Wood Rot Repair Birmingham AL & Surrounding Areas

What is Wood Rot?

Wood rot is decay caused by fungal growth in damp wood. When timber becomes damp enough to have 20% or more moisture content, and isn’t able to dry out quickly or is repeatedly dampened, it creates the ideal conditions for wood-eating fungi.

There are numerous species of fungi that can cause rotten timber, but there are three types of wood rot that commonly affect homes, categorized by the way they break down the fibers: white rot, brown rot, and soft rot.

Replacing rotten wood is an important and often overlooked chore to many.

Rotten wood is sometimes repainted and ignored until it becomes a large problem or an eyesore to home owners.

Not to mention, during the summer months increased pest populations will lead to more termites and wood bugs to feast on your wood and help it rot faster.

If left untreated, wood rot can cause serious damage to the structural integrity of your home.

Here's a few places that you're likely to find wood rot in your home:

• Deck or patio structures
• Railings and banisters
• Around door frames
• Window sills and exterior door frames
• Kitchen, bathroom, and basement baseboards
• Sink cabinets and kitchen cabinets
• Frequently damp areas
• Eaves
• Steps or stoops

It’s important to remember that wood rot often doesn’t “appear” visable at all, because it’s hidden from sight inside of your walls and floors.

Also, note that fungus doesn’t limit itself to just infesting bathrooms and kitchens.

It can develop on any lumber that meets its conditions for growing.

Test for Wood Rot: There’s an easy test for detecting decay that you can try on any area where you suspect the timber might be infested. Simply take your screwdriver and press it against the area. If it sinks in with little or no resistance, you can be pretty sure that you’re dealing with wood rot.

Wood rot that has advanced to the stage where the wood is eaten away, causing it to soften, change texture, or crumble, needs to be treated by an experienced professional.

BCW will examine your home thoroughly to find all the places where wood rot has taken hold and assess the damage.

Depending on the location of the wood rot and the extent of the damage, we’ll recommend a course of action that will not only eliminate the wood rot, but stop it from returning.

Wood is the perfect building material for our homes due to its durability and beauty, but it unfortunately has one weakness— dreaded wood rot.

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