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Where to Inspect for Dry Rot & Wood Rot
Armed with an awl or a small screwdriver, inspect locations where rot often gains a foothold. Use the tool to poke into areas that are suspects (blistered or soft) to see how extensive the rot is.
Rot is likely to occur in:
- Exposed framing in a basement or crawlspace
- Exterior window sills and door thresholds
- Exterior window and door casings (trim)
- The underside of roof decking (if accessible from the attic)
- Roof framing (if accessible from the attic)
- Fascia (trim to which gutters are often attached) and rake boards (trim on the gable end of a roof)
Most of the strategies for fighting dry rot throughout the house begin with your roof. If your roof is not sound and your gutters are clogged or misaligned, tremendous amounts of water can enter your home and saturate the ground around your foundation (which can also allow water to seep into your home). So, the first rule of home care is to make sure your roof is leak-free and in good repair. As a leading roofing contractor in Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, we offer comprehensive roofing services, including a variety of roof repairs to help you maintain your roof’s condition.
Dynamic Roofing also understands that the roof is more than a barrier to rain and snow. It is also where your home exhales! A properly vented roof also expels much of the water vapor that builds up in the home and plays an important role in keeping the moisture content in building materials to safe levels.
Vent openings are typically located along the roof’s ridge and soffits at the eaves. These roof vents are usually continuous in order to maintain adequate air flow.
Warm, often humid, air naturally rises up (warm air rises) through the ridge vents and replacement air is drawn in through soffit vents to replace it.
Called convection, or the “stack effect,” replacement air may also be drawn from wall cavities that surround the lower levels of your home — and even from your basement. The stack effect normally helps maintain low moisture levels throughout your home.
How Professionals Handle Wood Rot
When you discover wood rot in your home, you need to call a professional right away. Dynamic Roofing will assess the extent of the damage by conducting a thorough inspection and finding the source of the rot. After we figure out how bad the damage is, we’ll develop a plan for treating the affected areas, which may include:
- Removing damaged wood
- Treating remaining wood
- Making necessary repairs
- Monitoring the area
The following sections explain each.
Removing Damaged Wood
When we find wood that is visibly rotted or structurally weakened, we will probably need to remove and replace it. This may include removing siding, floor materials and other materials that the rot has affected.
Treating Remaining Wood
Nearby wood that hasn’t been rotted, or that can simply be treated to prevent further decay, may be treated using a special solution that penetrates it and kills any fungi inside. We use only the most trustworthy products to treat wood rot.
Making Necessary Repairs
If we’ve removed wood, we’ll replace it. We also make any other, necessary repairs to prevent moisture from accumulating in the future. Sometimes, that involves repairing or replacing damaged flashing or fixing leaks in your roof. It may also involve improving the ventilation in your attic, because poor ventilation is one of the primary causes of this problem.
Monitoring the Area
You’ll want to schedule periodic inspections to ensure that the wood remains dry and free from rot. You can even check it yourself, looking for signs of damage or signs of brown or white residue indicative of wood rot.
Do You Need to Talk to the Wood Rot Repair Experts?
If you suspect you have wood rot in your home, we’re here to help. Call our office immediately or get in touch with us online and we’ll send a professional to examine the issue.