Archive | Dry Rot Repair

Dry Rot FAQs

Dry Rot

Dry rot is a serious problem that can affect wood in any building. If left untreated, it can cause significant structural damage and even affect the health of residents. Unfortunately, dry rot is quite common, so it’s essential to be aware of it, how to prevent it and what to do if you suspect it’s present in your home.

In this post, we’ll cover some frequently asked questions about dry rot to help homeowners better understand this issue.

What is Dry Rot?

Dry Rot is a type of fungus that typically affects wood. It thrives in warm, damp conditions where wood can retain moisture for extended periods. As the name suggests, the fungus dries the wood out, making it brittle, cracked and weaker.

Dry rot can also spread to other types of building materials, including bricks and plaster. When left untreated, it can cause significant structural damage and even affect the health of residents, as the fungus can release toxic spores into the air.

How Can I Tell if I Have Dry Rot in my Home?

Spotting dry rot is usually relatively easy, thanks to the tell-tale signs of its presence. The following symptoms can be an indication of dry rot:

1) A musty, damp smell in the affected area

2) Wood that looks darker or has a reddish-brown tint

3) Cracked or brittle wood

4) Wood that crumbles when pressure is applied

5) White, cotton-like strands on wood or in cavities

6) Skirting boards or wood-based finishes that have become detached from the walls or floors.

If you see any of these signs, it’s a good idea to get a professional to inspect your home thoroughly. Early intervention can prevent significant damage and save you money in the long run.

Do All Homes Get Dry Rot?

Any building that is made of wood is susceptible to dry rot, regardless of its age or condition. However, some homes are more prone to dry rot than others. Homes with inadequate ventilation, high levels of moisture in the air or an existing damp problem are more likely to develop dry rot.

What Causes Dry Rot?

Dry rot is caused by a fungal spore known as Serpula Lacrymans. The fungus requires certain conditions to thrive and grow, including a source of food (wood), moisture and warm temperatures. Any damp areas in your home can provide the perfect habitat for dry rot to take hold. This could be caused by poor ventilation or a water leak, for example.

How Can Dry Rot Be Prevented?

Prevention is always the best course of action when it comes to dry rot. Here are some tips on how to prevent dry rot in your home:

1) Keep your home dry and well-ventilated – Ensure that your home is adequately ventilated, particularly in areas such as bathrooms and kitchens that are prone to damp. Use dehumidifiers to maintain low humidity levels.

2) Fix any leaks or water damage – Any water damage in your home should be repaired promptly to prevent damp from developing.

3) Inspect your home regularly – Regular inspections can help you identify any damp problems before they become severe.

4) Remove any areas of damp – If you discover any areas of damp in your home, such as water-stained walls or black mould, take steps to rectify the problem.

5) Treat any wood that may be exposed to damp – Wood that is in frequent contact with moisture, such as timber decking, should be treated with a protective layer.

Can Dry Rot Be Treated?

Dry rot can only be treated by a professional. DIY solutions are unlikely to be effective, and it’s essential to get an expert opinion on the severity of the rot problem.

In most cases, the infected area will need to be removed, as well as the surrounding wood. Any plaster or masonry that has been affected may also need to be removed and replaced.

Once the area has been cleared of all infected materials, a treatment will be applied to kill any remaining spores.

Final Thoughts

Dry rot is a serious problem that can cause significant structural damage if left untreated. While all homes are susceptible to dry rot, there are steps you can take to prevent it from developing and to mitigate damage if it does occur. Regular inspections and swift action at the first sign of damp problems can go a long way towards preventing dry rot in your home. If you suspect that you may have dry rot in your home, it’s essential to contact a professional for advice and treatment.

Floor Framing Repair in Milwaukie, Oregon… Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot Oh My

In the Pacific Northwest, the damage to your home from the elements and pests cannot be underestimated. This Milwaukie, Oregon home had extensive damage from Wood Boring beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot — this trifecta caused extensive home exterior damage. Bragg Construction arrived on the scene to completely reconstruct one entire end of the house after it had dropped approximately 2 inches due to the hollowed floor joists.

Removal of damaged home exterior material from Milwaukie, Oregon home with damage from Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot by Bragg Construction

Removal of damaged home exterior material from Milwaukie, Oregon home with damage from Wood Boring Beetles, Carpenter Ants, and Dry Rot by Bragg Construction

Inspection, Damage Assessment, and Identification of the Villains:

The home was a one-level ranch house with a brick facade with faulty drip flashing. To understand more about the downward spiral of water damage please read this previous blog post. Encouraged by the intrusion of water, some villainous insects had clearly caused damage. Research was done to determine the presence of both Carpenter Ants and Wood Boring Beetles. To learn more about Wood Boring Beetles please check out the OSU insect identification page.

