I"ve got a 2x6 board along the edge of my house roof that is starting to dry rot on the very end where it protrudes out from the end of the roof line. No way I'm going to replace it, so is there a product I can use to fill the cavity after I clean out the loose wood that will fill and strengthen the board? Would be nice if I could find something in a tube that I can just squeeze in since access is not easy being 20 ft high above the groung while on a ladder.
Fixing Dry Rot
- Thread starter ZeeOSix
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Boats use Git-Rot.
Why is the board exposed to the weather? Should be covered in trim.
Why is the board exposed to the weather? Should be covered in trim.
Ive had great luck with Durhams Rock Hard Putty mix from any hardware or home improvement store. Its a powder you mix with water and quickly fill in the damaged area after you've cleaned out all the rotten part. You can slowly build up an area that has deeper hole damage. Then sculpt it as flat as you can as it dries, then after a few hours, its ready to sand and paint. Or better yet, buy some aluminum fascia and wrap all the wood all along your roof line so it does not get wet again.
Photo?
https://www.systemthree.com/products/endrot-wood-restoration-kit
It's a local company, available at many places around the Seattle area.
Ed
It's a local company, available at many places around the Seattle area.
Ed
There is no cure for rotten wood. You can fill a hole, But it doesn't restore the original strength of the wood. Most likely the spores that cause the rot have wicked thru the grain of the wood, and the board will start rotting in another spot. A black stain spot is rot. Pine and other soft woods rot faster then oak or Mahogany. That's why Boat builders used those woods back in the day, and gave up all together back in the late '50's and early '60's when fiberglass came along.,,,
Marine grade Bondo but you have to dig away all the loose rot first and get down to solid wood and then prime and paint the finished work.
Personally, the best option is to replace the board...well actually to make it easy just cut off the rotted section so that the new board spans 3 rafter tails. You can cut and make the joint as a bevel cut on the rafter tail or you can make a 45* bevel cut between rafters and just stick a board behind it to screw the two pieces to.
The trouble with the rotted board is that there is likely additional rot occurring out of sight.
Can you attach some photos?
Personally, the best option is to replace the board...well actually to make it easy just cut off the rotted section so that the new board spans 3 rafter tails. You can cut and make the joint as a bevel cut on the rafter tail or you can make a 45* bevel cut between rafters and just stick a board behind it to screw the two pieces to.
The trouble with the rotted board is that there is likely additional rot occurring out of sight.
Can you attach some photos?
There is a product called timbor that is boric acid like borax. It is used for rot treatment of wood and also termitr treatment. Rot is not just the greaking down of the wood due to exposure but tiny microbes eating away at the wood fibers, the boric acid helps controls them.
Sounds like a fascia board. Light weight body filler works great to repair non-structural wood like fascia. I helped a neighbor repair some water rotted rough sawn corner boards using Rage body filler and the repair was still going strong after 10 years.
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Scrap away the rotted wood, then use a wood hardener to soak into the wood. Let dry, then fill it with latex wood filler or 2-part epoxy paste (the latter is more expensive but it's easier to work with).
In the future you need to keep the exposed trim boards well-painted. What causes the rot is the paint is peeling off, especially the top part that you can't see, because it's exposed to the most sunlight. Then rain & morning condensation soaks into the wood
In the future you need to keep the exposed trim boards well-painted. What causes the rot is the paint is peeling off, especially the top part that you can't see, because it's exposed to the most sunlight. Then rain & morning condensation soaks into the wood
Out of curiousity, how many of you guys use Bondo for automotive bodywork?
I want to get the spot filled and painted in the next couple of days, so just went to Lowe's hardware to see what they had. Found some Elmer's "Probond Woodfiller" so thought I'd give it a try.
This 2x6 board is a facia board. If the roof gets replaced down the road I'll have a new piece installed. For now I'll try to clean out the dry rot best I can and fill it with the woodfiller, file off/sand any excess, chaulk if needed and paint. All the other fascia board ends are in decent shape. This particular board must have had a bad crack or something to let water soak in for many years.
This 2x6 board is a facia board. If the roof gets replaced down the road I'll have a new piece installed. For now I'll try to clean out the dry rot best I can and fill it with the woodfiller, file off/sand any excess, chaulk if needed and paint. All the other fascia board ends are in decent shape. This particular board must have had a bad crack or something to let water soak in for many years.
Originally Posted By: funflyer
Sounds like a fascia board. Light weight body filler works great to repair non-structural wood like fascia. I helped a neighbor repair some water rotted rough sawn corner boards using Rage body filler and the repair was still going strong after 10 years.
He said a 2x6 so I doubt it's fascia board.
Sounds like a fascia board. Light weight body filler works great to repair non-structural wood like fascia. I helped a neighbor repair some water rotted rough sawn corner boards using Rage body filler and the repair was still going strong after 10 years.
He said a 2x6 so I doubt it's fascia board.
Originally Posted By: Donald
He said a 2x6 so I doubt it's fascia board.
I measured the board and they are 1-1/2 x 5-1/2 so must be "2x6 boards". They act as a facia board that the outer edge of the roof plywood is nailed to along the roof edge - so replacing it wouldn't be very easy. Here's some photos of one that has been painted.
The bad one (only one on the house) has dry rot in the end that protrudes beyond the shingles. Yep, as mentioned, that part is always taking a beating from the sun and rain.
He said a 2x6 so I doubt it's fascia board.
