Rotten timber repair

What rotten timber looks like

Rotten timber on a Melbourne home is rarely dramatic at first. The paint looks fine. The sill looks fine. Then a tenant or inspector pushes a screwdriver into it and the wood gives way — the rot has been working under the paint for years.

The common spots are predictable: window sills (especially north and west facing), weatherboards near downpipes and overflow points, eaves where flashing has lifted, fascia behind blocked gutters, and any horizontal exterior surface where water sits. Older homes — anything pre-2000 with original timber — are most at risk.

How we cut and replace

The fix is mechanical: cut out the rotten section back to sound timber, match the profile of the replacement piece to the original, install with appropriate fixings, fill, prime, and prep for paint. Where the rot has reached the framing behind the cladding, we replace the framing too rather than patching over it.

Matching the profile matters — a weatherboard from a 1920s Caulfield home has different proportions to a modern profile. We carry the common period profiles and source the unusual ones rather than substituting.

Painting is usually a separate scope, but where the repair is small and the owner wants a single visit, we can include touch-up paint to match the existing finish.

Why catching it early matters

Rotten timber compounds. A small sill repair done early costs a fraction of the same job a year later, when the rot has spread into the framing, the wall lining is showing damp, and the room below is starting to mark. The visible damage is usually the last symptom, not the first.

For property managers, the practical move is to add an external timber check to annual inspections. We can do this as part of a maintenance plan, or quote standalone where a one-off concern has surfaced.

Common scenarios

• Routine inspection finds a soft window sill in the master bedroom. Paint hides the extent — full assessment reveals rot through to the framing.
• Weatherboard near the downpipe has been wicking water for years; the bottom three boards need replacement and the adjoining wall framing needs to be checked.
• Tenant reports a draft from a window that won't close properly. Frame has rotted on the bottom rail; sash replacement and sill repair needed before re-glazing.
• Pre-sale building inspection flags exterior timber deterioration. Owner wants a scoped quote covering the visible rot plus any framing damage found during the cut-back.
• Painter declines to paint over a section of fascia because the timber underneath is too far gone. We replace and prep; the painter returns to finish.