Your Questions About Walpole Wood Rot Repair Answered

In the United States and around the world, timber is one of the most commonly used building materials, and it’s not too difficult to understand why. Wood is durable, strong, long-lasting, easy to work with, renewable and beautiful. In fact, wood really only has one major weakness—rot. It doesn’t just have a gross appearance; it can also seriously threaten the structure of your entire home in Walpole and cost you a lot of money. That's why it's so important to know the signs of trouble so you can get professional Walpole wood rot repair services from a qualified handyman.

You may suspect that your house is in need of repair, or maybe you’re wondering how to check for rot. What are the signs and causes? How can you get rid of it? We’ll answer those pressing questions below, along with helpful answers to common questions like where is timber decay likely to be found, and what is wood rot, anyway?

If you see signs that your Walpole property has been infiltrated by the homeowner's worst enemy, wood rot, call your local Walpole handyman to chase it off your property and protect your timber from decay. The team of service professionals at Mr. Handyman of Central - Eastern Norfolk County & S. Shore have decades of combined experience in repair and improvement trades, and we've seen a lot of rotten wood in our time. We know how to track it down, diagnose it and eliminate it with expert Walpole wood rot repair service, so you don't have to worry about the condition or curb appeal of your residential or commercial property.

What Is Wood Rot?

Simply put, it is decay caused by fungal growth in damp timber. There are dozens of types of fungi that can cause rotted wood, but there are two main categories that generally affect homes: white and brown.

White rot causes timber to lighten in color, leaving it white or yellowish. It also gives a spongy or stringy texture. It prefers to grow in temperatures ranging from 65 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, making the room temperature of most homes an ideal breeding ground.

Brown rot is also called dry rot, though it’s not actually dry. It causes lumber to shrink, turn a dark brown color, and break into cube-shaped chunks through a process called a cubical fracture. Like the white variant, these fungi like to grow in temperatures of 65 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But, the brown variant is more aggressive because, unlike the white, it is able to travel across or through other materials like masonry.

What Causes Wood Rot?

The growth of fungi is what causes rotted wood, and fungi need certain conditions to be met in order for it to get started. They need oxygen, warmth and moisture. With a moisture content of 20% or greater, lumber will start to decay. Since you can’t remove oxygen or warmth from the equation, moisture becomes the critical cause of this issue.

That's why timber that is outdoors and exposed to rain, snowmelt and humidity is highly vulnerable to rotting and needs to be protected by paint or solid stain and sealant to help it lock out moisture, or it's likely to decay within a couple of years. On the other hand, wood that remains high and dry indoors is able to stay virtually unchanged for more than 100 years. That doesn't mean indoor timber never rots—if it is exposed to a water source like a leaking plumbing fixture, a roof leak or decayed window frames or window sills, it can decay just as easily as lumber that's outdoors. It's also common to need Walpole wood rot repair services in a poorly ventilated bathroom because water vapor from hot showers condenses on surfaces and seeps into the wood, causing moisture damage. It's also important to check your attic for timber decay, as you may have ventilation problems with your roofing.

What Parts of a Home Commonly Need Walpole Wood Rot Repair?

Because a high moisture content is required, rot-causing fungi are often found in kitchens and bathrooms where lumber is exposed to spilled or leaking water or humid air. Sidings with cracks are also susceptible to structural damage if water seeps through. However, it’s important to remember that fungi tend to grow in hidden places throughout a house, like your interior or exterior wall or subfloor, where you can’t easily see them.

Typical places that require Walpole wood rot repair include:

• Under sinks
• Frames around windows and doors
• Basement
• Attic
• Deck or porch
• Fences
• Wood siding, paneling, sheathing
• Exterior trim: soffit and fascia
• Steps
• Eaves

How Do I Check My Home for Signs I Need Walpole Wood Rot Repair?

Thoroughly examining your Walpole home for signs of wood rot is a chore, but it’s worthwhile to do an annual inspection with minor repairs because of how severe the damage can get when it’s left unchecked. The list of possible locations above is a good start, but there may be other vulnerable places to consider as well. Think of all the places in your home where you can see or touch wood, including hard-to-reach areas like crawl spaces.

If you’re not up for the challenge of climbing and crawling all over your house to repair affected areas, trust your local Walpole handyman to complete your annual inspection, maintenance and wood rot repair. Walpole, MA homeowners can trust us to get the job done right. As a locally-owned and operated business, we’re familiar with the way Walpole homes are built and maintained in this area, and we have the experience to know where decay might be lurking and offer prompt repair services to stop the spread.

Take a Good Look

Grab a flashlight and screwdriver and start checking your timber for visible clues. The key things you’re looking for are:

• Patches of discoloration that are darker or lighter than the surrounding material
• Chunks or “sawdust” falling away from the main structure
• Texture changes where it appears spongy, stringy, or webbed with cracks
• Cube-shaped bits breaking off
• If it’s very advanced, you might see fungus that’s either relatively flat or looks like little mushrooms sprouting up from a surface

Try the Screwdriver Test

When you see an area that you think might be rotting, there’s a simple way to verify your hunch: take your screwdriver and press it against the timber. If it sinks right in with little or no resistance, you need wood rot treatment and repair.

