Two homeowners that we have recently worked with have had about as good an attitude as one might imagine for addressing issues at their home that were far from ideal.
In the first instance, we were working on the Client’s home and uncovered significant additional rot.
Both the Client and the company knew that this was a possibility, but the Client’s mindset when the extent of the additional rot was revealed to be much greater than what was originally anticipated truly became clear, was as ideal as one would hope to hear.
Instead of trying to encourage us to band-aid things and/or stop short of truly repairing what was rotted, the Client urged us to keep going with the mindset of “It has to get fixed!”
In the second instance, we were hired to replace a rotted kickboard under a slider door and throughout the conversation with the Client, it quickly became evident to me just how savvy our newfound Client was from a construction standpoint as she began walking me through what she expected us to find.
This was very pleasing to me because usually I am the one walking someone through the potential horror of rotted wood, which was very realistic in this case due to where the issue was located.
Both the Client and myself acknowledged that once we took that kickboard off, the sill under the door would most likely have to be replaced, which means the door would have to come out and/or be properly braced, and the vinyl siding around the door area would have to be carefully peeled back and then reinstalled after the repair was completed.
No small task for sure, but a perfect example of underscoring the value of addressing hidden rot.
Although in the first example, there was not any evidence of bug damage, there was plenty of evidence that this Client’s home was a juicy snack, ripe for the picking for the next set of carpenter ants or termites that were looking for a nice feast.
The second Client was not as fortunate as the presence of termites and their subsequent eradication is what led her to give us a ring in the first place.
As many that are in the thick of working through a termite or carpenter ant challenge are quick to find out (if they were not already aware), termites and carpenter ants gravitate toward areas in our home where wood has become moist.
This is why many times significant damage is often being incurred to our homes totally unbeknownst to the homeowner.
Wood rots from the inside out.
Once you see a piece of rotted trim on your home, the chances are fairly high that the piece of trim is already rotted thoroughly on its backside, if not masking even deeper, structural rot behind it.
Typically, the way this happens is that moisture gets behind the trim through some type of a crack or crevice and begins to do its dirty work.
If not discovered soon enough, damage exemplified in the two examples here can surely set in before you know it.
Your best bet is to stay diligent, inspect your home twice a year (once in the Spring and once in the Fall) for potential rot, and reach out to a professional for further examination of anything that appears a bit concerning.
Although maintenance along the way in the form of making sure your paint/stain coatings are intact, seams are properly sealed, siding & trim are tight, etc., is the best preventative approach, if you are able to catch something that is rotted in the bud and have it corrected, you may be able to save yourself a great deal of heart and headache from if the situation were to continue to develop and you find yourself in a place which requires monumental repairs, that may or may not come along attached at the hip with a plethora of creepy crawlies, chomping away at the exterior of your home.
