Weatherboard external corner rotten - fill then coverboard a good approach?

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muncedog

35 posts

Geek

#248116 10-Mar-2019 23:11

Pretty much as the subject states. I have some soft patches in the external corners (there was originally no soaker or coverboard so surprise surprise some rot). If I get rid of all the soft stuff, prime/treat, fill/putty then cover with either soakers or coverboard is this a good approach?

Alternative would be to cut the whole height of the house back to the nearest stud, which would be a lot of work and not a good look!

Any thoughts/experience/issues with this?

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#2195409 10-Mar-2019 23:17

Just replace the rotten weather board between the corner and the next stud. No, you dont have to remove all of the boards above the one that you want to replace.

muncedog

35 posts

Geek

#2195476 11-Mar-2019 07:58

Thanks @Aredwood. Unfortunately almost all boards have some soft patches, most of them only about a coin size but up to a tennis ball size on others. Hence my concern with having to remove all boards to the nearest stud. As that would probably look bad, next thought would be remove all boards to full length/nearby window etc but that's a big job!

Guess I'm just looking for a reason to avoid my cover board approach - was thinking I would size the coverboard to cover all repair patches, so only good wood is exposed and repaired (putty) boards all under under cover....

Fred99

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#2195511 11-Mar-2019 08:42

Stagger them - alternate between 1st, 2nd third stud length, so the joins don't line up.

I don't fancy your chances of getting an acceptable repair by bogging soft patches, the paint finish you put over it will probably just crack at the edge of whatever you use to fill, then just keep rotting as water will get in. If you could cut out all the rotten timber, then fill with epoxy, it might work for a while, but that's probably going to cost more and be much more hassle than just replacing the rotting boards.

netspanner

343 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2195513 11-Mar-2019 08:43

I would replace them, when I did it a while back the ends had a silver strip with foam on them. The foam has held the water and caused the rot. Its not hard, and its satisfying to do.

Even though the rot as at the end most of the board was on its way out under the paint. They felt much lighter than a new board.

hsvhel

1237 posts

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#2195521 11-Mar-2019 08:52

We replaced a bunch of ours a couple of years ago, wasn't a hard job, had ceder weather boards, only pointer if i remember was not galv nails....from memory they caused an issue with the timber.

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Bung

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#2195607 11-Mar-2019 10:08

What age is the house? Have you looked at enough of the house to get an overall picture?

A neighbour combined an extension at one corner with repairs to the rest of the house by using all new material on some walls and recycling the best of the recovered timber on other walls. That avoided mixing boards that weren't identical.

Our 1940s place has mitred corners with copper soakers. Just down the street another house built at the same time has 4x1/3x1 coverboards with scribers so both methods coexisted.

muncedog

35 posts

Geek

#2195777 11-Mar-2019 12:21

Fred99:

I don't fancy your chances of getting an acceptable repair by bogging soft patches, the paint finish you put over it will probably just crack at the edge of whatever you use to fill, then just keep rotting as water will get in. If you could cut out all the rotten timber, then fill with epoxy, it might work for a while, but that's probably going to cost more and be much more hassle than just replacing the rotting boards.

Fred99, When you mention 'cutting' most of these are relatively small (coin sized etc) the house just has 1960s native timber weatherboard with mitred external corners, so its only right at the corners where it is starting to go. I envisioned digging out with chisel small patches until sound wood, then epoxy/putty etc, before ensuring completely covered repair patches with a corner cover board. Should coverboards not be considered as a block to water getting into old repairs?

Bung:

Our 1940s place has mitred corners with copper soakers. Just down the street another house built at the same time has 4x1/3x1 coverboards with scribers so both methods coexisted.

Unfortunately there are no coverboards or soakers hence the problem with the mitred join. I was hoping that a soaker/coverboard over repairs would be good aesthetically but also sound for moisture ingress, given repairs now covered....

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Yogi02

238 posts

Master Geek

#2195781 11-Mar-2019 12:27

Time to build an extension?

Fred99

13684 posts

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#2195818 11-Mar-2019 13:48

muncedog:

Fred99:

I don't fancy your chances of getting an acceptable repair by bogging soft patches, the paint finish you put over it will probably just crack at the edge of whatever you use to fill, then just keep rotting as water will get in. If you could cut out all the rotten timber, then fill with epoxy, it might work for a while, but that's probably going to cost more and be much more hassle than just replacing the rotting boards.

Fred99, When you mention 'cutting' most of these are relatively small (coin sized etc) the house just has 1960s native timber weatherboard with mitred external corners, so its only right at the corners where it is starting to go. I envisioned digging out with chisel small patches until sound wood, then epoxy/putty etc, before ensuring completely covered repair patches with a corner cover board. Should coverboards not be considered as a block to water getting into old repairs?

You'll need to measure and cut scribers to fit against new facing boards. I presume that for this to look okay / consistent, you'd have to do the same to all other external corners in the cladding around the entire house. Soakers would be easier - but would they cover the rotten spots?

or this:

muncedog

35 posts

Geek

#2195856 11-Mar-2019 14:25

Fred99:

You'll need to measure and cut scribers to fit against new facing boards. I presume that for this to look okay / consistent, you'd have to do the same to all other external corners in the cladding around the entire house. Soakers would be easier - but would they cover the rotten spots?

or this:

Hi Fred99,

I realise both of these issues - as unfortunately I have (perhaps old school) 'rusticated' profile weatherboards, its difficult enough to find soakers let alone pre-cut scribers! I think the easiest might be to get scriber 'plugs' or do lots of manual cuts myself.... I realise I would need to make all corners match, but all corners have problems!

Anyone recommend a timber yard that has a wide range of pre-cut scribers or at least plugs, or a large range of soakers?

mdf

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#2195864 11-Mar-2019 14:31

For rusticated weatherboards, the most common approach I have seen is to just put a corner/facing board up and then fill in the holes with goo. I haven't seen any kind of pre-cut plug to fit the shape though I guess you might be able to mill or CNC router something?

neb

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#2195867 11-Mar-2019 14:36

muncedog:
Any thoughts/experience/issues with this?

A general comment, if the rot has spread then you could be up for a pretty hefty repair bill - a builder friend went out to do a 1-2 day replacement of window frames with a bit of rot that turned into a six-month partial rebuild of the house. Depending on your budget, you may not want to look too hard to see if there's further rot...

Fred99

13684 posts

Uber Geek

#2195922 11-Mar-2019 15:13

Scribers aren't normally pre-cut, as the boards won't have been fitted precisely.

I'd go for the facing boards idea with plugs. Here's the image from the same series above to deal with rusticated weatherboard:

Plugs would be easy to cut to profile with a bench saw, then chopped up to length. Prime them well before you put them in. I'm assuming you'd probably use the same H3.1 treated pine clear wood as used for the facing. Prime that before you fit it too.

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2195931 11-Mar-2019 15:20

On YouTube "how to replace weatherboards nz"

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
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#2195984 11-Mar-2019 16:24

Scribers are generally used for ordinary or bevel-back boards - not for rusticated boards. You won’t find pre-cut scribers for BB boards that will exactly fit each individual requirement - the idea is to scribe and cut your own to suit. (Scribing is a a simple but elegant process and making your own scribers is a very satisfying job).

Given that you have rusticated boards, you’re pretty much stuck with coverboards plus (a) ‘goo’ or (b) making and fitting your own plugs - or a combination of plugs and goo. It’s a bit tricky and/or tedious making plugs that fit each individual hole exactly and tightly - so go for a 80/90% plug fit plus goo.

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