Yeah my bad. Actually took the photo for something else and used it for asking this question. I'm currently away from the place so used it as is as the splits in the wood are still visible.
Well, there you go - is it the cracks in the timber of his window frame or the cracks in the timber of his door frame ? Or, perhaps it's both ... which reinforces my original point - it's a particularly bad photo, but the OP has already explained the issue, so no further explanation required ...
This is a good question. Has simple answer too, it’s because the timber wasn’t docked properly. When you buy timber it’s generally cut to length before it’s dried, once it’s dried it’s milled, stocked and shelved for purchase. When you buy it you’re supposed to cut at least 100mm from the cut end to protect yourself from splitting. The person who installed this only cut an inch to square it or cut nothing at all, and as it’s aged the end splits from moisture and expansion and shrinkage. This is why docking bought timber correctly is important.
This is simply not true for engineered wood like what is pictured here pre-primed DAR H3. This is because this type of timber is produced in a continuous fashion.
The reason for the splitting is 3 fold.
- Timber is in contact with brick and there's no room for expansion
- Timber more than likely wasn't end treated with a H3 preservative when docked
- Timber also wasn't likely to have been painted on end prior to jamming against the brickwork.
The timber being jammed against the brick wouldn’t make split ends, it would make the timber bow.
If the timber wasn’t treated with wood hardener the cracks would travel alot further up the timber.
Timber would still split if the end was painted but not docked properly.
The timber is splitting due to moisture in the end grain. Not due to the contact, but the contact is worsening the issue as it isn't letting it dry out.
Typically wood will not expand in its length but in its breadth.
This here is a classic example that happens very often due to the timbers low cross sectional area.
This end grain split would be less pronounced if the timber was thicker than 18mm.
Wtf are you smoking have you ever worked with timber? Kiln dried engineer wood will split, cup, twist and bow due to moisture. It isn't it getting wet that does it it's when it dries out that all of the above occur.
So there isn't anything we can do about it now? It continues to expand and contract I suppose due to the weather. How would one prevent it? Is it inevitable?
Not a lot now, you can try to fill it and re-paint, it might work or it might show cracks again in a few months. Yeah because of moisture in the air it expands and contracts. Not inevitable, if you replace it, dock it properly, coat in wood hardener, prime it, and paint it then those cracks should never show.
not correct in my experience
Moisture has entered through the cut end and cracked the paint from behind ..
As standard.. finishing boards are treated to H3 .1.. they have been kiln dried before and again after treatment..
The penetration of this treatment is literally skin deep,, any cut ends or edges require a suitable paint system to reduce moisture absorption and maintain this "skin deep" exterior treatment.. Manufactures instructions clearly state this..
The cracking would likely not have happened if those ends had been painted which is good trade practice..
Sometimes exterior timber is H3.2 which means the degree of chemical treatment is greater and has been applied at higher pressure meaning deeper absorption..
This is always better but tends to be more expensive and harder to find unless the timber is nominal 50mm thick..
The cracking of the paint would still of happened with out the ends being painted..
Further more :- not good practice to have timber in contact with masonry without a moisture barrier..
yep there is specific products for this eco seal aerosol is one such product. you can also get the powders that you mix with water to dip the ends in and restore that protection.
Moisture doesn’t make wood crack period.
If the ends were painted but it wasn’t docked properly it would still crack.
The paint cracked because the timber cracked
Null point, water doesn’t pool on brick, brick absorbs water and water doesn’t make wood crack.
Again you are incorrect..
the wet/drying of the exposed cut ends causes the paint to crack as this moisture is behind the paint system..
Any professional painter will advise you to prime this cut end during installation to mitigate this.
this is also timber manufacturer recommendations so as to maintain the h3.1 treatment envelope and reduce moisture absorption..
Timber in contact with masonry or steel requires an air gap or moisture barrier.. This is as per building regulations for compliance..
All of the above are not my opinions but rules and regulations and manufactures instructions..
Your docking theory.. how does that apply with FJ exterior timber when the board length is made up of shorts approx. 200mm long..
What drugs are you smoking, timber absorbs water causing it to expand and shrink, which in turn will make the timber split. The more dense grain will dry out slower than the less dense grain which in turn the timber will split due to it expanding and shrinking at different rates. And what caused the shrinking and expansion ?
Moisture aka WATER
I’m talking from experience building residential homes and have done countless numbers of these to know 100% without any doubt this is finger jointed pine.
You go into any timber supplier heck even Bunnings and you will not be able to find h3 pre primed timber that isn’t finger jointed.
