Dry rot in window frame - repair or replace frame?

[BlogOnTheTyne]

Need urgent advice really. Decision to be made today or tomorrow latest! I've got workmen in, supposedly replacing an interior window sill and making good around it because of earlier damp ingress this year.

However, they've discovered that part of the actual wooden window frame, surrounding the large, old Crittel window, has dry rot spreading in one corner.

Basically, they can either cut out the obviously rotten bits, splice in new wood and make good - which could be done by tomorrow and is within the original quote - or get a joiner to make an entire new wooden frame around original window (I can't afford a £3,000 new Crittel window). This latter would take weeks and weeks and I've no idea yet how much it'd cost.

So my question is, if you cut out dry rot and seal ends with anti-rot chemical and replace the wood adjoining the sound wood, can this then last for a few/several years? Or is this a waste of time and the dry rot will creep along the frame across the next few months/a year and the whole thing have to be done again soon?

You need to get the dry rot treated. I think it s something like a one metre perimeter, often includes hacking off paster etc. sorry

Now the carpenter is saying he doesn't know if it's wet rot - dried out - or dry rot? I've googled dry rot and it says you'd see white mould and spores and tendrils. This isn't like this - but rather, crumbling old wood where there had been water ingress from outside.

How can I tell which sort of rot it is? It depends on which type, whether or not he can just cut and splice in new timber or the entire area will have to be treated.

My window was crumbling, soft and damp in one corner (only discovered this when getting a quote for replacing some misted glass). I was advised to cut it out, put wood hardener and wood filler in the hole. Then sand it down when dry and paint/varnish on top. A lot cheaper than a whole new frame or window but to be fair it was a fairly small area.

Wet rot is far less problematic than dry rot. Best bet would be to get a damp and timber specialist to come and have a quick look. Wet rot is pretty easy to deal with and just needs to dry out and can be cut out etc. dry rot is a much worse proposition. Either way you are best off finding out for sure