5 Places Rotting Wood May Be Hiding in Your Home
Wood is a staple in many homes. It’s naturally beautiful, durable, versatile, and easy to work with. However, due to its porous nature, wood is also highly vulnerable to a number of environmental factors, moisture being the main culprit. If moisture gains access to your wooden features, they can become breeding grounds for bacteria and fungi. These harmful actors can slowly deteriorate the material from the inside out.
Rotting wood isn’t just an eyesore, either -- it also poses a threat to your home’s structural integrity. Not only that, but wood rot often indicates a deeper issue with your property related to water intrusion. For these reasons, it’s important to regularly inspect your home for rotting wood.
But where should you look, exactly? Obviously, you want to check up on all your wooden components. Still, some places are more susceptible to rot than others. Here are five places rotting wood may be hiding in or around your home.
The Most Common Home Spaces with Rotting Wood
1. The Attic
Without proper ventilation, moisture can get trapped in your attic as heat rises in your home. And unless you regularly use your attic, this space may go ignored for a long time. Before you know it, you may encounter leaks and other moisture-related issues, all stemming from a deteriorating attic.
Be sure to clean this part of your home once or twice a year, checking for wood rot as you do. If you notice rotting wood, mold, and/or moisture buildup in general, you’ll want to hire a contractor to optimize your home’s airflow. Then, you may need to repair and replace any wooden structures to maintain your attic’s structural integrity.
2. Window Frames and Sills
Rain, snow, and condensation all pose a threat to wooden window frames. Paint and/or sealant can help protect the wood from rotting, but, over time, moisture can find a way. It’s not just the exterior frames you have to worry about, either. If your home isn’t properly sealed, moisture that lands on your windows’ exteriors can get inside as well. So, whenever you hire Raleigh house painters, make sure they don’t neglect your window frames and sills. Additionally, have them caulk your frames so any outside water stays out.
3. Your Wooden Deck
Of all the places wood rot may appear around your home, your wooden deck is probably the least hidden. Still, you might not notice rot until it’s too late. A rotting deck can be dangerous, especially if it’s held up by wooden support beams. If these beams become too weak, they can buckle and take the entire deck down with them. This is why it’s crucial to regularly examine your wooden deck and to apply the best wood deck stain to your deck or patio every few years to keep moisture away.
4. Wooden Siding
Wood may not be the most common siding material out there today, but plenty of homes feature wooden siding. Like any exterior surface, a good coat of paint will help prevent rot, but it’s not a foolproof solution. Water will naturally find any weakness in wooden siding and exploit it. Oftentimes, wood siding shows signs of rot at the base, where moisture has built up, or between seams. While it might seem counterintuitive, hiring Raleigh power washing services once or twice a year is a crucial step in preventing wood rot on your siding, as it clears away debris and fungi.
5. The Basement
Surrounded by groundwater, basements are often at risk of water intrusion, and therefore rotting wood. In addition to inspecting the walls, floors, and ceilings of your basement often, consider installing a sump pump to actively remove any water invading your home from beneath, as well as dehumidifiers to clear moisture from the air. And when painting your home, don’t neglect your basement. It needs as much protection as possible.
Need Help with Wood Rot?
Locating rotting wood is hard enough. Fixing the problem can be even harder. If you need a professional eye to inspect your home, and experienced hands to repair or replace your deteriorated wood, Anderson Painting contractors are here to help. Our carpentry services cover everything from trim and siding repair to full home siding replacement and more.
If your wooden features are failing, we’ll fix them and ensure that they remain durable for as long as possible. For more about Anderson Painting and everything we do, call us today at (919) 610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