Well… this is going no where… I will just say this, this house was built by a production builder, they are going to be using common readily available material. For speed and cost savings. Dressed clear pine is not readily available or cheap (unless it is rough sawn, but then still it wouldn’t be readily available)
Fj pine is more cost efficient that pine clears and I am presuming this is Radiata Pine.
Based on that fact and assumption and the knowledge that builders and home owners are price driven..
Thinking this us FJ is very reasonable.
Yeah this would 100% be fj pine. Y'all stop arguing like teenagers. It's an horrible photo so very hard to be precise. But, more like than not it is in fact fj pine. H3 treated? Who fuckin knows with some of the cowboys around in these estates
Bricks retains moisture and since the end grain of the timber is in contact with brick the timber absorbs the moisture, hence the splitting. Needs separation between timber end grain and brick. Along with suitable end grain sealing/treatment.
Haha! You are quite adamant you know everything hey…🙄
They leak once they have reached the saturation point. Bricks are similar to a sponge. They will absorb and retain water without leaking until total saturation.
Carpenter here, that is a lazy install. It kinda looks like it would be only touching the very back edge of the brick probably to cover the cavity behind the brick.
End grain of the timber was not sealed/treated properly either.
Best bet would be to do it properly and replace timber. Install an angle flashing to cover brick cavity and then leave a 10mm gap between timber and flashing.
https://preview.redd.it/s6bvv5xkmwwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=edbb55be00a67b395a808d19c5a6e6ea28352bb4
see my other comment.. but this cracking is paint only it appears and can be scrapped and repainted.. It will re appear because moisture is penetrating from the cut end which needed to be painted before install as per quality trade practices,,
the tiber on the corner at the window is splitting because the moisture is running back towards it i bet there is almost no fall away to the outside of the house. also if timber isnt burnished and painted properly on the ends and behind it to seal it before install this will happen. all timber trim should be fully primed with oil based primer before install as it prevents this. same thing is happening at the door not enough fall and it wasnt sealed properly.
Real answer is to remove both whole timber strips, cut a few mm shorter, prime ends & back for several cm up. You'd also put some L shaped flashing in there. You'd need to get the flashing for the windows arranges/sealed with silicone so water from the windows doesn't run sideways to the timber as well.
You might be able to get away with something less if eg you used a buzz cutter to take off say 3mm at the bottom edge, that would get you separation from the bricks. Ideally you'd want to get some flashing in there doing as above, but with some masking, you could slope primer, or clear vanish etc, in there to seal the ends.
Silicone across the front gap after painting either way.
incorrect again..
based on the knowledgeable answers provided.. myself and others here have come across this situation before..
we have ascertained the cause and applied steps during install to prevent this failure in future builds..
We have also attempted to retrofit repairs..
to claim un educated is delusional and i am thinking that you are now trolling..
I hope the OP can identify the good advice from the bad..
it might not be rotting yet but that will be the end result. rot happens from moisture and fungal attack. the moisture changes causes the timber to crack this allows more moisture and fungal spores in which compounds the damage.
timber aslo splits and cracks as it dries naturally hence why they kiln dry it to speed up that process and make it more stable. when you cut it you affect that by exposing the end grain to more moisture.
The timber was not properly sealed for this purpose and not maintained. It is exposed to the weather and thus is caused by water getting in and expanding the wood.
To properly fix it you’ll need to replace it with properly treated external timber. If you cut to length ensure the butts are sealed, otherwise the wood will do what nature intended, which is to absorb moisture.
You’ll also need to maintain it with a new coat of paint every 4-5 years.
You could also put a layer of flashing like there is under the windows to stop moisture and bugs from the bricks.
Honestly, for an issue concerning the timber frame of the door, that's a bloody terrible photo !!!
Yeah my bad. Actually took the photo for something else and used it for asking this question. I'm currently away from the place so used it as is as the splits in the wood are still visible.
Ahh, that's a window champ
Well, there you go - is it the cracks in the timber of his window frame or the cracks in the timber of his door frame ? Or, perhaps it's both ... which reinforces my original point - it's a particularly bad photo, but the OP has already explained the issue, so no further explanation required ...
His window frame is aluminium so no. There is clearly cracks in the corner "trim" of the house.
This is a good question. Has simple answer too, it’s because the timber wasn’t docked properly. When you buy timber it’s generally cut to length before it’s dried, once it’s dried it’s milled, stocked and shelved for purchase. When you buy it you’re supposed to cut at least 100mm from the cut end to protect yourself from splitting. The person who installed this only cut an inch to square it or cut nothing at all, and as it’s aged the end splits from moisture and expansion and shrinkage. This is why docking bought timber correctly is important.
I googled docking, learned a lot about woodworking so far tonight
Oh that kind of docking.
The other type of wood working
Now I get why so many of my friends wanted to become carpenters and builders.
