How to Prevent Wood Rot

The perfect storm of humidity, moisture, and oxygen is what causes wood rot to happen. If water gets into cracks and under-painted surfaces and doesn’t dry out, you can expect wood rot to occur. Wood reacts to moisture by producing hydrogen, which causes the wood to expand and disintegrate instead of curing it.

Dry out your furniture or other wooden items immediately after the storm subsides, and use a sealing agent to prevent accelerated moisture damage. Fortunately, it is possible to prevent this destructive process with a few simple steps.

What creates wood rot?

Wood is made of cells held together by lignin and cellulose. When moisture gets into the wood, it reacts with the oxygen in the air and evaporates, causing the cells to burst and the wood to soften. The resulting aerobic condition allows microorganisms like fungi to grow. If you leave your wood items outside after a flood or hurricane, they are vulnerable to this process.

3 Ways to Prevent Wood Rot

To prevent wood rot, you need to stop the water from getting into the wood and causing it to soften. Here are three ways to help prevent wood rot :

1. Avoid storing items in wet areas outside

Never store items in poorly ventilated and damp areas outside. They may easily get damaged or even destroyed by wood rot. You can also keep them away from rain gutters and allow them to dry off completely before storing them again. This will prevent some of the destructive moisture from entering the wood.

2. Look for Trouble Spots

Look carefully for cracks and areas where water can get into the wood. Some of these are easy to notice, and others may be hidden under paint or varnish. To find out if an area is vulnerable to water, look for rot signs like browning and crumbling. If you find some such spots, use a moisture indicator test kit to look for moisture and use a sealing agent on the affected areas. The signs of water damage in wood are so gradual that you may not notice it for quite some time.

3. Seal Smarter

Are you using sturdier paint? Paint cracks more efficiently than wood, so high-quality wood preservatives are the best way to protect your wood items from the effects of water damage. They seal the inside of your board so humidity can neither penetrate nor seep through the cracks.

To check which is right for you, check out painting techniques and how to use primers and paints for better protection against water damage. Sealing all cracks and crevices will help prevent moisture from entering the furniture and causing rotting.

Let Us Help

It’s a harsh fact that even the most well-organized house has dark corners and wet spots. Toledo basement repairs have been known to make a mess in the home. Wood rot also affects furniture, houses, and boats. Toledo basement repair help does the job for you when you have water damage during a flood or storm. It would be great to find companies like Toledo basement repair to get any wood rot in your basement fixed. You can also check us out on Facebook!

Kevin Oberhouse

Kevin Oberhouse was raised in Toledo with 7 siblings. Dawn and Kevin have four kids.

The Oberhouse family lives in the house Kevin built when with his first crew. Kevin’s parents invited more than 100 foster children into their home throughout his life. Kevin believes this part of his life really helped to build empathy for others. 

Kevin has a degree in civil engineering and went on to get an MBA as well as multiple other certifications in structural systems, egress systems, air quality, and commercial and residential roofing, among many others.  

Toledo Basement Repairs promises to treat you and your project with respect and our best professional judgment. There is plenty of work out there and Toledo Basement Repair will not push you into a system that you do not fully understand or feel comfortable with.