Wood is an amazingly versatile building material: It can be molded and shaped into almost any form, it’s an excellent insulator while maintaining incredible structural abilities and it’s fantastic at accepting paint, stains and varnishes. 

But it’s one weakness is rot.

Anyone who has owned an old house for more than a couple months will tell you that wood rot is a major frustration, especially during the rainy season since most species of wood don't do well when exposed to rain.

So, What Causes Rot?

Fungi. The simplest of all plant life. Microscopic fungus spores are all around us floating on the breeze and landing all over our homes. 

Wherever they land, if moisture is present, then you’ll have rot and that rot will continue as long as moisture sticks around.

Even if you remedy the conditions, the fungus is still present and will resume growth (A.K.A. rot) when it rains again.

How to Stop Rot

How do you stop wood rot? Well, you can always remove wood from the equation, but for most of us, that would mean removing our entire house.

And here on earth, there isn’t much we can do about eliminating the rain. It’s going to rain or snow and the wetting of your house is not a cause for concern. The concern is when wood isn’t able to dry out.

But don’t be dismayed, here are a few things you can do to help the wood on your house dry out:

Keep it Painted

Keeping your house painted is the easiest way to keep the water out. 

Paint is a great layer of protection to help the surfaces of your house shed water and dirt. Though it may get wet, the paint keeps the water (and fungus) from attacking the underlying wood.

No Standing Water

If any part of your house gets standing water after a rain storm, then that area is much more likely to rot. 

Standing water will find its way into joints and cracks in the paint and seep into the wood giving rise to perfect conditions for rot. 

Redesign these elements to allow water to shed off of them.

Allow Airflow

Good airflow helps everything dry out faster, and the faster things dry, the less chance of rot. 

Trim back shrubs and trees from your house so that there is enough room for airflow between the two. 

Wet shrubs directly against siding are a major cause of rot on many houses.

Since many homes in Georgia have been built with a lot of timber, and we have a climate that can be humid and rainy, our homes are susceptible to damage from moisture. 

That's why our handyman professionals are experts at wood rot repair. If you’ve noticed soft timber around your basement, deck, entryways, window trim or garage, call us. 

We will carefully replace the decaying areas and prevent the fungus from spreading!

Need a Handyman in Alpharetta GA?

Give us a call! We also provide handyman services for the Lilburn, Suwanne, Buford, Lawrenceville, Duluth, Norcross, Stone Mountain, Gwinnett County, Cumming, Roswell, Johns Creek, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Midtown, and Brookhaven.