Wood rot repair in Delft

That depends on how deep the damage goes and how many spots are affected, and that's not visible from the outside. So we inspect first and then agree on one fixed price in writing, with what happens at each spot listed separately. That way you know what you're paying for, even with several frames involved.

In almost all cases, yes. Public market overviews put a repair at three to five times cheaper than a new frame including installation. On top of that, old wood is often better quality than what goes into a standard frame today, so you're not automatically trading up by replacing it.

For a properly applied epoxy repair system, manufacturers assume at least ten years. Two conditions need to be met for that: all the affected wood was removed, and the wood was dry when the repair was made. If either condition isn't met, the product's stated lifespan no longer means much.

With a two-component epoxy repair system made specifically for exterior woodwork. Once cured it stays flexible and moves with the wood, doesn't shrink, and is watertight. Once cured it can be sanded and painted just like wood, so the sill's profile is restored.

Because it cures into a rigid block and shrinks slightly. Wood moves with the seasons, filler doesn't, so the seam along the repair cracks open. That's exactly where water gets back in. It looks fine the first year and you're back to square one after that.

Yes, and this is the single most important condition. Moisture in the fibres prevents the repair system from bonding. In a wet spell that means waiting or drying it out first. We'd rather measure it when in doubt than guess.

Press a screwdriver against the underside of a sill or the lower corner of a window. If it feels soft or gives way, there's rot. Other signs are blistering paint, dark patches, open seams, and a door or window that's started sticking.

Wet rot occurs in wood that stays damp for a long time and is by far the most common form found in window frames. Dry rot is rarer but more dangerous: that fungus can spread through masonry and attack dry wood at a distance. If dry rot is suspected, more than a painter is needed.

When the rot goes deeper than roughly a third of the thickness, when the mortise-and-tenon joints are affected, or when the sill is soaked through along its full length. Then replacement is the better investment. We'll say so even when repair would have been the easier job for us.

Only if the cause remains. Repair is half the job; removing the source of water is the other half. Renewing dried-out glazing sealant or putty, closing up seams and applying a sound paint film are part of that. Without it, you're fixing the symptom, not the cause.

A single corner is half an hour of work plus curing time. A full sill is half a day. The repair material is sandable after about four hours, so routing out, repairing and finishing can often happen on the same day. With several frames, we plan the work as one continuous job.

No. Repair happens in place, on the frame as it sits in the facade. That's exactly the advantage over replacement: no removal, no opening up masonry, no new finishing indoors, and no day without a window.

Not with opaque paint. The repair is sanded flush to the original profile and then painted to match the existing colour. It's different for hardwood finished with a transparent coating: there, a repair does remain visible, and we'll tell you that upfront.

Yes, for example if only a couple of sills need attention. Keep in mind that taping, sanding and priming then happen separately for those spots, work that would already be done during a paint job anyway. Doing both together is almost always more cost-effective.

To a limited extent. The repair system needs a minimum temperature to cure, and the wood needs to be dry. On a mild, dry winter day, work can be done in a sheltered spot. In a wet or freezing spell it can't, and postponing is then the cheapest option.

Usually not. Insurers view wood rot as damage from deferred maintenance, which is excluded even under an all-risk policy. Check your own policy for your situation, but don't assume waiting will be reimbursed. That makes timely repair cheaper than it looks.

Maintenance of exterior window frames and exterior painting are usually the landlord's responsibility, precisely because timely painting prevents wood rot. If you rent and notice soft spots, report it to your landlord in writing. We work for both parties and can also carry out the inspection directly with the landlord.

Window frames and facades on the exterior usually fall under the common parts and therefore under the VvE. We then provide a quote broken down per item, so the board can compare costs and present them at the meeting. If the maintenance is in the multi-year maintenance plan, we work in line with that.

Keep the water out. Renew dried-out glazing sealant and putty, don't leave seams open, keep the gutters clean and have exterior painting done on time. Once a year, check the sills on the south-west side with a screwdriver. Five minutes of work, and it saves you the expensive alternative.

What we guarantee is set out per job in the quote, along with the repair system used and the number of paint coats. We'd rather not quote a general number of years, because the lifespan of a repair depends on the condition of the surrounding wood and on whether the source of the moisture was removed.

Yes. Local wood rot repair counts as maintenance and is permit-free on a monument, as long as it's done in the same material and shape. Replacing a whole frame or changing the colour is not. Always check your property's status with the municipality before work begins.

We work from Delft within a radius of roughly 45 kilometres. Besides Delft we regularly work in Rijswijk, Pijnacker, Nootdorp, Zoetermeer, Den Hoorn, Schiedam, Vlaardingen, Naaldwijk and Den Haag. If you're not sure whether your address is within range, just call or WhatsApp us.