I am looking to purchase a timber framed home that has suffered a leak while vacant so it was fairly significant. Is this likely to have caused an issue woth the tinber frame. The house was built early 1900's. I don't want to buy a rotting home
Wet Rot
wet rot is hardly a problem ! It is basically the timber decaying naturally in the presence of high levels of moisture. There is almost always a structural defect causing the problem, it may be that the wall adjacent to the timber is suffering from damp, or water collecting on the timber. Any structural problem must be tackled at the same time as the timber is treated otherwise the problem is likely to reoccur. The problem may just be damaged paint finish on the timber allowing the actual wood to absorb excessive moisture. Damage is normally limited to the timber although the original structural problem may also cause other areas to be affected by damp (such as plaster or just decorations)
It may well have weakened the timber yes
Gone with damp tester and make shore no dry rot Because this could be a big problem.
It will be fairly obvious to see how much if any damage has been caused by actually getting up there and inspecting the timber. The timber will be soft and easily breaking apart, it could still be holding water and be damp. I would definitely recommend doing this, it won't take you too long to do and it will give you a good idea on how many you will want to replace. Replacing the timbers is easily done and as a bonus you can put together a lucrative quote to put in and then you take this from the asking price of the property. You must make sure your quote seems lucrative to you, this way if you decide to carry out the work yourself then you can afford to take the time off work. Bare in mind that it might take you longer to carry out the task than a professional so ensure this time is reflected in your quote. And if you decide to use a 3rd party, if you have priced it correctly then you will have money left over in your original quote for a decent contingency fund and can be more picky with how much you replace.
It’s likely it has but will need to have a good look around to make sure
There is potential for damage to have been caused. I’d recommend a full survey of the house first. Ideally with a timber frame expert surveyor. I would say that yes there is likely to be some water damage as timber from that period will not be treated like the modern timber frame homes.
Yes the timber frame will be rotted
Without a look at it, I’d say leave it bud.
Could unlock a can of worms.
You need to get a damp survey carried out and an independent survey on state of timber
Unfortunately, water causes great damage to an old or new building. And where the water has been standing for a long time (due to leakage or seepage), especially in a wooden structure, that wood is surely rotten.
I would advise getting the timbers moisture tested, if the leak was bad i wouldn’t be surprised that there is some damage
It depends how bad the timber frame got damaged but if it’s got really bad water damage you will need to put new timber frames on
A building survey would be required to validate the integrity of the structural element of the building. Also, I would recommend a specialist to investigate any damp and water damage to such a property to determine the extent and causation of water damage.