Child Item

How to fix rotting timber eaves?

Hi, thanks in advance for your time helping me. The house is expected to demolished in around 3 yrs time. 2 roof corners are badly damanged currently. The questions:

- Will it be fine for next 3yrs so I need to apply some short term bandaid solution?

- If short term solution is needed, what is the recommendation? I think anything that can seal it and keep it dry will do?

25-11-26 11-16-52 7949.png

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Repairing

Comments

MitchellMc

The first thing to work out is whether any of that moisture is making its way inside @fan8956. If the ceiling in the room beneath that corner shows staining, bubbling, sagging, or any musty smell, then water is already migrating into the house, and leaving it for three years would almost certainly cause further internal damage. If the inside is still completely dry, then you do have the option of simply monitoring the area, but the rotten timber will continue to deteriorate and the decay will spread through the surrounding timber much faster because the rot holds moisture like a sponge.

A short-term fix, particularly for a house with a planned demolition, is really about slowing down water entry. The most sensible approach is to cut back the rotten timber until you reach solid, dry wood. That may be further back than the visible corner, but removing the soft material slows the spread of decay. Once you reach sound timber, you can seal the exposed area with primer or exterior paint. If there are spots you cannot practically cut out, you could treat the remaining soft sections with a wood hardener just to stabilise them, though it is not a substitute for replacement.

You will still have an exposed corner where water could creep in beneath the tiles, so filling the small void with an expanding foam can help deflect wind-driven water. It is not a perfect solution, but it does buy time. The only truly reliable temporary fix is to cut out the rotten fascia and replace the damaged sections with new treated timber, then prime and paint it. That gives you a stable surface and keeps the tiles supported and the structure dry enough to last your three-year window without creating further headaches inside.

Let me tag @Nailbag to see if he has any thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/59861#Comment_59861

"Will it be fine for next 3yrs so"

@fan8956

This is a sheet metal band-aid.

Thirty five years ago.

Just a thought.

Cheers.

Nailbag

Hi @fan8956

Understanding the essentially shortish lifespan this all has to survive, the most important aspect is structural integrity. This is more about personal safety and less about building damage.

Internal water ingress is not just physical safety but the potential for mould and the harmful effects it can transmit to you and in particular children or are at the most risk.

Ok, so putting that aside and concentrating on a long term repair, this is how I would and regularly tackle these situations.

1. Cut out the larger sect†ion of rot. Add the Earls wood hardener as @MitchellMc recommended to the ends.

2. Buy a short length of facial board and fill the void as much as possible with real timber using liquid nails, screw, nails etc.

3. Fill the remaining voids with builders bog. Buy the the big tin!

4. Stand back, undercoat and paint if desired.

Below are a few recent photos of exactly what I have just described for a house for sale thats going to be a knockdown anyway. In this case all the connecting timbers were actually detached and much of it was hollow. It's now structurally sound for a few years at least. But it will be levelled as soon as its sold.

Nailbag

fan8956

Thx a lot guys for helping out. The ceiling inside and even outside directly under the eave is completed dry. I really appreciate the time to propose more proper solution like cutting, replacing wood, sand, repaint etc. But the metal sheet and expanding foam idea is really inspiring as I am really just after quick and easy solution.

I feel like below should do the job of stopping water?
- find something (could I have some recommendations?) to wrap around the area when area is completely dry

- fill the gap with expanding foam used for exterior like this poly-390g-expanding-foam-aerosol-can

- Cut off any excessive foam to make it flush

- spray it with white paint can (any recommendation?)

AlanM52

Hi @fan8956,

Whatever path you take the fascia needs to be aligned with the corner.

With safety in mind and... doubts in mind we used 70 x 45 timbers and a couple of car jacks which worked out OK, then connector plates and coach bolts into the rafters.

Cheers

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/59934#Comment_59934

Hi @fan8956,

I'm unsure what @Noyade used for their repair, but sheet metal such as this Australian Handyman Supplies 1200 x 600 x 0.75mm Galvabond Mini Sheet could do the job. The white spray paint would do the job.

Mitchell

Noyade

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/92414#Comment_92414

As above. 👍

Child Item