A view of the home exterior damage caused by failed flashing between the home siding and brick facade and faulty roofing allowed water to enter the home's frame

A view of the home exterior damage caused by failed flashing between the home siding and brick facade and faulty roofing allowed water to enter the home’s frame

Navigating the crawl space and inspecting the floor framing, we determined at least 6 floor joist were nearly completely hollowed. A pocket-knife went through a 2 inch thick timber, wood powder came raining down, and it was time to remove the exterior siding to get started with the replacement of the floor timbers!

Home exterior view of damage caused by dry rot, Carpenter Ants, and Wood Boring Beetles

Home exterior view of damage caused by dry rot, Carpenter Ants, and Wood Boring Beetles

Jacking the house up

Notice the 3 wall jacks that were neaded to lift the hosue 2 inches

Removing the joists

Bragg Construction jacked the house up in order to remove the joists. Again, the Boring Beetles had done extensive damage, notice all of the holes in the joists.

Close-up of wood with Wood Boring Beetles exist holes in fir floor joist.

Close-up of wood with Wood Boring Beetles exist holes in fir floor joist.

The core of the wood was hollow. The exterminator came in prior to Bragg Construction coming in to do the repairs.

Wood Boring Beetle Damage to Floor Joists

Wood Boring Beetle Damage to Floor Joists

Shreds and powder are all that remains of this floor joist removed due to Wood Boring Beetle damage.

Shreds and powder are all that remains of this floor joist removed due to Wood Boring Beetle damage.

 

New sill plate and Joists

Bragg Construction inserted 4 full length 12′ floor joists.

View of the 4 new 12' lumber floor joists.

View of the 4 new 12′ lumber floor joists.

Straight on view of the new sill plate and floor joists

Rim Band Put in Place For Completion

Rim band goes into place to complete the repair.

Rim band goes into place to complete the repair.

Historic Home Repair Dry Rot Damaged a Portland, Oregon Home in the Alameda Neighborhood

This beautiful home in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood had a knee brace fall off due to poor attachment and dry rot. The pieces that fell weren’t badly rotted so they did not need to be rebuilt, only reattached. Here is the process of historic home repair as performed by Bragg Construction and Remodeling.

Historic home repair for a beautiful home in Portland's Historic Alameda Neighborhood

Beautiful home in Portland’s Historic Alameda Neighborhood.

Elaborate Architectural Details on this Historic Home

A knee brace holds up the edge of the roof.  (The dark green things).  The wide board here is known as a “barge board”   Notice the beautiful detailing!

Wonderful architectural details on this Historic home in Portland's Alameda neighborhood

Wonderful architectural details on this Historic home in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood.

Ladder Up to the Porch Roof

Notice the missing knee brace, upper right corner of photo.

Bragg Construction sets up ladder to get to the dry rot portion above the porch roof

Bragg Construction sets up ladder to get to the dry rot portion above the porch roof.

Scaffolding Setup for Working Safely and Efficiently

Bragg Construction and Remodeling creates safe work platforms for efficient working.

Scaffolding set up with adjustable feet on sloped porch roof

Scaffolding set up with adjustable feet on sloped porch roof.

Scaffolding Helps to Hold Knee Brace in Place

The diagonal part of the knee brace has been drilled and glued ready to lift into position.

Scaffolding is used to assist in holding the knee brace.

Scaffolding is used to assist in holding the knee brace.

Scaffolding Helps in a Multitude of Ways

The scaffolding holds the craftsman, tools and provides a platform for the house jack.  A one inch lift is accomplished so that the restoration is Perfect.

Scaffolding is helping in many ways

Scaffolding is helping in many ways


The diagonal portion of the knee brace is placed and ready for the roof to be lifted.

The diagonal portion of the knee brace is placed and ready for the roof to be lifted.


 

What are we doing with the Bungie Cord?

The carpenter makes the final lift while attaching with long screws and glue.  The bungie simply provides a “helping hand”.

Diagonal brace is temporarily held by the scaffolding and the bungie

Diagonal brace is temporarily held up by the scaffolding and the bungie.

The knee brace is repaired, caulked, and ready for paint

All that is needed now is painting and regular maintenance.
Repaired right knee brace, caulked and ready for paint!Repaired right knee brace, caulked and ready for paint!

Historic Home Repair… The house is healed!

Historic home preservation takes care and skill.

Wonderful architectural details on this Historic home in Portland's Alameda neighborhood

Wonderful architectural details on this Historic home in Portland’s Alameda neighborhood.

