Everything to Know About Wood Rot

For decades, homeowners have been plagued by wood rot. This fungus infests your home’s wooden supports, floors, and walls. Wood rot causes property damage over time. Why? Because wood rot eats up and weakens the wood. 

Wood rot is a living organism that, like all living things, requires food. Wood rot is an important part of the ecosystem in nature because it decomposes dead trees. The problem is that the wood used to construct your home is also technically made from dead trees.  

Currently, 10 percent of wood production is needed each year to repair damage caused by rotting wood. 

How Wood Rot Forms

Before wood rot can develop, multiple fungal spores will typically congregate, giving the appearance of red brick dust. Wood rot will remain dormant until the right conditions – such as dampness and darkness – exist for it to grow.  

It makes no difference to the little organisms whether the dampness is caused by high humidity or ineffective basement drainage; where there is dampness, there will be fungus. This is why controlling moisture is critical to preventing the formation of wood rot. 

Waterproofing your basement or encapsulating your crawl space is essential for effectively protecting your home. Insulation, vapor barriers, and proper drainage all aid in the prevention of wood rot. 

What to do About Wood Rot

Because wood rot only requires a small amount of moisture to survive, an outbreak will typically occur weeks or months after a flood or moisture issue in your home. 

The unfortunate thing about wood rot is that by the time it can be identified, it has most likely already caused extensive damage. It is extremely difficult to detect wood rot early on before it causes damage. 

Once identified, the following steps can be taken: 

• Remove Damaged Wood: Remove any wood that shows signs of decay or visible fungus, as well as any wood within three feet of the visible decayed material. 
• Remove Materials Close to the Damage: Plaster, paneling, linings, and ceilings near the wood rot areas can all play a part in the damage and should be removed. 
• Scrub Affected Area with a Wire Brush: Remove loose materials from all surfaces that are within five feet of the affected wood’s outermost edge. This includes scrubbing pipes, masonry, and metal surfaces with the wire brush. 
• Disinfect the Area: Within five feet of the damage, apply a disinfectant to all wood, masonry, and exposed soil.  
• Rebuild: Replace all rotted beams, joists, and posts with pressure-treated wood. Crawl space supports also can be added to strengthen your floors and floor joists. 
• Preventing Wood Rot: Seal off all crawl space vents and doors. Encapsulate the crawl space with a vapor barrier, dehumidifier, sump pump, and a drainage system. 

Note that these repairs can be time-consuming and hazardous, so it is best to leave them to professionals with the right tools and training.

Call Ohio Basement Authority for a Free Estimate!

At Ohio Basement Authority, we are more than just a basement repair service. We cover all aspects of foundation repair, including your damaged crawl space in Ohio. We’re happy to provide you with a free inspection of your entire home so that we can pinpoint the source of your crawl space issues. Then, we’ll give you a no-obligation quote so you can take your time making the best decision for your home. 

It is simple to begin your crawl space encapsulation journey. To schedule your first appointment with us, contact us today! 

Holly Richards-Purpura

Content Writer

Holly is a Content Writer for Groundworks who has written and edited web content for the foundation services industry for over 10 years. With a background in journalism, her passion for the written word runs deep. Holly lives in Columbus, OH, with her husband. Along with educating homeowners, she also has a big heart for the Big Apple.