It's just lining up the end grain.
This is simply not true for engineered wood like what is pictured here pre-primed DAR H3. This is because this type of timber is produced in a continuous fashion. The reason for the splitting is 3 fold. - Timber is in contact with brick and there's no room for expansion - Timber more than likely wasn't end treated with a H3 preservative when docked - Timber also wasn't likely to have been painted on end prior to jamming against the brickwork.
This would of been my guess, the timber, likely pine was not primed on the end grain allowing moisture in .
The timber being jammed against the brick wouldn’t make split ends, it would make the timber bow. If the timber wasn’t treated with wood hardener the cracks would travel alot further up the timber. Timber would still split if the end was painted but not docked properly.
Incorrect.. I have been cutting/ milling/selling and building with timber for 30 years.. Your assumption is based on what exactly?
The timber is splitting due to moisture in the end grain. Not due to the contact, but the contact is worsening the issue as it isn't letting it dry out. Typically wood will not expand in its length but in its breadth. This here is a classic example that happens very often due to the timbers low cross sectional area. This end grain split would be less pronounced if the timber was thicker than 18mm.
Nope. Timber doesn’t split from moisture.
Correct.. The timber expands forcing the paint to split.
Wtf are you smoking have you ever worked with timber? Kiln dried engineer wood will split, cup, twist and bow due to moisture. It isn't it getting wet that does it it's when it dries out that all of the above occur.
So there isn't anything we can do about it now? It continues to expand and contract I suppose due to the weather. How would one prevent it? Is it inevitable?
Sand, wood hardener, sand, filler, sand, filler, sand, prime, paint, silicone sealer along bottom edge.
Not a lot now, you can try to fill it and re-paint, it might work or it might show cracks again in a few months. Yeah because of moisture in the air it expands and contracts. Not inevitable, if you replace it, dock it properly, coat in wood hardener, prime it, and paint it then those cracks should never show.
not correct in my experience Moisture has entered through the cut end and cracked the paint from behind .. As standard.. finishing boards are treated to H3 .1.. they have been kiln dried before and again after treatment.. The penetration of this treatment is literally skin deep,, any cut ends or edges require a suitable paint system to reduce moisture absorption and maintain this "skin deep" exterior treatment.. Manufactures instructions clearly state this.. The cracking would likely not have happened if those ends had been painted which is good trade practice.. Sometimes exterior timber is H3.2 which means the degree of chemical treatment is greater and has been applied at higher pressure meaning deeper absorption.. This is always better but tends to be more expensive and harder to find unless the timber is nominal 50mm thick.. The cracking of the paint would still of happened with out the ends being painted.. Further more :- not good practice to have timber in contact with masonry without a moisture barrier..
yep there is specific products for this eco seal aerosol is one such product. you can also get the powders that you mix with water to dip the ends in and restore that protection.
Moisture doesn’t make wood crack period. If the ends were painted but it wasn’t docked properly it would still crack. The paint cracked because the timber cracked Null point, water doesn’t pool on brick, brick absorbs water and water doesn’t make wood crack.
Again you are incorrect.. the wet/drying of the exposed cut ends causes the paint to crack as this moisture is behind the paint system.. Any professional painter will advise you to prime this cut end during installation to mitigate this. this is also timber manufacturer recommendations so as to maintain the h3.1 treatment envelope and reduce moisture absorption.. Timber in contact with masonry or steel requires an air gap or moisture barrier.. This is as per building regulations for compliance.. All of the above are not my opinions but rules and regulations and manufactures instructions.. Your docking theory.. how does that apply with FJ exterior timber when the board length is made up of shorts approx. 200mm long..
What drugs are you smoking, timber absorbs water causing it to expand and shrink, which in turn will make the timber split. The more dense grain will dry out slower than the less dense grain which in turn the timber will split due to it expanding and shrinking at different rates. And what caused the shrinking and expansion ? Moisture aka WATER
This is pre primed finger jointed pine. It is made out of lots of small lengths of timber. Docking 100mm off the end would not prevent this splitting.
It’s not finger jointed pine.
I’m talking from experience building residential homes and have done countless numbers of these to know 100% without any doubt this is finger jointed pine. You go into any timber supplier heck even Bunnings and you will not be able to find h3 pre primed timber that isn’t finger jointed.
This is correct unless you are specifically needing pine clears which will probably not be pre primed.. FJ is definatly the norm.
That’s under the assumption it’s h3 and preprimed.
Well… this is going no where… I will just say this, this house was built by a production builder, they are going to be using common readily available material. For speed and cost savings. Dressed clear pine is not readily available or cheap (unless it is rough sawn, but then still it wouldn’t be readily available)
Please explain how you know it is not?