I measured the board and they are 1-1/2 x 5-1/2 so must be "2x6 boards". They act as a facia board that the outer edge of the roof plywood is nailed to along the roof edge - so replacing it wouldn't be very easy. Here's some photos of one that has been painted.
The bad one (only one on the house) has dry rot in the end that protrudes beyond the shingles. Yep, as mentioned, that part is always taking a beating from the sun and rain.
JHZR2
Staff member
They make epoxy repair products for wood.
That looks like a good spot to put some white aluminum flashing we'll bonded at least to the exposed upper surface.
In the long run it seems like a good candidate for some of that pvc board.
That looks like a good spot to put some white aluminum flashing we'll bonded at least to the exposed upper surface.
In the long run it seems like a good candidate for some of that pvc board.
Here's an interesting paper on the effectiveness of wood hardeners. Take it for what its worth. http://www.ewoodcare.com/Epoxy Penetration Test.pdf
"..... Therefore, claims of deep penetrating epoxies and solvents that carry epoxy resin deep into the wood are false.... The real problem with rot damaged wood is that there is a living fungus that is the cause of the problem. Rot damaged wood is a symptom of the problem and treating the symptoms is akin to putting a band-aid over cancer. Liquid Epoxies are beneficial as part of a repair, but in and of themselves do not cure the problem."
That is very unusual construction technique, nothing like I have ever seen in our area. That protruding piece seems to serve no purpose and normally would end behind the gutter and be joined with the front face board. All of this would occur under the shingle roof, with proper drip edge.
Unless you are meticulous to caulk and paint, water is going to seep between the gutter end to allow dry rot to continue. The solution would be to remove that overhang or devise proper flashing to alleviate any chance of water intrusion.
"..... Therefore, claims of deep penetrating epoxies and solvents that carry epoxy resin deep into the wood are false.... The real problem with rot damaged wood is that there is a living fungus that is the cause of the problem. Rot damaged wood is a symptom of the problem and treating the symptoms is akin to putting a band-aid over cancer. Liquid Epoxies are beneficial as part of a repair, but in and of themselves do not cure the problem."
That is very unusual construction technique, nothing like I have ever seen in our area. That protruding piece seems to serve no purpose and normally would end behind the gutter and be joined with the front face board. All of this would occur under the shingle roof, with proper drip edge.
Unless you are meticulous to caulk and paint, water is going to seep between the gutter end to allow dry rot to continue. The solution would be to remove that overhang or devise proper flashing to alleviate any chance of water intrusion.
We'll that is sure a strange [censored] method of running a gable down to the drip edge. Typically that 2 x 6 (often called a fly rafter or even a lookout rafter) would have stopped at the plywood and a drip edge would have extended the shingle beyond to carry rain water beyond any wood to prevent rot. But they did it this way to make it integral to those crazy gutters and to carry some of that load when full of rain water. You can't do much to modify the inherently poor design now so best to place flashing out to the edge of the roof shingles along the gable and then under the lowest roof shingle and then beyond the tail that is rotting. You could also just stick an extra tab of shingle in this position.
The biggest concern is water will travel uphill through capillary action, in other words, rain will travel down the roof shingle and then hit that exposed rafter tail and then backtrack up the rafter tail a couple inches. A piece of aluminum flashing or a shingle needs to be tucked into that area to extend the plane.of the roof over and beyond the 2 x 6.
No self respecting roofer should have allowed the carpenters to call this done.
EDIT:
I should have scrolled down below your photos because DoItMyself did a thorough job of answering.
The biggest concern is water will travel uphill through capillary action, in other words, rain will travel down the roof shingle and then hit that exposed rafter tail and then backtrack up the rafter tail a couple inches. A piece of aluminum flashing or a shingle needs to be tucked into that area to extend the plane.of the roof over and beyond the 2 x 6.
No self respecting roofer should have allowed the carpenters to call this done.
EDIT:
I should have scrolled down below your photos because DoItMyself did a thorough job of answering.
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Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
The bad one (only one on the house) has dry rot in the end that protrudes beyond the shingles. Yep, as mentioned, that part is always taking a beating from the sun and rain.
We appreciate the photos. However, taking a picture of the rotted one would be much better!
Those are some very deep gutters!! Never seen that before. Like a gutter & fascia board combination unit!
Odd it was "trimmed" that way. Very odd. It needs flashing. The end grain is porous and will absorb water like a straw, thus making it most vulnerable.
How about a photo of the board-in-question?
The bad one (only one on the house) has dry rot in the end that protrudes beyond the shingles. Yep, as mentioned, that part is always taking a beating from the sun and rain.
We appreciate the photos. However, taking a picture of the rotted one would be much better!
Those are some very deep gutters!! Never seen that before. Like a gutter & fascia board combination unit!
Odd it was "trimmed" that way. Very odd. It needs flashing. The end grain is porous and will absorb water like a straw, thus making it most vulnerable.
How about a photo of the board-in-question?
I'll be working on the board in question today, so will try to get some photos while 20 ft up on a ladder. Don't like working on this stuff on a ladder - risky business.
Yes, I agree this board and roof protection of it isn't well designed. At this point I've put a couple of coats of good paint on them. The house is 20 years old, so I'm surprised they've lasted this long with all the rain here.
Yes, I agree this board and roof protection of it isn't well designed. At this point I've put a couple of coats of good paint on them. The house is 20 years old, so I'm surprised they've lasted this long with all the rain here.
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