Understanding Wood Trim Rot Causes
No matter what type of material the exterior of a home is, most commonly there is a trim. They also are typically made of wood. Over time these areas of wood trim can rot and break down. While it may seem this would be a surface issue, rot on trim can actually affect some of the structure balances in a home.
Wood trim along doorways, windows, garages, and entryways can rot and cause cracking of the walls around the trim area as the wood begins to disintegrate.
This can cause more long-term problems for a homeowner because in addition to repairing the rot, you may find yourselves repairing the walls around the rot as well.
Primary Causes of Trim Rot
In general, there are usually three causes of trim rot on a home. They are weather, dry air and insect infestation. No matter what the cause is, it is advisable to tend to any wood trim rot as soon as it is noticed to avoid having any increased problems from arising.
Weather Trim Rot
If a window or door casing tends to have a water pooling problem, over time this will cause the wood to rot. Wood is not shielded from the effects of water damage. Just as tree trunks can rot in standing water, so can wood trim on a doorway or window if left with a constant exposure to a water leak situation.
Dry Air Rot
Wood that is not pressure treated properly has a better chance of being affected by arid conditions. Overly dry air and extreme sun can cause wood trim rot. Rot from high sun exposure is usually found when the wood trim on doorways or windows when there is extensive sun exposure on a daily basis over years of time.
Insect Infestation
This is actually a quite common problem no matter what the home’s exterior is. Wood boring insects can cause extensive damage to wood trim and sills. Insects such as termites, carpenter ants, powder post beetles and carpenter bees can cause extensive wood trim rot. The good news is, once the infestation cause is mitigated, repair can begin.
The good news is that no matter what your trim rot cause was, it can be repaired. Our roofing and siding contractors at Landmark Exteriors can help get your wood trim rot removed.
We also replace any damaged area before it causes more wall cracks or other damage. For more information go to: Landmark Exteriors To learn more.