Wood, especially if it's untreated, can easily start to rot
once it comes in contact with moisture – and we have generally plenty of water
coming down from the sky here in Auckland. Wood rot usually starts when water
gets into cracks or when water penetrates a wood finish and can’t dry out.
My customers often think that rotted wood in and around the
house is beyond
repair, but this is usually not the case. You will have to
consult an
expert like
Banks Building for structural rot, but small areas you
could tackle yourself if you’re game. Get yourself a bit of
epoxy , woodhardener and know-how, and
fix those rotted areas of wood on
decks, architraves,
doorway and window frames in your house.
Let me provide you with a bit of
know-how, so you can give
it a go.
First of all you’ll need some advice on how to diagnose wood
rot. Test the wood by tapping it with a blunt knife. If it feels very soft or
crumbles, it's rotted. Now, as long as the area of rot is less than fifty
percent of the total area of the wood, follow these steps to fix the problem:
1.
Before you start please:
a.
Read all warning labels
b.
Make sure you wear protective gear: goggles, gloves, a dust mask and any other
recommended protective equipment.
2. Use a
screwdriver (flat head is best) and chisel to remove all rotted wood. This part
is relatively easy, as the rotted wood will crumble into pieces. Don’t worry too
much about carving and digging out every last bit of rot. The liquid epoxy will
soak into areas that can be saved.
3.
Drill small holes (a honeycomb pattern works
best) at an angle to help the epoxy penetrate throughout the decayed area.
4.
Apply a liberal amount of wood hardener onto the
area using a disposable brush or spray bottle. Let the hardener saturate and
allow to cure/dry.
5.
Mix the two-part epoxy on a piece of scrap wood
and apply into the areas you’ve cleaned the rot out.
Tip: Epoxy dries very fast and is
very hard to remove- great points, except when it comes to you and your tools!
Apply and fill quickly and clean up as you go along.
6.
Let dry and sand the area to match the shape of
the original wood. You can also use a rasp, when you need to remove quite a bit
of the dried filler to match the original shape. Rasps come in a wide variety
of shapes for flat and contoured surfaces.
You can cut, shape, smooth and
drill into cured epoxy just as you can with wood.
Last but not least, you'll also want to preserve your wood
to
prevent future damage. We at
Banks Building Maintenance are happy
to give you a hand with that, but there might be some things you could do
yourself as well. Here are a few tips:
- Use treated timber for decks and other outdoor
structures. Never allow untreated lumber posts or lumber to rest directly on
concrete.
- Waterproof and seal any natural wood that
might be exposed to moisture.
- Regularly inspect your house for peeling paint
or other paint failures, especially near joints. This is where water might
start to seep in. Have a close look at window frames and window sills, wooden
architraves and door frames. Repair rot as soon as it starts appearing to help prevent further damage.
- Seal large
cracks and gaps with a product like Selleys No More Gaps. If you are working on
the outside of your house, make sure you use products which state that they are
suitable for outdoor use. You might also want to check if they are paintable
(for example, silicone is not paintable), otherwise the end result might look a
bit shabby. If possible, use screws to close any open miter/corner joints.
- Sand any bare wood and apply wood preservative
before you apply a primer. Seal joints with No More Gaps after priming and before the top coating.
Cheers, Andre