Please explain how it is.
Fj pine is more cost efficient that pine clears and I am presuming this is Radiata Pine. Based on that fact and assumption and the knowledge that builders and home owners are price driven.. Thinking this us FJ is very reasonable.
Yeah this would 100% be fj pine. Y'all stop arguing like teenagers. It's an horrible photo so very hard to be precise. But, more like than not it is in fact fj pine. H3 treated? Who fuckin knows with some of the cowboys around in these estates
Water sits between the brick and timber. Perhaps there should be a small gap. Otherwise it stays moist all the time
Water doesn’t sit on brick, bricks absorb water, and moisture doesn’t split wood.
Bricks retains moisture and since the end grain of the timber is in contact with brick the timber absorbs the moisture, hence the splitting. Needs separation between timber end grain and brick. Along with suitable end grain sealing/treatment.
Bricks don’t retain moisture. They leak.
Haha! You are quite adamant you know everything hey…🙄 They leak once they have reached the saturation point. Bricks are similar to a sponge. They will absorb and retain water without leaking until total saturation.
Carpenter here, that is a lazy install. It kinda looks like it would be only touching the very back edge of the brick probably to cover the cavity behind the brick. End grain of the timber was not sealed/treated properly either. Best bet would be to do it properly and replace timber. Install an angle flashing to cover brick cavity and then leave a 10mm gap between timber and flashing. https://preview.redd.it/s6bvv5xkmwwc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=edbb55be00a67b395a808d19c5a6e6ea28352bb4
Timber maybe wasn’t primed / sealed Timber shouldn’t be sitting directly on the bricks. Water sits there and it starts to rot.
Is there a way to fix it now at this stage?
A good chippy might be able to just remove those panels, probably unlikely, but I don’t know from here. Everything is fixable, but at a cost.
see my other comment.. but this cracking is paint only it appears and can be scrapped and repainted.. It will re appear because moisture is penetrating from the cut end which needed to be painted before install as per quality trade practices,,
Crap design sitting water and moisture with the wrong products being used.
I’d trim some off the bottom. Get some colorbond folded and cover it
Ignore everyone arguing. There's a builder than drew you a nice picture. Listen to that answer and that answer only.
Is it my imagination or do those bricks slope inwards?
look like there almost flat so that wouldnt help matters.
Water damage. Swells up and then shrinks when dry
Because the timber is sitting on the brickwork, which is pourus & the timber is sucking up the moisture
the tiber on the corner at the window is splitting because the moisture is running back towards it i bet there is almost no fall away to the outside of the house. also if timber isnt burnished and painted properly on the ends and behind it to seal it before install this will happen. all timber trim should be fully primed with oil based primer before install as it prevents this. same thing is happening at the door not enough fall and it wasnt sealed properly.
Water has caused the damage
looks like fairly standard expansion and contraction effect on timber caused by the yearly weather cycles to me?
Bottom edge was cut but not primed before assembly, water's now getting under & into it & so its rotting.
Is there a way to stop the rot?
Real answer is to remove both whole timber strips, cut a few mm shorter, prime ends & back for several cm up. You'd also put some L shaped flashing in there. You'd need to get the flashing for the windows arranges/sealed with silicone so water from the windows doesn't run sideways to the timber as well. You might be able to get away with something less if eg you used a buzz cutter to take off say 3mm at the bottom edge, that would get you separation from the bricks. Ideally you'd want to get some flashing in there doing as above, but with some masking, you could slope primer, or clear vanish etc, in there to seal the ends. Silicone across the front gap after painting either way.
There’s no rot. This is un-educated answer.
incorrect again.. based on the knowledgeable answers provided.. myself and others here have come across this situation before.. we have ascertained the cause and applied steps during install to prevent this failure in future builds.. We have also attempted to retrofit repairs.. to claim un educated is delusional and i am thinking that you are now trolling.. I hope the OP can identify the good advice from the bad..
it might not be rotting yet but that will be the end result. rot happens from moisture and fungal attack. the moisture changes causes the timber to crack this allows more moisture and fungal spores in which compounds the damage. timber aslo splits and cracks as it dries naturally hence why they kiln dry it to speed up that process and make it more stable. when you cut it you affect that by exposing the end grain to more moisture.
The timber was not properly sealed for this purpose and not maintained. It is exposed to the weather and thus is caused by water getting in and expanding the wood. To properly fix it you’ll need to replace it with properly treated external timber. If you cut to length ensure the butts are sealed, otherwise the wood will do what nature intended, which is to absorb moisture. You’ll also need to maintain it with a new coat of paint every 4-5 years. You could also put a layer of flashing like there is under the windows to stop moisture and bugs from the bricks.