What is dry rot and how do you know you have it?
Dry rot is a fungus that digests wood that has been repeatedly wet. Despite the name, it needs moisture to start. Signs include wood that is soft, spongy, or crumbles under a screwdriver, paint that bubbles or peels for no reason, a musty smell, and visible cracking across the grain. In Tri-Valley homes, it shows up most often on decks and railings, window sills and door thresholds, exterior trim and siding, sill plates, and subfloors under bathrooms and kitchens.
Our dry rot repair process
Probe and inspect
Find the full extent of the decay, including the hidden part. Rot that is visible on the surface almost always continues inside the framing.
Remove decayed wood
Cut back to sound material so no fungus is left to spread.
Rebuild
Replace with treated lumber and proper flashing, matching the original construction and current code.
Fix the moisture
Repair the leak, seal the flashing, correct the grading or drainage, or add ventilation. Without this step, the rot returns.
Finish
Siding, trim, paint, or deck boards restored so the repair disappears.
Dry rot after water damage
Leaks that go unnoticed for months are the most common cause of interior dry rot: a slow drip under a sink, a failed shower pan, a window that has leaked through several winters. When we find rot during a water damage job, it is repaired as part of the reconstruction.
Where we provide dry rot repair
Dry Rot Repair is available across the Tri-Valley from our Pleasanton office, with Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin as the fastest response zone.