What is Dry Rot?

Dry rot in wood is a type of wood rot that is caused by fungus spores These fungus spores attack the parts of the wood that allow for its strength and stiffness, leaving the wood brittle and weakened. It is safe to assume that nearly every piece of wood has some fungus spores in it. The spores grow rapidly in wood that is exposed to weather conditions such as wind or rain. When wood comes into contact with water, the wood absorbs the moisture, and creates a breeding ground for the fungus. With a lack of ventilation, the water that is soaked into the wood causes wood rot.  The fungus can render wood useless and in need of repair or replacement.

Restor-It Products can be used instead of replacing the damaged or missing wood as the solvents in Restor-It Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer are absorbed by the wood and soak deep into the wood fibers re-hardening them. Restor-It Flexible Epoxy Filler can also be used to replace the missing wood as a permanent patch that will never shrink, crack, or pop off.

Dry rot repair can be very costly if it is not caught in time, because the main way that people treat dry rot is to replace all of the damaged wood. The best way to fix wood rot is to use the Restor-It Products as they can stop wood rot from growing and actually fix all of the wood rot damage; not to mention the money saved in this process versus replacing the damaged wood.

Where can Dry Rot be found?

Dry Rot can be found in places where wood is exposed. One major area where dry rot occurs is where two boards of wood come together. Wood that is outside for prolonged periods of time may also have wood rot simply because water is more readily available to soak into the wood. Beams with exposed end grain are also very important and many of them have dry rot because wood most easily absorbs moisture from its end grain. Dry Rot may occur anywhere where water and wood meet, so it is especially important to check bathroom floors, near the bathtub or shower, as well as front and rear entry doors and garage door trims.

One easy rule of thumb to remember concerning dry rot is that anywhere water can go, dry rot can grow. So look for cracks, crevices, and holes where water may be able to seep into the wood. Even the smallest crack can allow water to enter and without proper be ventilation, wood out rot will grow. The easiest way to tell if you have any wood rot is to take a screwdriver and poke at the wood to feel its firmness. If the wood has any give to it, then you may have Dry Rot. Dry Rot can be spotted by wood that looks wrinkled or misshapen.