How to Prevent Wood Rot on Home Siding

Anyone living in Kansas can attest to how the climate encourages wood rot. Wood rot is a real menace and if left untreated can seriously reduce the integrity of a property and subsequently its overall value. Here at US Quality Construction we have come up with a quick guide to help you understand how to prevent wood rot, especially on your home siding.

What Is Wood Rot?

Before we can go any further, it is important to understand exactly what wood rot is and how it occurs. Many people living in Kansas must have noticed wood rot on their wood siding panels. These panels tend to rot due to moisture accumulation and poor exposure to direct sunlight. When the wood panels trap moisture, it causes the adjacent area to rot. The edge of a lap siding and the butt joints are most likely to rot if left untreated.

Another thing that causes wood rot is if there is no fresh paint applied on the region for 15 or more years. It isn’t hard to believe that over time the paint would wear off, thereby exposing the wood siding itself to moisture. The water content would enter the wood and cause it to rot and disintegrate from within.

The Four Key Conditions of Wood Rot

As mentioned previously, rot is caused when there is a moisture lock on the surface. However, for wood rot to occur, there needs to be a combination of the following four elements: wood, oxygen, water, and warmth.

The fungi that are present in the air can only cause rot when the aforementioned conditions are met. The region of Kansas provides the four conditions in abundance, with its climate of frequent rain, hail, and exposure to the hot sun. The best way to prevent wood rot in the trim of your home is to prime the siding surface regularly, and apply fresh paint frequently.

Old wood-based windows are ideal for wood rot as the surface doesn’t allow water to run off easily. The accumulated water content easily seeps through the wood causing it to rot. Fascia and soffits similarly become rotten, especially due to poor gutter drainage. If a gutter leaks, especially at a major joint, it would cause the region to hold moisture and become rotten.

Ways to Prevent your Home Siding from Wood Rot

1. James Hardie Siding for the Win

People in Kansas are thrilled to find the region specific services rendered by James Hardie to protect their homes from wood rot. The James Hardie siding is known for its ability to withstand moisture content. This is because the James Hardie products are made up of fiber cement, a material that contains a combination of cellulose, sand, and cement.

By using these products you can avoid costly repairs necessitated by wood swelling, warping and rot. Fiber cement also helps prevent damage to the house siding by mildew, mold, and other issues caused by exposure to moisture.

James Hardie products are also excellent for withstanding the extreme weather in the Kansas City region. Harsh weather conditions like wind storms, hail, and rain, can’t compromise the strength and durability of the James Hardie fiber cement siding.

2. Choose Good Quality Siding

As mentioned previously, your choice of siding can affect the overall protection of your house siding from wood rot. The James Hardie siding are made of a good quality material called fiber cement, a material which is known for its durability.It is heartening to know that James Hardie siding products can last up to 50 years with minimum damage. Moreover, the siding is easy to maintain, only needing to be cleaned with a regular gardening hose once or twice a year.

Getting decent siding products is essential to protect your property from moisture damage. It helps if you opt for the James Hardie siding which is fire and heat resistant. This will help save you from the headache of worrying about losing your precious home to a fire, and will even help you save insurance money.

3. Properly Caulk the Home Exterior

One of the prime ways to prevent wood rot is to make sure your house exterior is thoroughly caulked. Make sure there are no openings for wood rot adjacent to windows, doors, and even dryer vents. Re-caulk the exterior surface where necessary, taking care to scrape off old caulk before applying a fresh layer. Since caulk is a water resistant filler, if properly applied, it can prevent moisture accumulation.

4. Get your Siding Installed by Professionals

The importance of hiring siding replacement professional help cannot be understated, especially if you hope to prevent wood rot successfully. Though the steps to counter wood rot are fairly simple, if they aren’t executed correctly you can risk increasing the overall damage to your house, making future repairs more expensive. At US Quality Construction we have the right skills, practice, and equipment, to do a great job in preventing your house siding from wood rot. Moreover, the James Hardie Company recommends the siding replacement expert services provided by the team at US Quality Construction.

5. Make Sure your Gutters are in a Good State

One of the surest ways to avoid wood rot is to stay on high alert for any signs of leaking gutters. Ideally, gutters should be cleaned at least twice a year to ensure that they are free of any blockages or leaks. If the gutters are allowed to overflow untrammeled, chances are that there will be an accumulation of gutter water in key joints. This would allow the moisture content to seep through the fascia and cause it to swell and rot.

6. Don’t underestimate the Importance of Maintenance

Many people don’t realize how important it is to stay up-to-date regarding their home maintenance. Keeping a sharp eye on the exterior of your house, especially after storms and rough weather conditions will alert you for leaks and possible points of moisture accumulation. Ignoring problems would only add to future repair costs. Cracking caulk and peeling paint needs to be corrected vigilantly to avoid wood rot.