Insufficient Beam Repairs
For a beam repair to be effective – especially a roof beam dry rot repair, it must be functional, durable, corrective, and serviceable. With routine maintenance (i.e., painting), such a beam repair can actually last the life of the home. Poor beam repairs, on the other hand, will likely begin their deterioration after the first rain.
Conditions promoting serious beam rot include poor design, faulty construction, and defective repairs or alterations. Roof beam restoration should never proceed without incorporating specifications with an emphasis on keeping the wood dry. Repairing damage that is the result of inherently flawed applications usually involves reconstructing the problem areas and employing sound building principles in the process. In other words, you'll want to strive to correct the condition that led to the moisture damage in the first place.
Shortcut approaches to beam repair (those that shore up, cut off, or cover up damaged areas) are often effectively unstable, take on a cobbled appearance, conspicuously detract from the architectural aesthetics, and can potentially affect the value of your home.
A failed dry rot repair of a load-bearing roof beam. The "fix" used fillers (epoxy & bondo) and then simply covered up the remaining dry rot fungus and decay. The dry rot continued to spread deeper into the beam & adjoining rafter. Simply covering over dry rot for looks does more harm than good.
The image gallery below shows varied examples of the ineffective repairs mentioned above. I personally took all of these photos in the greater Sacramento - Davis Area. Click the top photo to expand and read the explanation. (On some iPads, you'll need to use a slow double tap.) Use the arrows within the expansion to read flip-book style. (On mobile devices, tap and swipe left.)
Below the gallery are two 60 second videos; these were shot to illustrate some of the poorly repaired roof beams I was called in to rescue.
If you're ready to consider the services I offer, you can jump to the Services page or allow me to answer your roof beam questions via phone or email. If you have general questions about roof beam repairs or restoration, try the FAQ page. Everybody should visit the Before You Repair page to be safe when hiring a contractor for roof beam repairs. If you're curious to know more about me and my history, go to About The Beam Guy.
BACK
NEXT
