How best to dry timber in loft

[skier-hughes]

So today, being a dry day I thought I'd do some work outside!!!!

To be thwarted by some ominous looking bubbles which appeared overnight in the bathroom ceiling paintwork.

I thought I'd better investigate......

A bucketful of water later and the slow pour becomes a drip.

About an 8' sqaure of paint is easily removed, being modern stuff as it just peeled off in big patches.

Having just removed the scaffolding from when we rebuilt the chimney I thought something had got damaged as it came down, so up into the loft and I inspected as best I could, but I just couldn;t find any sign of wetness indicating a leak anywhere.

Came down for a rest.

Back up and started to remove the insulation from around the water tank, and....... yep, I found the water as the insulation was wringing wet. The ball valve wasn't quite sitting right, it kept dripping water in, which kept dripping out of the overflow pipe which wasn't quite fitted correctly in the tank, so for how many years I don't know this water has been dripping into the loft.

I've removed all the wet insulation, I've dried the plasterboard the best I can, I've sorted the ball valve and refitted the overflow pipe so even if it shuld be needed it shouldn't leak again.

The problem though is the wood is absolutely saturated, so much so it is spongy.

I've checked how far this goes, (not too far in) as the weight of the tank is obviously coming into play here, don't want all of that in the bathroom!!!

Do I put an electric heater up there? A dehumidifier - means buying one, so what would be recommended? just leave it to see if the natural air flow dries it out when it warms up gain this summer

Should I remove the sodden plaster board? I don't really want to, as I'm trying to do the kitchen and although the bathroom is next on the list, I don't want to be doing two things at once, but I'm willing to do this if it means the wood will dry lots quicker and it'd be better for that.

I could call the insurers and see if they'll pay out :wink:

 

[Penners]

Bad luck, Graham. But at least the leak was easy to cure!

If it were me, I think I'd let everything dry out thoroughly before I decided what to do. Your wet timber will probably be fine, as long as the leak hasn't been active for long enough to set up wet rot. However, I can understand your concern to ensure that the tank remains in the loft! I should see how the timber feels when it's dry.

The plasterboard is a bit more dubious, but I'd wait and see.

If you want to speed up the drying, then of course warmth and ventilation will help, or a dehumidifier if you're impatient. Don't rush the drying too much, though.

 

[chuckey]

I would not bother with a heater because you will be trying to heat up the water in the tank, this will just condense in another part of the loft. Use a fan, the biggest you have and get a good forced airflow between the joists which would be out of the way of natural drafts. Move the fan to another joist space after a day. If you have a wet and dry vacuum cleaner use that at first to get rid of any free water.
Frank

 

[skier-hughes]

I think it's been leaking for some time, as the wood really is wet.

I think I'll go for the good ventilation method, I've got a smallish fan heater that has a cold setting somewhere, plus Jo's away for a few days, so I can have the windows open and leave the hatch off and let some air move round

I've got a wet and dry vac, but as Penner's knows, it's a bit big to get in the loft :wink: I think I've got most of the free water by using towels.

Graham

 

[Flyfisher]

I had a slow water leak once that went unnoticed until the plasterboard finally started to bow. Realising the problem, I armed myself with a bucket and screwdriver and gingerly made a hole in the ceiling to let the water run out. I ended up with almost two buckets of water!

I took down the plasterboard (it didn't need much persuasion) and the joists were absolutely saturated through. However, natural ventilation dried everything out within a few days, with no long term effects.

At our current house I'm now getting quite blase about the roof leaking as the 'very adequate' ventilation (i.e gaping holes) ensures everything dries out very quickly.

If your plasterboard was very soaked, I'd check to see it isn't preventing good ventilation doing its work around your timbers. I would also contact your insurer - it sounds like a straightforward water-damage claim, in which case you could remove the damaged plasterboard, let all the timbers really dry well, then repair everything. A real pain, granted, but it will help if someone else is paying the bill for a change!

 

[NT]

If you claim for something trivial like plasterboard, you'll probably end up paying 4x as much over the coming years in increased premiums

If you dry wood too fast the outwide shrinks before the inside, and it splits.


NT

 

[Penners]

If your plasterboard was very soaked, I'd check to see it isn't preventing good ventilation doing its work around your timbers.

I agree with that. As I said above, I also think that the plasterboard is the most likely thing to be damaged irreparably. So - I know that you're reluctant to do this - but I would get the wet plasterboard down and done with.

 

[Flyfisher]

If you claim for something trivial like plasterboard, you'll probably end up paying 4x as much over the coming years in increased premiums

That's not my experience. Our final claim came to about £1300 including all the redecorating. Our premium went up about £50 the following year.

 

[skier-hughes]

As soon as the kitchen is finished then we will be starting on the bathroom, where again all the gypsom plaster has to come off the walls, we will be opening up two bricked up windows and relaying the floor, and obviously installing some mod cons

So removing the plasterboard is ok, I just didn't want to do it yet and be left with a big hole in the ceiling for months.

Mind you it looks like it might be making the decision for me, as it is quite well bowed this morning.

As for claiming on the insurance, I don't think I'll bother,a s nothings got damaged apart from the plasterboard as yet. If the beams don't dry out safely then I may review the matter, so I'm taking pictures today.

Graham

 

[Penners]

I just didn't want to do it yet and be left with a big hole in the ceiling for months.

Go on - take off a few roof tiles, too, and you'll be able to lie in the bath with a wonderful view of the stars.

 

[skier-hughes]

Yeh, like Mrs Penners would enjoy that as well

I might cut strips from the loft either side of the beam and then remove the plasterboard from below, so that the beam has some airflow either side and nothing touching it underneath, and not have too big a hole to contend with.

I'm finishing rolling the drive today, then I'll get that done tomorrow, before Jo comes home, eh, once done she can't stop me.................. or can she!!!

 

[NT]

If you claim for something trivial like plasterboard, you'll probably end up paying 4x as much over the coming years in increased premiums

That's not my experience. Our final claim came to about £1300 including all the redecorating. Our premium went up about £50 the following year.

I hope you appreciate just how lucky you are.


NT

 

[Flyfisher]

Well, I was certainly very pleased with the outcome but, to be honest, I wasn't really surprised. Isn't insurance all about risk? Does one claim for a water leak make me more likely to have another leak?

I can understand things like driving licence points putting up car insurance, because the points say something about the driver's behaviour. But a domestic water leak?

Has anyone else had experiences of huge premium increases after a property insurance claim?

 

[Penners]

I hope you appreciate just how lucky you are.

Over the decades, we've made a few claims on our household insurance - maybe three or four. I've never seen this result in significantly inflate premiums.

And if that statement isn't tempting fate, I don't know what is!

 

[shelli]

Over the decades, we've made a few claims on our household insurance - maybe three or four. I've never seen this result in significantly inflate premiums.

And if that statement isn't tempting fate, I don't know what is!

I should move your furniture upstairs If I were you - just in case suffolk now floods in response!

 

[Penners]

I'm not worried. We're in a high-altitude part of Suffolk - over 100ft above sea level. The air is very thin up here.

 

[worms]

Being at 100 ft is great...

...as long as the land around you isn't all at 101 ft!