A Guide to Rotted Wood Repair

If your abode has wood trim, chances are, in that location is some caste of woods rot in information technology.  The rot volition either be very noticeable, concealed in hard-to-run into places, or concealed under a thin layer of pigment.  If you have rotted wood, be aware that information technology has to be repaired or replaced to forbid water, air and/or bug infiltration into your dwelling.

How to Cheque for Rotted Wood

Consider walking around your house a few times a year and inspecting the forest for rot.

  • Look at the edges of trim, especially where information technology meets the roof line or meets the ground.
  • Look at window sills and other woods components that lay flat and allow water to settle on them.
  • If you are unsure if an surface area is rotted, then gently push on the expanse with a small screwdriver; if information technology sinks in and the wood is soft, it'due south rotted.

Ok, and then you've got rot! Let's talk about why it happened, what tin be done to foreclose information technology and options for repairs.

What Causes Woods Rot?

First, wood rot occurs for a couple of reasons but mainly due to the quality of the wood used and the installation method.

Woods Quality

Nigh tract homes over the past twenty-5 years used "finger-jointed" pine wood as the trim.  This type of trim is the poorest of quality and typically fails on a domicile within just a few years.  The finger-jointed wood is a piece of trim that has been made/assembled with short pieces (or scraps) of woods that are then glued together at finger joints.  The wood is then machined and primed and looks neat the get-go solar day it's installed.

However, once the wood gets wet (mostly the end grain) or the paint coating fails merely a bit, the finger joints, which are all end grain, quickly soak up the moisture, and the wood rots.  Also, the pine forest that is typically used comes from pino trees that are force-grown, which results in a softer production that is less dense than normal woods. If y'all were to compare old growth pine woods to today'due south fast-grown species, you might discover a more dense woods that holds up well.

Improper Installation

Another reason wood rots is improper installation methods, mainly not priming or painting the back side and ends of the wood.  I can't tell you lot how many homes I investigate and price a paint job for that have all of the ends of the trim wood exposed to the elements and unpainted.  Information technology's these ends that soak up water from the house and air and start the rotting process.

Additionally, if the trim wood is installed so that it rests on a roof and the end grain is not sealed, judge what?  All that roof water will soak right into the trim woods and information technology will rot.

The same goes for wood resting on the ground or forest resting directly against masonry or stone.  Masonry of whatever type is very porous, like a sponge: information technology soaks up water and and so transfers that water to the wood, and while the masonry holds up, the wood fails.

Wood Rot Prevention

Proper Installation

Forest should exist:

  • Decoupled from the masonry with flashing or with an air gap and never rest on the masonry or on the basis.
  • Primed and painted on all six sides prior to installation.

That'due south right, fifty-fifty the backside of the forest should be painted. If it's not, the h2o and moisture from the home will brand its way into the woods from the behind as well as the forepart side. Y'all may accept heard of this term called "back-priming," which is when the component is primed on the back side prior to installation.

Preventative Maintenance

Finally, full general preventative maintenance is another way to protect against woods rot.  Wood trim in New Jersey should be cleaned, caulked and re-painted every 3 to seven years depending on its condition.  If the forest is not painted regularly, the pigment will neglect and the wood volition not have whatsoever barrier to the elements and volition soak upwards h2o. If information technology'southward non regularly painted, and so you lot can "pay me now or pay me a lot more afterwards."

Repairing Rotted Wood

Ok, so you lot dorsum-primed the forest trim, yous painted it on all vi sides, yous kept it away from masonry and rooftop surfaces, and you kept it painted every five years. It should final, right?  Unfortunately, fifty-fifty the best maintenance plan sometimes results in rotted wood in New Bailiwick of jersey'due south tough, wet environment.  Let's talk about options for fast repairs, general repairs and permanent solutions for rotted wood.

The Quick Set

A cheaper, faster repair method is to dig out the rotted department, permit information technology dry, then make full the area with epoxy, prime it and paint it.  This type of repair works well when you're trying to save money or if the rotted expanse is difficult to replace (and when the rotted area is dry enough to accept the filler).  Another way to make the repair is to employ wood filler. Notwithstanding, be aware that even outside grade woods filler is porous and typically fails within twelve months, so use epoxy.

General repairs can be fabricated by using pine forest. The worst option would exist finger-jointed, followed past a amend choice of clear pine.  Articulate pine means the woods has no knots.  You could remove a section of the rotten wood, prime a new slice all over, pigment it i coat, then install it and finish glaze it. (Of course, it'due south likely to eventually rot over again.)

Permanent Wood Rot Solution

A permanent repair can be made by removing the entire slice of wood trim and replacing information technology with a man-made slice of trim.  Most human being-made trim is PVC, such as the Azek brand, and it can be shaped and installed the same mode equally wood.  PVC doesn't take to exist painted but looks much nicer caulked and filled and painted white or some other trim color.

Boral for Trim

Another permanent trim cloth is Boral brand.  This material comes in a brown color and will acept darker-colored paints such equally Tudar Dark-brown.  Boral is a partly-recycled poly-ash cloth, is installed easily, and paints upwards well. Typically, premium lifetime pigment, such as Sherwin Williams Elapsing, is the all-time choice for pinnacle coating these culling trim products.

Detailed trim with copper cap flashing

Cedar Woods

If you are looking for a purist solution (no plastic on the house), then consider replacing failed areas of wood with cedar trim woods.  Cedar is rot resistant and if properly installed and maintained, will provide many years of service.

Wouldn't it be nice if in the United States, the standard was to build homes to last hundreds of years, rather than but xx, thirty or 40 earlier having to start stripping off inexpensive finger-jointed trim and/or cheap siding? I'grand baffled as to why our building codes even allow such junior products.

What Yous Should Know Almost PVC

Also, while PVC appears to exist a permanent solution, it has only been out for a short time, and that fabric too may not really be permanent. Information technology could break downwards from UV rays and from ozone.  PVC can warp and twist and move with drastic temperature changes if installed too tightly or with improper fasteners. Make certain if you go the route of using premium materials you invest in a qualified contractor so that you get audio advice and installation.

Professional person Rotted Forest Repair

At that place is a lot to consider when maintaining and repairing the exterior of your home. All Trades has the expertise and solutions for your rotted wood repair and painting requirements. Telephone call me or transport over any questions! I'm hither to help and would be very interested in your opinion. I'd be happy to meet with yous to wait at the status of your home and to recommend a proven maintenance plan for your trim and house pigment.