Wood Rot Damage: How to Prevent and Repair

It’s exciting when you buy your first home, but did you realize how much time home maintenance takes? Are you glad your doctor’s office calls when it’s time for your annual physical? Is it helpful when your car dealer sends a reminder postcard for each recommended tuneup?

Who tells you when it’s time to inspect your home?

When you bought your home, you likely had a home inspection to avoid hidden problems. It’s wise to inspect your home periodically to find new problems early, i.e. water that gets trapped on a window sill due to silt is easy to repair if caught early. If moisture remains there it will cause hidden damage which may ultimately require buying a new window.

An annual inspection of your home’s exterior will save you money when you find and repair problems early. During any visit, just ask us to review your home and identify those areas with the most risk. We can usually explain why the problem occurred and what steps can be taken to prevent a repeat of the problem, i.e. adding gutters to direct water away from your home.

Rotted Window Sill

Rotted Wood Column

Must Replace Door

Here are the most common types of water damage your home may experience:

• Window sills and other trim around the window
• Door thresholds and other trim around the door
• Vertical kickplates underneath doors where water splashes up
• Wood trim underneath the roof line (fascia and soffitts)
• Trim that projects out from the house like decorative wood over windows and corner boards
• Windows and doors that are not properly flashed will get water damage behind them
• Decks not properly flashed where the deck ledger board connects to the house
• Wood siding just above a deck or near the ground
• Any wood behind thick shrubs that trap moisture