How to Tell if Deck Wood is Rotten in Camarillo, CA & How to Treat Brown & White Dry Rot

Most people that have wood decks enjoy spending hours outdoors utilizing them. Decks are perfect for so many different things. People love breathing in the fresh air while they sit on their decks and spend time with family, entertain guests, or spend some solo time outdoors. One concern with wood decks is the wood becoming dry rotted. McKay’s Painting wants to make sure you know what dry rot is, what the signs are, and what to do about it so that you can keep your wood deck functioning properly so you can continue to use yours.

What is Wood Dry Rot?

The first thing we need to talk about is what exactly dry rot is. Dry rot is a fungus that can cause mildew, mold, staining, or decay in wood. The micro-organisms in the fungus make the wood brittle and vulnerable by removing the cellulose from the wood. The fungus grows when it has heat, moisture, dirt, and a dark place to grow. If where you live has hot, humid summers or wet, foggy winters your wood deck could be the perfect target for decay caused by dry rot. Once dry rot starts it can spread and cost excessive damage that is costly to repair.

Brown & White Dry Rot

There are two different types of dry rot. Brown and white rot can both cause damage to wood. Of the two types of dry rot brown rot is the most serious. Brown rot typically affects softwoods. Brown rot can grow when the wood is wet and if there is high humidity in the area. White rot can only occur is the wood is actually wet. Both hardwood and softwood can be affected by white rot.

Early Signs of Wood Rot

We recommend that you check your wood deck regularly for signs of dry rot. Dry rot frequently appears grayish in color. It can cover the surface of the wood in long sheets of mold. Your wood could also start to look dark and decayed. Brown rot can give your wood a mottled checkerboard appearance. If it keeps growing it can turn your wood into powder. White rot can cause the wood to break along the grain of the wood. Sometimes people mistake pest infestation and dry rot for each other. Both pest infestation and dry rot have symptoms that can look similar to each other. You need to make sure that you have a proper diagnosis in order to properly treat your wood deck. McKay’s Painting can come out and perform a dry rot inspection of your home to help make a proper diagnosis.

How to Treat Dry Rot

If you do have dry rot you will want to replace the infected pieces of wood on your deck. Simply replacing the wood does not mean that your wood deck is safe. There is a reason that the dry rot started to grow. It is important to find where the problem started so you can prevent it from happening again. You will want to look for plumbing leaks; inspect your gutter system; examine the grade of yard to prevent water from collecting on your property; and make sure that your sprinkler system is hitting the correct areas and not causing over-saturation on your property. We also recommend sealing your wood deck to help preserve the wood and keep the moisture out.

Deck Dry Rot Damage, Restoration & More in Ventura, Ojai, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills & Santa Barbara California

McKay’s Painting hope this information has helped you understand more about dry rot and the danger it can present to your wood deck. If you have any concerns about your wood deck being infested with dry rot please give McKays Painting a call. We can come out and help restore your wood deck so that you can continue to enjoy spending time on it!