thanks to a few builders in my area that didn’t quite understand the concept of how to install flashing, I get quite a few calls to repair rotten wood.
most often its around where the deck was connected to the back of the house. The homeowner notices the bottoms of the brickmold around the door have begun to deteriorate and they call me.
usually, thats the tip of the iceberg. Most often when i take the brickmold out, it’s discovered that the bottom of the door jamb is rotted. when i take the door jamb out, it’s discovered that the rough opening is rotted. Pull up that rotted little bit of subfloor under the door jamb and we’ll see a very rotted band joist, which is usually rotted for the entire length of the deck.
I do a little bit of everything, but this is the most common call I get.
My approch to repairing stuf like this is to cut out everything that is rotten, (1 foot past any trace of rot showing in the end grain, then treat with stabalizer to be exact), then rebuild it good as new with new wood and construct it so it won’t happen again.
This is a labor intensive approch, (shoring up, cutting and spicing floor joist, removing a portion of the deck and siding to get to the band joist, removing drywall where needed, getting rotted subflooing out from under studwalls….) and then building it all back good as new, (except with proper flashing details.)
I keep hearing from people (and not necessarally my customers) that this is overkill. Instead of major surgery, a bandaid is more in order. replace the stuf you can see from the outside, and as far as the structual stuf, if it looks like it’s rotted to the point of being unsound, just scab over it with a new peice, (I’ve even heard this from a buiding inspector) and the house will be fine for years to come as long as I cut off the moisture supply to the affected area.
So what’s you-all’s opinion on this?
Edited 6/7/2005 11:33 am ET by housedktr
Replies
I agree 100%. I have used an epoxy repair/restoration mixture that does a good job. But rot is rot and it is not structural. I also make sure the reason for the rot is discussed and remedied. Overkill makes sure the rot is dead!! you've got my vote.
What's the point in making a repair if you're not going to do it right? If it were my house and you proposed the band-aid approach, I would look for someone else to do the job.
Stick with what you're doing and maintain your reputation.
Egret
If a structural member is rotted then it's strength is comprimised. If you stop the rot, the rotted area will still be weaker. Depending on how bad this weakened member may slowly fail, causing more settling which will then start up the cracks, seperated moldings, sloped floors, sticking windows and doors, etc. Sistering from bearing surface to bearing surface seems best to me and it's what I'd do in my own house if I could. A band-aid may not stop the settling and then guess who gets blamed for the cracked walls and window that won't open.
There's always time to do it right the first time, by the second time it's already too late.
I disagree with all of you who say "Fix it right". Since people only live in their houses for 5 years, just use a band aid approach - especially one using as much OSB in a wet location as possible. At least, that's what the "pros" who worked on my house seemed to be doing. Why rock the boat with doing competent work?
;)Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Reading your post made me think that it was me that had posted it. I do exactly the same as you and most of my calls are for repair. It's mostly deck and porch, once in a while I'll get a Victorian along with a customer who has the $$'s and says "make it right", and that's a treat...not easy though. Usually what I do is a lot of assuaging and talking to the customer as if their house was a living thing, and then I go in to uncover and leave it for them to see. I then uncover more till all is exposed and 90% of the time they agree to fix it my way, the right way. I like to cut back and replace members. I've used all the epox systems and they are great for cosmetic, but I prefer to replace. My aim is to make something look like it always did, in many cases to look like nothing was even done to it, that is my highest compliment. Wood rot has been the bain of my existance and the bread on my table.
I'd rather hear complaints about price than kudos for a lousy job- Life's too short for that kind of stuff- And when the bandaid repair fails, guess whose name will attach?
Another vote for doing it right. If I have to start doing "cover up" I'll start working for the guys who build it that way to begin with...and it makes my living repairing their "way" too.
john
There is a connection between the fact that you do a thorough job and the fact that you get a lot of calls for this sort of thing
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
I'll add my voice to the chorus.
My own house was built in 1903, and I have had lots of experience with various epoxy products. Sometimes, the fix will last 10 years, but I still regard that as temporary.
But there's always tension between doing the fix right (your way), which is no doubt more expensive than glopping in a lot of epoxy.
But sometimes the money isn't there, and a temporary fix is all the customer can afford.
What would you do in that situation?
********************************************************
"I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
-- Herb Caen (1916-1997)
Sometimes epoxy is doing it right...such as when the area affected is small and the damage is cosmetic. I repair windows that way and still feel that it is the right way. It will prevent future damage, looks fine, and is much less costly to the customer. I do not feel that I have to replace the entire window with the original style of woodwork when its look and style can be saved unless we are dealing with a valuable piece that should be conserved, in which case, I probably would not be involved in the first place. I just try to prevent future damage and replace what my common sense tells me is likely to fail again. But I've been wrong before.
john
I mentioned epoxy earlier in this thread, but I don't think I explained how I use it. I do not use it to fill or cover over rotten areas. I ALWAYS remove affected areas, period. I use the epoxy to seal off any FURTHER problems in good areas, just in case I am unsuccessful in remediating the actual cause of the problem. I always replace damaged wood with new material. If the HO can't afford that repair, they can't afford me! I don't want to do a half-baked job. That may sound snotty, but it isn'tmeant to be.
That is exactly the way I use it, except for the occasion when I have stopped the source of the water infiltration and used epoxy to save a very long piece of old wood that is otherwise unaffected. I've also used it to let in a new end on a rafter tail to avoid having to take out an entire barge rafter. Might not have been the smartest thing but I did not feel like going after a longer ladder or more scaffolding and after three years it still looks great, plus it was mine. It doesn't sound snotty to me besides I'm old fashioned enough to still carry a hankerchief around.
I also want to add that I will not do a temporary repair if I feel that its purpose is to hide the damage from a future buyer. I'm not suggesting anyone else would just stating that I draw the line at that point. I would do a temporary repair for someone in need though but leave it obvious.
Out of curiosity, have you considered spraying the area you work on with Borate - like a Tim-Bor type product? I've heard that fungus spores can really be tough to get rid of, I was wondering if you did anything to keep them off your new work?
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!