In this article, you will learn how to repair water damaged wood beams. This is a helpful skill that would benefit you greatly in fixing your home and saving money in the process.
Wooden beams can enhance the natural beauty of your home both inside and out for a long time. They can provide support for your home, either from the ground or from a roof or second floor. Although having this wooden furniture and houses such as cabinets, decks, and beams requires you to have strict maintenance.
We should remind ourselves that even a tiny amount of moisture entering the wood, combined with a warm environment, is all fungi need to start reproducing, multiplying, and splitting, infesting the wood — finally leading to wood rot.
Fixing Water-Damaged Wood Beams
Rain, wind, sun, snow, and other elements can cause wood beams to deteriorate over time, even if they are treated. It only takes one small part that isn’t treated to cause complications.
You have two options when dealing with decaying wood beams: replace or repair. Experts who have seen rotten wood beams suggest you can repair up to 20% of the shaft before you have no alternative but to replace it.
Here are the simple steps in repairing your water-damaged wood beams:
Step #1. Get rid of the rotten wood
When wood is damp and left to soak in water, it rots quickly. Make sure to get rid of any soft or rotten wood. Dig out the afflicted wood until you reach the natural, strong timber.
Step #2. Prepare your wood filler
To make your wood filler solution, combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. The solution will have the consistency of putty.
Step #3. Fill and seal
Fill up the portions of wood that you pulled out using wood filler putty. Make sure to press the putty into every crevice to ensure that it is filled and sealed.
Step #4. Let sit and hardened
Allow time for the wood filler putty to solidify. When you can no longer dent the putty with your fingernail, you know it’s hardened.
Step #5. Shape the beam
You can file, sand, and shape the putty to match the wooden beam once it has hardened.
Step #6. Prime and paint
To make the restored wood match in with the rest of the wood, prime and paint it.
What causes rot in wood beams?
Before you can repair rotted wood beams, you must first understand what caused the rot in the first place. The leading cause of rotten wood beams is persistent moisture in the wood, which offers an ideal environment for fungi to thrive.
Wood beams are not only susceptible to fungus. Termites are another common cause of wood rot. They also have a strong preference for moisture in the wood, which causes them to rot the wood beams after they attack it and eat away at its strength.
The wood fibers will deteriorate as a result of this. It means that if water comes into touch with exposed wood over an extended period, it will rot. It can be caused by a massive leak in your ceiling or rain that collects on your property.
How can I tell whether to repair or replace rotten wood?
The strength and integrity will be affected if a piece of wood has been exposed to too much rot. A wooden beam can decay in certain places but remain sturdy and robust in its support. It’s critical to know and understand the differences between these two scenarios to make the best decisions possible when repairing or replacing the wooden beam.
Will my homeowner’s insurance cover wood rot?
If you’ve used your understanding of wood rot to determine that your home has wood rot, you should look into your homeowner’s insurance coverage. In general, the range is determined mainly by the cause of the wood rot in the first place.
When wood rot is hidden, it is almost always because the wood rot was not the immediate cause of the problem. It’s usually the result of a more visible issue — a leaking roof or a burst pipe, for example.
In that instance, the rot is caused by a house condition for which you are already covered. To avoid being taken advantage of, you should examine and document every step of the transaction, as well as bargain with your insurance company and discuss with a lawyer.
Conclusion
Repairing rotten wood may appear complicated at first, but it’s pretty simple once you know how. You can also use this technique and materials to improve wood with visual flaws such as chips and cracks.
The best way to avoid future rotten wood beams is prevention. Preventing rotten wood beams is far easier and less expensive than repairing or replacing them.
That is all on how to repair water-damaged wood beams. Hopefully, you have gained some knowledge on fixing them!