Rot Repair

If you own a historic, wood sided home in the St. Croix Valley area, and there are many… you inevitably will be faced with siding repair. Not to worry, replacing rotted wood siding or rotten trim is not always necessary. In many instances, repairing rotted wood siding or rotten window trim is the more cost-effective way to go. 

Under what conditions does siding rot? 

Typically, when your home doesn’t get enough sunlight for a sufficient amount of time, it takes longer for that area to dry after a rain event. In our area, the north side of your home and areas in shade most of the day are prone to have issues. When paint is peeling or caulk is failing, that 100+ year old wood is now exposed to the elements. The longer it stays wet, the more damage will be done. Even homes with quality paint jobs can developproblems when water doesn’t shed or dry quickly enough. Does this mean you’re relegated to replacing rotted exterior trim at the first sign of damage? NO! If caught early enough, there are excellent products on the market to help to restore rotten wood siding and repair rotted window sills and trim. 

2-Part Epoxy 

Because of our extreme weather fluctuations in the Midwest, not all wood fillers offer good solutions to repair rotted door jambs, siding or window trim. Many fillers on the market should not even be used on the exterior of your home. However, Finely Fix It has had excellent success with wood hardener and 2-part epoxy.The process consists of cleaning out the damaged, soft wood and applying a hardener. This allows for a clean, solid surface for the epoxy to bond to. The next step is mixing a 2-part exterior grade epoxy which is then worked into the damaged area. After curing, this can be cut, shaped, sanded, primed and painted to look as if your rotten wood siding problem never existed! 

If the rotten wood damage has gone too far? 

It may be that the best solution is replacing one or more rotten pieces of siding or trim. It can be a challenge to find an exactmatch in big box stores, but with some custom milling and cutting of what they offer right off the shelf, typically an exact replacement can be crafted. This process takes a bit longer and can add cost, but in the end, if your painted lady requires a little cosmetic surgery to keep her looking good, it’s well worth the expense! 

What’s your next step if you want to go about restoring wood siding? 

I have extensive experience with historic, 125-year-old wood sided houses, having restored 2 over the last 30 years. If you’d like me to come out and look at your section of rotted siding and give you an estimate for cost to replace rotted wood trim or talk about the process of repairing rotted wood siding, call me today, or fill out the contact form below!