How to Respond to Wood Rot on Your Home

You're enjoying the beautiful weekend weather, working in your garden or entertaining guests, when you notice something unusual on the exterior of your home. Upon closer examination it appears that some of your wood soffits, trim, or siding doesn't look as good as you remember it. You know that wood rot is just like cancer and that it must be dealt with quickly, but you aren't sure if the problem requires immediate attention or can wait a few weeks.

Rotted Wood Can Almost Always Be Repaired Every home, just like every person, is different. And when we become seriously ill, the range of treatment options can be expensive and immense, with no guarantee of success. But the good news with your home is that unlike people, it can almost always be repaired when seriously ill.

While my experience is mostly with homes built in Cincinnati, Ohio, the following information applies across the county because most homes in America have been "stick-built" with wood. We have traditionally built with wood because it is cheap, plentiful and easy to work with when compared with other construction methods. For much of the dry, hot southwest United States, water intrusion and wood decay is less of a problem. But in wetter parts of the country like Cincinnati, however, wood will rot when construction defects, neglected maintenance or animal damage allows water intrusion and subsequent contact with unprotected wood.

Wood rot can develop unnoticed until it causes extensive structural damage. Before contacting a home repair company to address the repairs, I recommend that every homeowner attempt to answer the following three questions. This information will assist your home repair professional in diagnosing and properly treating the cause of your condition.

Three Important Questions Before Beginning a Wood Rot Repair

1. Is there any animal or insect intrusion? Animal damage, carpenter ants or termites responsible for damaging the wood must be eliminated before any wood rot repair begins. Contact a wildlife removal specialist or exterminator before hiring a home repair company to perform the wood rot repair.
2. Can you feel or see any dampness? Water intrusion is often the primary cause of the wood rot. Any information you can provide to your repair professional as to the potential source of water is invaluable in properly diagnosing the cause of the problem.
3. Is the wood rot cosmetic or structural? Cosmetic rot in trim, soffits, or siding is certainly unsightly, but does not necessarily pose any immediate concern to the safety of the home. Whereas wood decay in any structural framing like bandbaords, sill plates, deck structures, etc. can cause additional damage to the home and potentially jeopardize the safety of those living within.

Minimize the Cost of a Wood Rot Repair To minimize the expense and hassle of these home repairs, act quickly on any sign of wood decay, damage or water intrusion. Rotting wood is not one of those home repairs that one should procrastinate on, as the cost for the resulting damage will tend to rise exponentially with time. In addition, make sure your home repair professional obeys the Three Golden Rules for Better Home Improvement.