Timber frame: wood hardener & filler. Wrong time of year?

[jmo]

Hi All,

the house I've just bought has repairs needed to the bay window frame. A lot of the paint is flaking off to bare wood, most of which looks ok. But on the right-hand side there are patches of rot.

My plan is to expose all the rotted patches, scrape the wet wood away, let it dry, then use wood hardener and filler before painting. (I like the sound of Bedec MSP mentioned on this forum.) This might be a good enough compromise, at least in the short term before getting it repaired properly if need be.

I wondering if it should be done immediately to protect the frames before winter properly hits, or is it better to wait for warmer, less wet weather next year? Or would covering the wood with plastic once the rotted sections are removed to allow it to to dry before application of hardener be a good way to go?

Thanks for reading.

 

[Feltwell]

Hello,

First off, definitely not too late - that's the good news. I've done major repairs well into winter before, *if* you use the right materials.

Now the bad news - that lower section especially is beyond wood hardener and filler in my opinion, there is clearly more rot underneath the paint you've yet to strip and I'd be highly suspicious of that bit of cover trim on the right. If you want a repair that will last, it's a case of cut all the rotten wood out and splice new timber in with 2-part epoxy. I'm not a fan of wood hardener at all, you're just delaying the inevitable. You could use it & filler, but you're looking at I'd say only a couple of years before failure is likely.

Cut out the soggy rotten timber and the solid stuff that is left will dry out nicely with a heat gun. But - strip the paint off and investigate, it's just possible that that rotten bit is a bit of half round skirting that someone has nailed on the original frame - but if so they've nailed it on for a reason, to cover rot most likely. It needs stripping back,

Couple of old threads of mine that you may find interesting:-

https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/threads/2-part-epoxy-wood-repair-systems.16977/

https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/threads/original-windows-repair-dont-replace.16118/#p219935

 

[jmo]

Thanks, sounds like a better plan, and one for the professionals!

 

[Bogart]

I have always used ronseal hardener and then their exterior wood filler. Done at any time of the year better now than let another winter take its toll.

 

[Cubist]

Hi All,

the house I've just bought has repairs needed to the bay window frame. A lot of the paint is flaking off to bare wood, most of which looks ok. But on the right-hand side there are patches of rot.

My plan is to expose all the rotted patches, scrape the wet wood away, let it dry, then use wood hardener and filler before painting. (I like the sound of Bedec MSP mentioned on this forum.) This might be a good enough compromise, at least in the short term before getting it repaired properly if need be.

I wondering if it should be done immediately to protect the frames before winter properly hits, or is it better to wait for warmer, less wet weather next year? Or would covering the wood with plastic once the rotted sections are removed to allow it to to dry before application of hardener be a good way to go?

Thanks for reading.

The pics of your window frame problems are an excellent example for why, when preparing timber for use outdoors in particular, I will do all that I can to seal the 'end grain' before final assembly. Any break or decay in whatever external coatings will allow rain water to enter the joint and it will then be wicked up through the grain structure to sometimes very surprising distances. Sadly, you are about to find out just how far the rot has progressed. Equally sadly, to save the rest of the frame, there is no choice but to excise the rotten fibres and allow the remaining timber to dry briefly before attempting a repair. I've used some of the hardeners and fillers mentioned above with some success but prefer, where I can, to make new wooden fillets.

 

[mardinor]

Hardener and filler will last a year or two tops. It doesn't flex, so creates gaps that then let water in and it fails.
You need proper flexible filler - expensive but much cheaper than a new window. I use RepairCare DryFlex, with wood added to bulk out the gaps (no need to splice as the filler fills the gaps). Easy DIY job and will last decades. Can be used down to 10 degrees, but no harm waiting until Spring.