New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof, felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers, at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in places, but appear otherwise sound.

The rough plan is:

Strip it back to the rafters.
Scrape off mould where necessary
Treat timbers with something (what?? Bearing in mind I want to share airspace with these timbers later, though I suppose chucking up some plasterboard is alright if I have to).
Cover with OSB 3, tarp cover while I wait for non-freezing dry weather, then EDPM.

On Saturday, 23 November 2019 22:56:09 UTC, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof, felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers, at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in places, but appear otherwise sound.

The rough plan is:

Strip it back to the rafters.
Scrape off mould where necessary
Treat timbers with something (what?? Bearing in mind I want to share airspace with these timbers later, though I suppose chucking up some plasterboard is alright if I have to).
Cover with OSB 3, tarp cover while I wait for non-freezing dry weather, then EDPM.

wood preservative. Not water based junk or creocote. Not creosote either, too stinky


NT

On Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:37:11 PM UTC, wrote:
On Saturday, 23 November 2019 22:56:09 UTC, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof, felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers, at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in places, but appear otherwise sound.

The rough plan is:

Strip it back to the rafters.
Scrape off mould where necessary
Treat timbers with something (what?? Bearing in mind I want to share airspace with these timbers later, though I suppose chucking up some plasterboard is alright if I have to).
Cover with OSB 3, tarp cover while I wait for non-freezing dry weather, then EDPM.

wood preservative. Not water based junk or creocote. Not creosote either, too stinky


NT

I like the smell of creosote, and Jeyes fluid. SWMBO can't stand either

On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

You might want to identify if the mould is anything significant like wet
or dry rot or merely a cosmetic surface infection. Good idea to wear a
mask when working on it either way the spores of some common damp fungi
can cause nasty lung infections if you get heavily exposed.

NTW lichens and mosses on the roofing felt itself do no harm at all.

The rough plan is:

Strip it back to the rafters. Scrape off mould where necessary Treat
timbers with something (what?? Bearing in mind I want to share
airspace with these timbers later, though I suppose chucking up some
plasterboard is alright if I have to). Cover with OSB 3, tarp cover
while I wait for non-freezing dry weather, then EDPM.

The right treatment may depend on exactly which fungus it is and whether
or not there is also woodworm present. Just getting it properly dry
again might be good enough to see off cosmetic surface stuff.

Dilute Jeyes fluid will see of the cosmetic stuff and the smell will
eventually go away if you wait long enough.

Equally if it is something nasty you may have to remove some affected
wood until you reach sound timber and treat it aggressively. Some of the
more effective anti-rot chemicals are not really DIY territory.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

Fair point. I'm no expert. I will take some photos and do some more poking at the structure.

If it IS rot, then I will probably strip the whole lot and rebuild it with an increased pitch, which will at least be a fun job. Might even put in a planning application and put a proper roof on it.

On 26/11/2019 09:37, wrote:
I like the smell of creosote, and Jeyes fluid. SWMBO can't stand either

But that would ensure she stays out of your man cave :-)

On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 8:48:13 PM UTC, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

https://flic.kr/p/2hRAzS6 - apparently a thin surface layer on the timber which still seems solid (poking from ground level with a rod). The whiter layer on the OSB to the top-left of pic is a much thicker layer.



Fair point. I'm no expert. I will take some photos and do some more poking at the structure.

If it IS rot, then I will probably strip the whole lot and rebuild it with an increased pitch, which will at least be a fun job. Might even put in a planning application and put a proper roof on it.

Wrote in message:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 8:48:13 PM UTC, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

https://flic.kr/p/2hRAzS6 - apparently a thin surface layer on the timber which still seems solid (poking from ground level with a rod). The whiter layer on the OSB to the top-left of pic is a much thicker layer.


Timbers look OK to me in that pic.

The thicker layer looks like wet rot but it's on the bit you'll
eventually strip?

Depending on how much mould etc there is you might leave it all
til spring & in the meantime hit all the mould etc with HG Mould
Spray (b&q & others - Google it), that will knock it all back
for a while....
--
Jimk


----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://usenet.sinaapp.com/

On 26/11/2019 20:48, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown
wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat
roof, felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I
can ram my wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40.
The timbers, at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering
of mould in places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

Fair point. I'm no expert. I will take some photos and do some more
poking at the structure.

My other suggestion is that roof replacement is a job best done in the
summer so you might just want to put some bitumen sealant on the cracks
for now to get it through winter without too much more water getting in.

When the wood begins to dry out if there are any serious fungi they will
throw up fruiting bodies and you can identify them from that. White fur
all looks much of a muchness. I expect the OSB will all be replaced but
decent timber can stand a surprising amount of abuse and still be OK.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 2:53:15 PM UTC, JimK wrote:
Wrote in message:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 8:48:13 PM UTC, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

https://flic.kr/p/2hRAzS6 - apparently a thin surface layer on the timber which still seems solid (poking from ground level with a rod). The whiter layer on the OSB to the top-left of pic is a much thicker layer.


Timbers look OK to me in that pic.

The thicker layer looks like wet rot but it's on the bit you'll
eventually strip?

Yup. I've started stripping it. One bit was sufficiently soft that I didn't dare stand on it - and at another point, Underneath, top half inch of some timbers are soft, but only in a wet sort of way, not decayed. I hope!

#VizTopTip - when lobbing an 8x4 off a roof, remember not to do it on the same side of the roof as you put the ladder.

Wrote in message:
On Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 2:53:15 PM UTC, JimK wrote:
Wrote in message:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 8:48:13 PM UTC, wrote:
On Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 10:07:42 AM UTC, Martin Brown wrote:
On 23/11/2019 22:56, wrote:
New house has a brick built workshop with a much neglected flat roof,
felt over OSB. The roof is seriously mouldy in places - I can ram my
wrecking bar right through it. Pitch is about 1 in 40. The timbers,
at least the ones I've checked, have a fair covering of mould in
places, but appear otherwise sound.

It isn't clear from your description if you mean mould or rot.

https://flic.kr/p/2hRAzS6 - apparently a thin surface layer on the timber which still seems solid (poking from ground level with a rod). The whiter layer on the OSB to the top-left of pic is a much thicker layer.


Timbers look OK to me in that pic.

The thicker layer looks like wet rot but it's on the bit you'll
eventually strip?

Yup. I've started stripping it. One bit was sufficiently soft that I didn't dare stand on it - and at another point, Underneath, top half inch of some timbers are soft, but only in a wet sort of way, not decayed. I hope!

They'll dry if just wet...


#VizTopTip - when lobbing an 8x4 off a roof, remember not to do it on the same side of the roof as you put the ladder.

Doh!!


--
Jimk


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