Snowridge Remodeling - Looking for Lurking Dry Rot
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Dry Rot Damage

02 Nov Looking for Lurking Dry Rot

Posted at 16:57h in Dry Rot, Maintenance by

How to Recognize, Repair, and Prevent Dry Rot on Your Home

Dry rot is something that often sneaks up on unsuspecting homeowners. Everything is going great until you decide to take on some home improvement task or remodel your kitchen or bathroom. Then suddenly your contractor informs you that they’ve found significant dry rot due to a leak that has gone unnoticed for a very long time. Sometimes it’s completely undetectable until it gets bad. Other times the homeowner just doesn’t really know what to look for; we want to fix that and show you how to recognize, repair, and prevent dry rot.

Where to Look

The very first places to look would be areas that stay damp. Check the crawl space or the basement. Look around the washer and dryer, behind the dishwasher, and under or behind the tub, shower, sinks, and toilet. Wooden window sills and areas where water has drained off the roof and down the side of the house or anywhere where the gutters or downspouts are leaking are prime locations for dry rot.

What to Look For

Now that you know where to look, you need to know the tell-tale signs of dry rot. Use a screwdriver if possible to lightly stab the wood. Flaky wood that cracks and chips away easy is dry rotted. Areas around the tub, shower, or toilet may show weakness in the floor if you step on it.

How to Repair Dry Rot

The location of the dry rot will determine the method of repair used. Some will need to be removed entirely and replaced. Small areas of dry rot can be repaired using epoxy resin. The primary thing to do is to stop the cause of the moisture. Once stopped, you can treat the wood with a fungicide to stop the growth of the fungus and protect the wood.

Prevent Dry Rot

Dry rot is the direct result of wood and a high amount of moisture. The very first thing to do is ensure that there are no leaks and that the moisture content is under control. Proper insulation will go a long way in protecting your wood from moisture. Properly ventilated spaces will allow enough air movement to keep the areas dry.

Inspect all of your guttering, downspouts, the roof, and door and window trim for moisture problems every year. Keep wood siding and trim painted to protect it from humidity, rain, and snow. Keep wood siding from touching other materials such as other wood, masonry, and the earth.

Repairing Dry Rot in on Your Home in Seattle

Call us or send us a message if you’re concerned about dry rot in your home. We can take a look and see what’s going on if you’re planning to remodel in the near future or if you need assistance with home improvement projects.