Dry rot damage & siding repair

Keep Going!

Lets Keep Walking around the building

Wood That Crumbles

Continuing your walk,

If you have wood or press wood siding look at the bottom edges as you go and see if any of it is black, gray, or brown and rough as if it was like a torn piece of paper.

You might notice that the paint on the surface is bubblely. This is a sign of to much water in this area. Find and correct the water problem. Could be a Sprinkler to close to the house, a basic home repair or standing water in a low spot or puddle or even a leak in your roof that would be running down a wall and eventually this will turn it to dry rot, so you will want to get on this  in the near future so it does not create future damage.

Lots of dry rot here

Caulk any gaps the repaired siding may have or any old nail holes left in the surrounding pieces.

If you just cut out the dry rotted bad parts only, make sure you cut to middle of the supports to each end of the piece. That way you will have something solid to nail it too when you put back the new piece of siding. Also at the top if you are not at the top of the wall and it is not the kind of siding that goes under the above piece, you will need to put in a piece of metal flashing called Z- Bar, to keep water out. It will tuck under the upper piece and over the lower one. It comes in ten foot lengths and is only a few dollars for each!

When you replace the damaged siding

 use it as a pattern to cut the new piece if it was saved. If there was building paper or 15 lb felt behind it, then that should be tucked back in also to overlap about 3 to 4 inches if a new piece of paper is used, then put a few small nails in it to hold it in place.

While you have the siding off,

 you should check for any dry rot that might be in the frame work. You can test for dry rot by pushing a screwdriver into any area that seems to look weathered, wet, or rough compared to the other lumber. It should be dry and smooth. Siding can be removed by either pulling the nails or knocking them through with a punch.

Dry Rot is Not Pretty

These pictures will give you a good idea what water and dry rot damage look like.

It is a continuous process of getting wet and then drying out until the damage is done. The left photo is a planter box that was installed over the siding to add looks to an otherwise bland wall on the front of a condo. Over about 3 years, it had dry rot in the corners and had to be removed. When I removed it we found that the wall it was nailed to also had a lot of dry rot. So new siding had to be installed and the planter was not rebuilt. The owner was smart to ask what would happen if it was reinstalled with new material.

I told her we could do that but we would put metal flashing on first. She decided she like it without the planter. So that was the way it was done. She has never had any further problems with it since.

The photo above has wood trim on an older home too close to the ground. The trim or any wood product on a home should not be any closer than six inches from any dirt. This had some dry rot and Termites got to it also. I removed both pieces and reinstalled new redwood trim. with sheet metal flashing fabricated to fit over the end and up six inches so the little critters went elsewhere!

Siding in this area should be taken off and replaced.

Always check with your local building department before you start any work on your home that may need a building permit or an inspection. Your local services page should give you the phone number or web page for that department.

Make sure you have no expensive artwork or keepsakes hanging on the wall inside the home where you will be pulling and pounding!

Well That was Fun Now Wasn't It.

Now that you know a little about dry rot and how to help keep it at bay, you need to know that there are other things you need to be aware of. If you suspect any black chalky type spots on walls ceiling etc, you need to call an expert in the pest control or toxics business. They are trained and licensed to check for things like, toxic molds, funguses and things that can make you or your pets ill. Don't let me scare you. But these are things if found, by mold removal teams, that should be dealt with before they get worst. Some of them can spread quickly. If you have a water leak under a home it is good to check after it is fixed to make sure it gets dried up and does not just sit there as a pool of water gaining bacteria. That is where problems can and will start. If you have a leak under a sink, just get it fixed and replace any wood products that were wet for any length or time. If you smell a musty odor after it was fixed and it lingers on in time get it looked at to make sure nothing is still wet. Just good rules to follow.

Because of the pound and pulling on the outside you are doing, a nail on the interior drywall might back out enough to look like a small hole on the inside wall. The drywall inside can be repaired later by putting a screw next to the nail head that popped, then using a hammer and punch tap the nail (gently) back in to the hole. Using a putty knife, fill the hole with a little spackle you can get at your local hardware store and let it dry. Then lightly sand and paint to match.

Back To Home