by side timbers
Likewise for the bottom tension zone where filling it is of no use
whatsoever as it is in tension

if in the tension zone the limit depends also on engineering
assessment

Chris

On May 20, 12:10*pm, wrote:
On 20 May, 12:30, "george (dicegeorge)" wrote:

There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at £15 each...

[geroge]

Not unless the volume is structurally insignificant and even then not
advised

If within 25% of the top of the joist (compression zone) near the
bearing *use two folding sliding timber wedges to fill the gap and pin
it
if not near the bearing it will be much less and take engineering
knowledge to determine if it can be repaired with a wedge or
supplementary side by side timbers
Likewise for the bottom tension zone where filling it is of no use
whatsoever as it is in tension

if in the tension zone the limit depends also on engineering
assessment

Chris

Suggest investigate reason for rot?
Could be that the loft is insufficiently ventilated?
If so, warm damp air from the living portion of the building could be
entering the cool loft and the moisture condensing on cool surfaces
such as the timbers? Or the inner roof surface and then dripping onto
other structure?
Here (Easter North America) minimum attic/loft ventilation (which must
include cross draught) is 3 square feet per 1000 feet of area.
Unless the attic itself is vapour sealed and properly insulated etc.

Looks like typical softwood carpentry, rather than oak.

The most urgent thing is to stop the rot. Eliminate the sources of
moisture and get the timbers dry.

Why do you want to use filler? Its effect would be purely cosmetic, no
structural value.

If timbers are in such poor shape that their load bearing is
compromised, then either replace or bolt new timbers either side.

In article ,
george (dicegeorge) wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.
http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?

Is this a wind up?

--
*Great groups from little icons grow *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

The most urgent thing is to stop the rot. Eliminate the sources of
moisture and get the timbers dry.

Yes I've been doing that, and gutters and drains.

But decades of leaks and neglect have resulted in rotten timber ends,
some more severe than others.

http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg
could perhaps be repaired from the inside without stripping the whole
roof, and without scaffolding,
somehow or other.

[g]

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
george (dicegeorge) wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.
http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?

Is this a wind up?


No - it's my roof.
I almost got conned by the builders who did the kitchen beam,
so now I'm researching how to get timbers repaired.

[g]

On May 20, 12:30*pm, "george (dicegeorge)"
wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at £15 each...

Presumably there was a lath and plaster ceiling nailed up onto those
joists we see in the picture and this space was not really accessible
until now.

Has anything actually moved? If the structure has not moved, then
why not simply stop the rot (by brushing on one of the proprietory rot
treatments) and check the loft is properly ventilated.

What makes you think these timbers is oak? They don't look like oak
to me.

Robert

george (dicegeorge) wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.
http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at �15 each...

[geroge]

I also would either replace the timber or replace its function with
another piece.

PS wood is a lot cheaper than an acro.


NT

RobertL wrote:
On May 20, 12:30 pm, "george (dicegeorge)"
wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.

http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at £15 each...

Presumably there was a lath and plaster ceiling nailed up onto those
joists we see in the picture and this space was not really accessible
until now.

Has anything actually moved? If the structure has not moved, then
why not simply stop the rot (by brushing on one of the proprietory rot
treatments) and check the loft is properly ventilated.

What makes you think these timbers is oak? They don't look like oak
to me.

Robert


Yes there was a lathe and plaster ceiling.

I think the timbers are oak because plasterboard nails bend when i
hammer them in,
I need an impact screwdriver to get anywhere - but I may be wrong.

Should I scrape off the soft rotted wood with a knife
and then paint on some rot treatment?

The ends of lots of beams are rotted,
I don't want to have to rip the roof apart to replace the whole beam,
surely I can clamp glue screw or bolt wood or plywood to the ends somehow...

Chris said:
use two folding sliding timber wedges to fill the gap and pin it

But googling doesnt help me understand what a folding sliding timber
wedge is..

[g]

george (dicegeorge) wrote:
RobertL wrote:
On May 20, 12:30 pm, "george (dicegeorge)"
wrote:
There's some rot in some of my roof timbers, I think they are oak.

http://www.dicegeorge.com/psb/psimg/...052009119c.jpg

Can I fill in the gaps with wood and car body filler?
Is this a DIY job? How?
I have 4 acros, could buy a few more at �15 each...

Presumably there was a lath and plaster ceiling nailed up onto those
joists we see in the picture and this space was not really accessible
until now.

Has anything actually moved? If the structure has not moved, then
why not simply stop the rot (by brushing on one of the proprietory rot
treatments) and check the loft is properly ventilated.

What makes you think these timbers is oak? They don't look like oak
to me.

Robert


Yes there was a lathe and plaster ceiling.

lath, lathes are too heavy

I think the timbers are oak because plasterboard nails bend when i
hammer them in,
I need an impact screwdriver to get anywhere - but I may be wrong.

Should I scrape off the soft rotted wood with a knife
and then paint on some rot treatment?

if you can keep them properly dry they wont continue rotting


The ends of lots of beams are rotted,
I don't want to have to rip the roof apart to replace the whole beam,
surely I can clamp glue screw or bolt wood or plywood to the ends somehow....

yes, thats the way to go.


Chris said:
use two folding sliding timber wedges to fill the gap and pin it

But googling doesnt help me understand what a folding sliding timber
wedge is..

[g]

may be easier to just bolt another piece of timber on.


NT