Take Note of Peeling Paint

Peeling, flaking paint or solid stain on timber is not necessarily a symptom of rot. Still, it does indicate that the moisture content is elevated, causing the lumber to swell and push on the paint from underneath. That causes it to lift, crack and peel away in strips. Since excess moisture is the first step toward the type of decay that requires Walpole wood rot repair, if you notice peeling paint, you should try to figure out where the moisture is coming from and stop it.

I Found Wood Rot, What Do I Do?

So your suspicions are confirmed—your timber is suffering from decay. For a number of reasons, this can be difficult to cope with on your own. When you’re not experienced in dealing with it, it’s easy to misidentify or not see areas that need wood rot repair. Walpole, MA property owners can take a few steps to speed the repair process along, depending on the severity of the infestation. For an expert’s opinion, feel free to contact us for an inspection service, during which we will provide you with efficient repair options.

Stop the Source of Moisture

There’s no point in doing anything else until you’ve stopped water from reaching the timber because if you treat the rotting area and it remains damp, the fungi will quickly return. Sometimes there's not much you can do for timber that's outdoors, since you won’t be able to stop rain—which is why any timber that is outside will eventually need wood rot repair. Walpole, MA property owners can only prevent it from happening with diligent maintenance and refinishing. Indoors, stopping the water source could be a matter of sealing leaks and cracks, caulking window and door frames, or installing ventilation fans in the bathroom. You’ll also need to dry out the area for which a dehumidifier will do the job efficiently.

Call Mr. Handyman for Walpole Wood Rot Treatment

When the damage has advanced to the point where the lumber has softened, changed texture, or crumbled away, it needs to be handled by an experienced professional handyman. The friendly folks at Mr. Handyman will examine your Walpole home carefully to find all instances of decay and assess the damage. We’ll then explain our findings to you clearly and recommend a course of action that will not only eliminate the problem but stop it from happening again. The main strategies that we may recommend, based on factors like how advanced the decay is and what part of your property is affected, are:

• Replace Affected Timber: There's no real way to restore the strength, durability and appearance of weakened wood that has been affected by decay, so the best course of action is to remove the affected piece of wood altogether and replace it with a new piece, then paint or stain and seal the timber.
• Epoxy Wood Filler: If the patches of rot are tiny or it would be prohibitively difficult to remove the affected timber, your handyman may be able to leave the wood in place and handle structural wood rot repair by scraping out the rotted parts and filling the gaps with epoxy fillers. Once the epoxy consolidant has dried, we'll sand it down and paint over it to conceal the repair.
• Treat With Boric Acid: With both of the above techniques, it's generally a good idea to treat the wood close to the repair zone with boric acid or borate. This effective fungicide stops the spores that cause timber decay in their tracks so they can't simply spread to new wood. However, if you are dealing with brown-rot fungi, it's important to treat more than just nearby timber. The brown variant is able to travel over non-timber surfaces like masonry, so all surrounding surfaces should be treated if possible.

How Can I Avoid Needing Walpole Wood Rot Repair in the Future?

The only way to prevent timber from rotting is to keep it dry. That may seem like too big of a challenge in some cases, but even timber that is outdoors and exposed to the rain can remain dry if it is diligently maintained and resealed every couple of years. With a few coats of paint or solid stain and a generous layer of sealant, you can lock moisture out and keep the timber structures on your property in excellent shape for a long time to avoid the need for Walpole wood rot treatment or repair.

The problem is that sealant naturally wears off over time, so it's really important to keep refinishing and resealing as much as needed. It also really helps to use green-treated wood that is infused with chemicals to make it more moisture resistant. Don't have the time, ability or inclination to handle refinishing? No problem—our deck repair professionals can take care of it for you efficiently and effectively.

Here are a few prevention tips:

• Thoroughly check your property for rot at least once per year.
• Clean and repair rain gutters one to two times per year to avoid water damage on your home's exterior. Find out more about why gutter cleaning in Walpole is so important.
• Make sure bathrooms and other rooms that are frequently exposed to water vapor have sufficient ventilation.
• Trim trees and bushes, so moisture-laden leaves aren't brushing against your siding, wood deck or other outdoor wooden structures and items.

Trust Your Pros at Mr. Handyman for Expert Walpole Wood Rot Repair

Wood is the perfect building material for so many reasons, and if we’re vigilant in protecting against rot, our homes will stand the test of time and can last for centuries. From annual maintenance inspections to replacing rotten timber, rely on your local experts at Mr Handyman of Central - Eastern Norfolk County & S. Shore to eliminate decaying wood from your home in Walpole.

Regardless of whether you're in Walpole, MA or a nearby community such as Quincy, Weymouth or Braintree, you can expect the same outstanding workmanship and excellent customer service from our professional team of handyman experts. From efficient fence installation to original carpentry, we ensure you get high-quality materials that will last you for a long time.

For trusted home services, give us a call today to schedule a convenient appointment time, and we’ll be at your door with a smile! Or chat with our friendly customer service staff about how our reliable handyman services can make your Walpole home more appealing, comfortable and livable.