Rot & Timber Repairs
Wet and Dry Rot Roof Repairs in Alloa and Clackmannanshire
Get Your Free Quote
Tell us what you need. We call back the same day.
Fully insured. Written guarantee. No obligation.
Soft, dark or crumbling timber in the loft, a sagging roofline or a musty smell upstairs usually means water has been getting in for a while. We carry out the wet and dry rot roof repairs Alloa homeowners need: replacing rotten sarking, wall plates, rafter feet and fascias, and fixing the leak that caused the damage in the first place.
- 30+ Years Experience
- Free No-Obligation Quotes
- 100% Fully Insured
- 24/7 Emergency Callouts
How Rot Gets Into a Roof
Rot is a symptom, not the disease. Timber only decays when it stays wet, so behind every rotten rafter or sarking board there is a source of water: a slipped slate, a lifted lead flashing, an overflowing gutter, or a fascia that has been letting rain behind it for years. On the older stone houses and 1930s to 1970s bungalows across Alloa, Sauchie, Tillicoultry and the wider Forth Valley, we find the same pattern again and again.
Wet rot is the common one. It needs timber to be persistently damp, it stays close to the source of the water, and it makes the wood soft, dark and spongy. Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans) is rarer but more serious: it can spread through masonry and along dry timber in search of moisture, leaving cuboidal cracking, grey strands and a mushroom-like fruiting body. Both are stopped by the same first step, which is cutting off the water.
That is why a roofer is the right first call for rot in the roof space. We find and fix the leak, replace the timber that has lost its strength, and leave the roof dry so the problem does not come back. Where we uncover rot during a re-roof, as we did with the rotten wallhead timber on a recent job in Lochgelly, we deal with it before the new covering goes on.
What We Replace and How
Most rot in a Scottish roof is in the sarking boards (the timber deck under the slates or tiles), the wall plate or wallhead timber that the rafters sit on, the rafter feet at the eaves, and the fascia and soffit boards. These are exactly the places water reaches first when a roof leaks or a gutter overflows, and they can be repaired without touching the rest of the structure.
We strip back the covering to expose the affected area, cut out the decayed timber to sound wood, and splice in new pre-treated timber fixed to current standards. Rafter feet are repaired with bolted timber splices or replacement sections; wallheads are rebuilt on a dry, level bed; sarking is renewed board by board or in sheet form. New breathable membrane, battens and the original slates or tiles then go back on.
We also replace rotten timber fascias and soffits with maintenance-free UPVC and put the guttering back with the correct fall, because a roofline that drains properly is the best protection against the rot returning. Every repair comes with our written guarantee.
- Sarking board replacement
- Wallhead and wall plate repairs
- Rafter foot splices
- Rotten fascias and soffits
- Battens, tilting fillets and membrane
- Leak repair at the source
Fully insured. Written guarantee. No obligation.
When You Need a Specialist Instead of a Roofer
We are roofers, and we say so plainly. If we find true dry rot that has spread into the masonry, floor joists or internal walls, that is a job for a specialist timber and damp contractor registered with the Property Care Association, who can survey the whole building and carry out treatment with an insurance-backed guarantee. We will tell you if that is what we have found, and we will still fix the roof leak that let it start.
For the far more common case, rot in the roof timbers caused by a leak or a failed roofline, a roofer who can both stop the water and replace the timber is the quicker and cheaper route. Either way you get an honest assessment first, with photographs of what we found, and a written quote before any work begins.
Rot and Roof Timber Questions
What is the difference between wet rot and dry rot?
Wet rot needs timber that stays wet and stays close to the source of the water, turning the wood soft, dark and spongy. Dry rot can spread further, including through masonry, and leaves cuboidal cracking, grey strands and a fungal growth. In a roof both are caused by water getting in, so stopping the leak is always the first job.
Can rotten roof timbers be repaired, or does the roof need replacing?
In most cases the affected timber can be cut out and spliced with new pre-treated sections without replacing the roof. Rafter feet, wall plates, sarking and fascias are all repairable in isolation. A full re-roof only becomes the better option when the covering itself has failed across the whole roof and the timber damage is widespread.
How do I know if I have rot in my roof?
Look for damp or dark patches on the loft timbers, a musty smell upstairs, timber that gives when pressed or crumbles, a sagging or wavy roofline seen from outside, and fascias with peeling paint or gaps behind the gutter. If you see any of these, ask us for a free assessment before it spreads further.
Will home insurance cover rot repairs?
Usually not. Most policies treat rot as gradual deterioration and exclude it, although damage from a sudden insured event such as a storm may be covered. We provide a written report and photographs so you can check with your insurer, and we keep our quotes itemised so the leak repair and the timber work are shown separately.
How can I stop rot coming back?
Keep the water out. That means gutters cleaned and draining properly, fascias and flashings in good order, slipped slates or tiles fixed promptly, and adequate ventilation in the roof space so any moisture can dry. A quick annual look at the roofline and loft catches problems while they are still small and cheap.
Other Services
Found Rot in Your Roof?
Send us a photo of what you have found, or tell us what you have noticed, and we will arrange a free assessment. We will find where the water is getting in, tell you what needs replacing, and give you a written quote.
Request a Callback
Leave your details and we will call you back the same day.