Beams are essential to a home’s structure. When a beam is not maintained, it can lead to unintended consequences that could compromise your family’s safety and the structural integrity of your home. Because beams are exposed to weather conditions all year round, they must be properly prepared with paints, finishes, and sealers. This way, the elements won’t eat away at their surface over time.
Here are some helpful tips on how to keep your wooden beams looking great:
Remove dust and dirt regularly with a damp cloth
This will help prevent grime build-up, which can otherwise attract several pests such as termites and carpenter ants. Moreover, debris mixed with water can create a particularly harmful mould to your beams. Therefore, beams located in high traffic areas should be cleaned more often than others to avoid getting damaged prematurely.
Protect beams from sun exposure by applying a sealer or paint
When the sun beats down on your home for hours each day, it can cause beams to dry out. An excellent protective layer between the sun and your wooden beams will help maintain their original moisture level, thereby reducing cracking and splitting. You should regularly inspect your beam’s surface for cracks, watermarks, stains, mould, mildew, or peeling paint.
Don’t let food particles accumulate on the beam’s surface
Without knowing it, food particles can accumulate on the beam’s surface. It will attract all sorts of pests such as termites, ants, moths, beetles, and cockroaches that feast on decaying matter inside wooden beams. Food crumbs and dirt get trapped between the wood gaps. This happens when you’re eating near areas where the wood beams are.
Repair any damage that’s beginning to show
You need to repair or replace sections of the beams that begin to show damage. Talk to beam renovation experts like those from https://bespokebeams.co.uk as you cannot do it on your own. They can match the type and design of your existing beams, or create the design of your choice.
Check for rot and moisture
Where your beams are exposed to lots of rain or snow, you’ll need to inspect them from time to time for signs of rot or mildew. Check the ends of a beam where humidity is most likely to accumulate because this is where termites and other pests tend to prefer as well.
It would help if you also kept an eye out for wet or moist areas with a dark colour because these can lead to major structural damage over time.
Be careful when drilling holes in your wooden beams
A hole left open under a ground-level beam will allow ants, termites, beetles, and wasps to invade your home’s framework. When hanging any decoration on or near a wooden beam, make sure that the fasteners you use are strong enough to support the weight.
Preventive maintenance is always better than repairs when it comes to wooden beams. Heed our advice so you’ll get more years out of your home’s structure without having to spend too much on restoration costs.
