How to Prevent Termite Damage on a Wood Deck
Wood decks are the most susceptible to elements. As a result wood decks will suffer from dry rot and UV damage. Here are a few tips on how to prevent...
Your home is an investment, so protect your investment. It is important to spot small problems in your home before they become a serious problem and a major expense. Dry rot is one of those serious problems.
Dry rot is a fungus that feeds on wood causing it to weaken. The wood will become cracked, brittle and eventually breaks down. Dry rot is a common problem in older homes where the wood was not treated to prevent damage.
Here are three important things to know about dry rot:
1) Where to Look
Dry rot fungus grows where there is moisture so look in areas where there is a water source. You may also find it outside where there are damaged gutters or downspouts. Also check:
Look for cracks, splits, and discoloration which may indicated dry rot. Especially check areas where there has been a leak.
An easy way to check if the wood is rotted, is by using a screw driver to penetrate the wood. If it goes through or the wood flakes easily, that means there is dry rot. Rot behind flooring, drywall, or siding can be apparent by the discoloration of by noticing if the material doesn’t feel strong with pressure.
2) What to do if you find dry rot.
Dry rot can progress quickly so it’s important to make repairs as soon as possible. First you’ll need to find and stop the source where moisture is coming from. Second, you’ll have to replace the wood that has been weakened, with pressure treated wood. But before anything, make sure that your problem is definitely dry rot and not something else like termites or carpenter ants.
3) How to prevent dry rot.
To prevent dry rot, there are several things you can do around your house:
If there is a lot of runoff water near your house, consider installing a rain barrel to collect water or connecting your downspout to a drain tile that will divert water away from your home.
Most importantly, treat dry rot as soon as you find it! Leaving it untreated will cause serious damage to your home and very expensive to fix.
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