In the ridge of the house are two beams that support the roof trusses. These beams run through the whole house and are visible inside the house (it's high ceilings) but continue out and are also visible outside as the roof continues over the terrace.
The beams have a cross-section of 90x410 (but run approximately 10 meters through the house). A few years ago, I noticed that one had decayed quite a bit, see this image:
I then removed most of what was rotten from the beam, patched it, and painted it. However, I've got new cracks, and I notice when I feel with a screwdriver that the beam is not completely dry and definitely not in top shape (some of it can crumble...).
It's really worrying - replacing these two load-bearing beams would mean having to lift the entire roof and would ruin me.
So how could this be solved? Would it be enough to wait for somewhat warmer weather, remove as much of the bad wood as possible, let it dry, and then patch and paint again?
It's just the outer part that has become damp.
And that darn paint only causes harm and traps the moisture, leading it to rot.
But regardless, you didn't need to replace the entire beam if the outer part has rotted.
It only supports the outermost roof rafter.
Very little load on it out there, so no problem splicing on a new piece if necessary.
Scrape off all the paint you've smeared on, prime with base oil. If you want to tidy up, you can fill with window putty.
It's only the outer part that has become damp.
And that damn paint only does harm and traps the moisture so it decays.
But regardless, you didn't need to replace the whole beam if the outer part became decayed.
It only supports the outermost roof beam.
Very little load on it out there, so no problem to splice on a new part if necessary.
Scrape off all the paint you smeared on, oil it with primer oil. If you want to tidy it up, you can fill it with window putty.
Ah, thanks! But do you mean I shouldn't paint at all??!! I have to paint it again after it is oiled, right?
As previously mentioned, only the outermost part is damaged. Depending on how bad it is, I would have replaced damaged parts by inlaying new wood. Once that is done, I would either cover the end grain with something. For example, a bit of wood paneling or a metal piece that ideally runs along the beam, towards the house. The paneling or metal is ideally mounted so there is an air gap between the panel and the beam (so any moisture that gets in has a way out).
Ah, thanks! But do you mean I shouldn't paint at all??!! I must paint it again after it's oiled, right?
If you are going to paint, you must use an oil-based paint. Definitely not acrylic as it is impermeable and traps moisture that gets in. Semi-transparent stain might work. But wood stays best completely untreated.
Thank you so much for the drawing @Knight !!! Much appreciated.
Just one question - if I now sand down the paint and remove all visible rotten parts, how do I rebuild the beam (note that this is purely for aesthetic purposes - I have no hope of filling for load-bearing):
* When can I start treating the beam - how can I know it is dry enough? How do I determine that?
* When the beam is dry enough - should I fill it with synthetic wood? Or something else?
Thank you so much for the drawing @Knight !!! Appreciated.
Just one question - if I now sand down the paint and remove all visible rot, how do I rebuild the beam again (note that this is only for cosmetic purposes - I have no hopes of being able to fill for load-bearing):
* When can I start treating the beam - how can I know it is dry enough? How do I determine that?
* When the beam has become dry enough - should I fill with synthetic wood? Or something else?
Very thankful for all the help!
//Ola
Scrape off the paint, it is the culprit.
Let it dry during the spring.
Filling with window putty works well. It is made from linseed oil and chalk, so it is good for the wood.
Then you can paint with oil-based paint, it almost looks like you smeared on acrylic paint between the two pictures in the first post. The oil-based window paint is good for such exposed areas.
Scrape off the paint, it's the culprit in this situation.
Let it stand and dry during the spring.
It's fine to fill with window putty. It's made of linseed oil and chalk, so it's good for the wood.
Then you can paint with oil paint, it almost looks like you've smeared on acrylic paint between the two pictures in the first post. The oil-based window paint is good in such exposed places.
Thank you so much!
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Ola Melén said: