Nothing is more disheartening than seeing your beautiful wooden deck, fence, porch, roof, and more slowly rotting out. Not only is it unsightly, but it can be extremely dangerous to the structure of the wood; especially if the rotting is closer to the ground. It can overall be an issue of health and safety for your family. How does wood even get the point where it starts to rot? In this blog, we’re going to break down what wood rot is, how it happens, and ways to prevent it from happening to your structures.
What is wood rot?
When too much moisture interacts with wood, that’s when wood rot becomes an issue. It’s a mold that forms because of that extra moisture that slowly works its way through whatever wood it can find. The mold severely weakens the wood because it’s essentially eating away at it. This can be extremely dangerous because at any time the wood will become weak and collapse.
How can water get into the wood in the first place?
There are a number of reasons why wood is compromised by water. If the wood is exposed, the sealant used to protect the wood might have worn down enough to allow water in. If the wood is inside a structure such as a roof, water may have gotten in because of damage to the roof or there’s not enough ventilation in the attic. You also might have a pipe that’s been leaking. Even a small amount of moisture can cause an issue for wood if it pools, and cannot dry quickly.
What are the signs of wood rot?
Wood rot appears in a variety of ways. Some of them you should be looking out for would be:
- Soft spots on the wood
- Black spots forming
- Rings of moisture
- An odd smell, probably more of a musty smell
- Black fungi forming
- The timber is crumbling or easy to manipulate
- The wood is cracking for no visible reason
How is wood rot treated?
The treatment of wood rot really depends on how damaged the area is. If you’ve caught it very, very early you might be able to treat it with some chemicals to stop the rot progress, then you can just replace the damaged pieces. Most of the time the wood has been too damaged and needs to just be replaced for safety.
How can I prevent wood rot from happening?
Maintaining a proper seal on the wood will prevent water from seeping in, thus causing any potential damage. Make sure areas, such as the roof, are annually inspected and there’s proper ventilation. If you have any questions or concerns give us a call!
