Wood rot is formally known as wood decay and destroys many hectares of forests each year due to different species of fungi, for example, brown rot, soft rot, and white rot. Wood that has been infiltrated by a fungus will look discolored, and withered away, and be lightweight, soft, and crumbly or powdery in texture. On the forest floor, if a tree has been infected fruiting bodies coined as “conks” will develop along the tree’s trunk and branches, and mushrooms may sprout at the base of the trunk or part of the tree that has been damaged or wounded. The decay process doesn’t happen immediately but takes many years to explain why you may overlook the fact your home’s facets are wearing away until it’s too late. In the natural world, wood rot is removed by pruning dead and decaying branches and wrapping any juvenile trees to prevent rot.
Some areas that are hot spots for wood for your home rot include deck repair, fence repair, siding repair, fascia repair, and window sill repair. No matter how comprehensive the wood rot it’s best not to leave it unattended.
Our Likeable Lehi Wood Rot Repair Services
In the real world, however, it takes a bit more work as your Lehi Handyman has to remove any rotting wood in its entirety before they can attempt a repair usually with an artificial substitute like softwood polyester or using a wood patch. If any damp wood component passes the moisture threshold of 20% it will begin to decay at its core and spread out rapidly. Either way, we wouldn’t outrightly ignore a wood rot repair as you risk permanent structural damage and your home collapsing on you not to mention long-term detrimental health effects due to mold and mildew growth. To make matters worse, many basic homeowners insurance policies don’t cover wood rot damage as it’s not considered sudden or accidental.
Types Of Wood Rot
Brown Rot Or Dry Rot: Dry rot makes wood susceptible to dryness as fungus gets into the wood and breaks down the wood’s cellulose and resulting in shrinkage. As a result wooden structures that uphold heavyweights like your laminate, decks, and ceiling beams will begin to fade. Because wood rot is contagious. Here are some signs of dry rot:
- Damp or decaying timber
- Fine and fluffy white mycelium, a thick network of fungal threads, which grows from a single spore
- Deeper cracks in timber brain
- Brittle or crumbly wood
- Soft, fleshy fruiting bodies
- Discolored patches of orange-brown spore dust
- Odd or musty odors
White Rot: Although less commonplace, wood is composed of lignin which is a polymer that bonds the cells of wood together to allow it its natural rigidity. And once fungus readily invades the wood it digests the lignin and stips the wood's darker colors leaving in place a softer, spongey feel when touched
Soft Rot: Soft rot decomposes wood much more slowly than dry rot or white rot and fungi and bacteria work in conjunction to penetrate the secondary cell walls of the wood. Basically, using a slow but sure approach soft rot tackles the cellulose prior to eating away the lignin. Although less harmful than its counterparts it’s still a nuisance to just leave as is as eventually, it will accumulate enough to affect your home’s structural integrity.
