Wendy house repairs are mostly about water, sun and insects. Timber dries out and cracks in the sun, rots where it stays wet and can be eaten by termites or wood borer. Nutec houses, which are fibre cement boards on a timber or steel frame, crack where they are knocked or where the frame moves, and their joins open up. Regular sealing and small repairs keep a building sound for longer. Send one free, no-obligation request and repair and maintenance teams near you quote you directly.
Common wendy house repairs and problems
- Dry, grey timber that needs sanding and a new coat of sealer or paint.
- Rot in the bottom boards, door frames and window sills where water sits.
- Termites and wood borer in the frame, floor bearers or cladding.
- Roof leaks from loose or rusted sheets, failed screws or blocked gutters.
- Cracked or loose fibre cement boards and lifting cover strips on nutec houses.
- Sagging floors and sticking doors when bearers sink or the base moves.
Treatment, sealing and painting
The sun is the biggest enemy of a wendy house. Seal or paint the outside regularly, and sooner on the sunny north and west walls. Good practice:
- Clean and sand grey timber back to sound wood before sealing.
- Use a product made for outside timber, and ask the supplier how often it should be redone.
- Paint fibre cement with a paint meant for it, after filling cracks and refixing loose boards.
- Treat for insects where you see tunnels, fine sawdust or hollow boards, and keep soil and wood piles away from the walls.
Bigger repairs and common mistakes
Rotten bearers, a sinking base or termite damage in the frame are structural work. A repair team may jack the building, replace bearers with treated timber of the right hazard class, or recast part of the base. Fibre cement made before the 2008 asbestos ban may contain asbestos, so never cut, drill or sand old sheets before they are tested. Mistakes to avoid:
- Painting over rot, so it keeps spreading behind the paint.
- Sealing timber that is still wet, so the coat peels.
- Using the wrong screws, which rust and stain near the coast.
- Ignoring a small roof leak until the ceiling and frame are soaked.
What repairs cost and what to ask
Repairs are quoted per job, because the price depends on the size of the building, how much timber or board needs replacing, the roof and the access. Resealing or repainting is usually priced per square metre of wall. Ask each team:
- Can you inspect first and list what is rotten, loose or leaking?
- Which sealer or paint will you use, and how many coats?
- Is replacing boards, bearers or roof sheets included or priced extra?
- Will you treat for termites, or should a pest control team do it?
If a building is too far gone, compare the repair with the cost of a new kit.
What to put in your request
- What the building is and its size
- What is wrong, with photos
- Timber, fibre cement or log walls
- Whether the roof leaks
- If you want it resealed or repainted
Wendy and Prefab Home Repairs for different clients
- Homeowners: a reseal, new bottom boards and a roof check for an ageing garden wendy
- Backyard landlords and families: repairs and repainting across several rental rooms before new tenants move in
- Farms and smallholdings: termite and rot repairs to timber staff cottages and farm stores
- Lodges, guest farms and resorts: a full reseal of timber chalets and log cabins between busy seasons
- Schools and creches: repainting and board repairs on older prefab classrooms during the holidays
- Contractors and mines: patching and resealing site units before they move to the next project
- Shops, offices and small businesses: repairs to the walls and roof of a timber or nutec shop, office or salon
- Municipalities, churches and NGOs: maintenance of prefab clinics, halls and housing on a set schedule
Frequently asked questions
How much do wendy house repairs cost?
How often should a wendy house be treated?
How do I maintain a nutec house?
Can a wendy house with termites be fixed?
Wendy and Prefab Home Repairs by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg