Wood rot often comes as an unpleasant surprise. Perhaps you’re having your deck stained and the general contractor announces that the posts and railings are rotted. Or when having fascia installed only to notice your roof has had serious issues with the elements. Left untreated, with the right conditions, wood rot can spread and eventually weaken the structure of your home plus rob you of resale value if planning to sell the property in the future.

What causes wood rot?

The fungal spores that cause wood to rot are all around us. Fortunately, they are not always active, and rot damage does not occur overnight. Dry rot is a common type of wood rot in which wood is attacked by fungi. The fungi destroy the parts of the wood that make it strong and firm.

To grow and begin to digest wood, fungal spores need adequate amounts of water and high relative humidity. When the moisture content of the materials with which your home is built is coupled with high relative humidity, the stage is set for rot.

Leaks, mold, mildew, and insects are the leading causes of wood rot around your home’s exterior. When it comes to rotting wood, you should always avoid simply patching the problem with exterior house paint and instead focus on eliminating the issue entirely. A paint job is not enough to fix the matter, the only real solution to wood rot, that ensures additional structural damage will not occur, is to have the wood replaced by a professional. Exterior home wood rot is commonly found around decks, roofs, wooden window frames, and exterior doors. Often, moisture that has been on the wood long enough to encourage fungi to grow, will cause the wood to deteriorate. Without proper maintenance, in NJ’s ever-changing climate, wood rot is ultimately inevitable.