Do you suspect you have wood rot on your deck, wooden beams, or exterior window sills? If you don't have visible damage, but you have wooden structures in and around your home, call for an inspection right away. Wood rot is prevalent in Northern Virginia, and spotting it early can help prevent major repairs or replacements. Wood rot can show itself in three main forms. These include:
White Rot
This type of rot eats lignin, which is the structural content of the wood. It will break down lignin but leave cellulose, which gives the wood a white or yellow appearance. This type of rot is stringy and spongy and loves temperatures between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll likely find it indoors, so be sure to inspect your attic or door frames regularly.
Brown Rot (Dry Rot)
While called dry rot, brown rot isn’t completely devoid of moisture. In fact, it needs a 20% moisture content to grow. Once it does, it will break down the cellulose in the wood and turn it dark brown. You’ll notice cube-shaped pieces in your wood that will crumble. This is called a cubicle fracture. Dry rot is especially concerning for homeowners as it can travel over other non-wood surfaces. This means if you have wood rot on your deck, no other wooden surface around your home is safe. Eradicating this type completely with dry rot repair is of the utmost importance.
Soft Rot
Areas with fallen trees are ideal for soft rot to grow. It can grow between 0 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit, but it does grow very slowly. Soft rot requires an excess moisture content to thrive, and thankfully, if you find it on your deck, it can be removed easily.
Because there are different types of wood rot, you can find it in some form in many different areas around your home. A few of the most common include:
- Wooden decks
- Gate or fence posts
- Attics
- Crawl spaces
- Steps
- Siding
- Fascia
- Soffit
- Doors
- Wood flooring
- Window frames
- Wood trim
Our Manassas Wood Rot Repair Process
If you notice any of the above issues with your wood causing loose railings, crumbly deck posts, and more, you should call for Manassas wood rot repair right away. From stringy off-white fibers to mushroom-like growth, anything that looks fungal about your wood means it needs to be fixed quickly. So, how do we do it?
Inspection & Removal
When you call our qualified team of service professionals, you’re getting a team that’s highly experienced in wood rot repair. Our process, no matter the type of wood rot, is the same and involves cutting away the damaged wood with a special tool. All instances of crumbly wood need to be removed, and this is where our expertise comes in. Because we’re trained to detect even the slightest hint of rot, we’ll know exactly where to carve to ensure it’s eradicated. If not all rotted parts are removed, the decay will come back and take over your wood.
Filling & Reinforcement
Once the area of rot has been cut away, the wood will be left with a hole. We’ll need to fill this to ensure the structural integrity of the wood. Whether it’s a shutter or a beam we’re repairing, if the hole is left, there’s a strong chance that it will break or crack, compromising the support the wood provides. This can be dangerous.
We’ll fill the crack with wood polyester or epoxy wood filler that we’ve mixed and left to harden. The mixture needs to harden to fill the hole successfully. We’ll push the filler into the cut-out area and smooth it over. We’ll then let it set for several hours.
Finishing
Once the filler has hardened completely, we’ll sand it down to create a smooth surface. The color of the filler will match the color of your wood, but we’ll apply a final layer of paint or wood stain to create a flawless finish.