Repairing Carpenter Ant Damage and Dry Rot Repair in Milwaukie Oregon

Water damage causes dry rot. Dry rot is an invitation to Carpenter Ants. Once you’ve got Carpenter Ants eating away at your home you’ve got trouble. The downward spiral continues to feed the dry rot and colony of Carpenter Ants. Carpenter Ants can do thousands of dollars of damage to your home. They eat wood to make room to build their nests which weakens the structure of your home. You’ve got to remove the dry rot to get rid of the Carpenter Ants.

Floor Framing with Caprenter Ant in Milwaukie, Oregon Home

Floor Framing with Caprenter Ants in Milwaukie, Oregon Home

Remove the finished flooring:

  One of the most common places for dry rot to start in your home is near Kitchen and Bathroom fixtures.  Often a very small leak will begin the downward spiral.

Reveal the subfloor to determine the extent of damage:

    The only good news about dry rot and Carpenter ant damage is the opportunity to get a new floor.  In an older home it may already be time for a new floor so . .  let the work begin.  First the old floor must be removed to expose the sub floor and the extent of the damage.  This project had an ugly vinyl floor with a chip board, (particle board sub floor).

Removal of Subfloor revealing Carpenter Ant damage

Removal of Subfloor revealing Carpenter Ant damage

Remove the damaged framing:

Another bit of good news on this project is that the carpenter and and dry rot damage was only about 2 square feet.  Since this was an active nest an exterminator was brought in to destroy the ants.

Damaged subfloor removed and ready for repair

Damaged subfloor removed and ready for repair

Replace the subflooring:

  Bragg Construction and Remodeling builds Tile floors to last.  Tile Floors are very durable if built on top of a cement sub floor.  We glue the cement floor to the sub floor and nail with ring shank nails.  Notice the pencil lines with a suggested lay out for the 1 x 2 tiles.

Cement board subflooring ready for tile

Cement board subflooring ready for tile

Install a new flooring:

The skills of the Master carpenter are also useful in the installation of tile.  Notice the professional product:  Undercut door jambs and casings, Good layout, and Straight lines make for a professional installation.

Completely finished tile floor in kitchen

Completely finished tile floor in kitchen

The finished Product:

   The best choice for Laundry rooms, bathrooms and some kitchens is a quality, professionally installed, tile floor.

Dry rot repair for home exterior in Milwaukie, Oregon

Bragg Construction was recently called out to a home in Milwaukie, Oregon to repair dry rot and reside the home exterior. Upon arrival the dry rot was so severe that in was obvious that dry rot repair needed to be done before new siding could be installed and new paint could be applied. Faulty flashing around the chimney chase had allowed years of water intrusion to cause damage to the siding, sheathing, and framing.

Dry rot framing for the chimney chase to removed and replaced

Dry rot framing for the chimney chase to removed and replaced

dry rotted corner post removed from Milwaukie, Oregon home

Dry rotted corner post removed from Milwaukie, Oregon home

subfloor and sil plate framing with dry rot in need of removal

Subfloor and sil plate framing with dry rot in need of removal

Removal of siding and plywood wall sheathing:

This home had what is called by some as “double wall construction”.  What that means is that there is a layer of standard plywood on the outside of the wall studs.  Felt paper was then applied to the plywood “sheathing”.  Over the top of the tar paper a layer of cedar siding was applied.  ALL of these items were rotten and deteriorated and had to be removed.   About 6 wall studs had dry rot that must be removed.

Surgical removal of wall studs:

Dry rot is a fungus that destroys wood.  Dry rot must be removed and replaced.  Careful removal of wall studs, (which hold up the house), are removed and replaced a few at a time.  Knowing how a house is built is useful knowledge when disassembling and rebuilding.  A lot of dry rot removal is more than just surface repair.

surgical removing of dry rotted framing chimney chase

Surgical removal of dry rotted framing chimney chase

Rebuilding of the firebox surround:

Wall studs, top and bottom plate and even portions of the sub flooring are carved out in a logical and careful way and replaced.  New plywood sheathing is cut fitted and nailed.  A new “Improved vapor barrier” is installed.

rebuilding of dry rotted with sil plate, sub-flooring, and wall studs

Rebuilding of dry rotted with sil plate, sub-flooring, and wall studs

two wall studs, rebuilt base, and all the tools to remove dry rot

All of the tools to remove dry rot

Exterior siding installed:

This home is now ready for new siding and paint.  Cedar or cement siding are 2 good options for siding.  Both options will last a long time if properly maintained with caulking and Paint.

Chimney chase with new siding from top to bottom

Chimney chase with new siding from top to bottom

Finished home exterior painting and cleanup:

Bragg Construction and Remodeling does multi-trade projects.  On this home we repaired a large amount of dry rot, repaired framing, installed plywood sheathing, “improved Vapor barrier”, lap siding, caulking and paint. Dry rot repair is complete.