Why is all this exterior trim rotting and how do I fix it?

The name of the pictureThe name of the pictureThe name of the pictureClash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP





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15
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We realized there was some rot on the exterior of the house when we bought it two years ago, and I knew obviously I would want to deal with it eventually.



As I've been looking more around the outside of the house, getting ready for new projects (planning on painting the exterior soon) I'm noticing just how much and how bad this rot actually is.



Before I go ripping this wood off the side of the house and trying to replace it, I want to know what the actual cause may have been so I can prevent this from happening to this extent in the future. The house was only built in the early 1990s, so I feel like it's not nearly old enough for this extent of damage to happen naturally, but I really don't know.



I'd also like to point out that all that foam/silicon/paint trying to fix or hide the issue has been there from the outset; I have not touched this at all yet.



Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks all.



http://imgur.com/gallery/XXtdMXU



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here




exterior trim dry-rot




share|improve this question

















  • 1




    Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
    – Alaska man
    Aug 6 at 16:45






  • 3




    Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
    – Hot Licks
    Aug 6 at 20:55






  • 1




    What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
    – JimmyJames
    Aug 6 at 21:09






  • 3




    Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
    – Nathan
    Aug 6 at 22:50










  • @JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
    – Prototype958
    Aug 7 at 21:21
















up vote
15
down vote

favorite












We realized there was some rot on the exterior of the house when we bought it two years ago, and I knew obviously I would want to deal with it eventually.



As I've been looking more around the outside of the house, getting ready for new projects (planning on painting the exterior soon) I'm noticing just how much and how bad this rot actually is.



Before I go ripping this wood off the side of the house and trying to replace it, I want to know what the actual cause may have been so I can prevent this from happening to this extent in the future. The house was only built in the early 1990s, so I feel like it's not nearly old enough for this extent of damage to happen naturally, but I really don't know.



I'd also like to point out that all that foam/silicon/paint trying to fix or hide the issue has been there from the outset; I have not touched this at all yet.



Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks all.



http://imgur.com/gallery/XXtdMXU



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here




exterior trim dry-rot




share|improve this question

















  • 1




    Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
    – Alaska man
    Aug 6 at 16:45






  • 3




    Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
    – Hot Licks
    Aug 6 at 20:55






  • 1




    What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
    – JimmyJames
    Aug 6 at 21:09






  • 3




    Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
    – Nathan
    Aug 6 at 22:50










  • @JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
    – Prototype958
    Aug 7 at 21:21












up vote
15
down vote

favorite









up vote
15
down vote

favorite











We realized there was some rot on the exterior of the house when we bought it two years ago, and I knew obviously I would want to deal with it eventually.



As I've been looking more around the outside of the house, getting ready for new projects (planning on painting the exterior soon) I'm noticing just how much and how bad this rot actually is.



Before I go ripping this wood off the side of the house and trying to replace it, I want to know what the actual cause may have been so I can prevent this from happening to this extent in the future. The house was only built in the early 1990s, so I feel like it's not nearly old enough for this extent of damage to happen naturally, but I really don't know.



I'd also like to point out that all that foam/silicon/paint trying to fix or hide the issue has been there from the outset; I have not touched this at all yet.



Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks all.



http://imgur.com/gallery/XXtdMXU



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here




exterior trim dry-rot




share|improve this question













We realized there was some rot on the exterior of the house when we bought it two years ago, and I knew obviously I would want to deal with it eventually.



As I've been looking more around the outside of the house, getting ready for new projects (planning on painting the exterior soon) I'm noticing just how much and how bad this rot actually is.



Before I go ripping this wood off the side of the house and trying to replace it, I want to know what the actual cause may have been so I can prevent this from happening to this extent in the future. The house was only built in the early 1990s, so I feel like it's not nearly old enough for this extent of damage to happen naturally, but I really don't know.



I'd also like to point out that all that foam/silicon/paint trying to fix or hide the issue has been there from the outset; I have not touched this at all yet.



Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated, thanks all.



http://imgur.com/gallery/XXtdMXU



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here



Enter image description here





exterior trim dry-rot





share|improve this question












share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Aug 11 at 23:41









Peter Mortensen

1366




1366









asked Aug 6 at 15:57









Prototype958

18517




18517







  • 1




    Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
    – Alaska man
    Aug 6 at 16:45






  • 3




    Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
    – Hot Licks
    Aug 6 at 20:55






  • 1




    What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
    – JimmyJames
    Aug 6 at 21:09






  • 3




    Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
    – Nathan
    Aug 6 at 22:50










  • @JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
    – Prototype958
    Aug 7 at 21:21












  • 1




    Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
    – Alaska man
    Aug 6 at 16:45






  • 3




    Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
    – Hot Licks
    Aug 6 at 20:55






  • 1




    What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
    – JimmyJames
    Aug 6 at 21:09






  • 3




    Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
    – Nathan
    Aug 6 at 22:50










  • @JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
    – Prototype958
    Aug 7 at 21:21







1




1




Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
– Alaska man
Aug 6 at 16:45




Consider Vinyl or PVC trim boards as a replacement, it will out live you and the house.
– Alaska man
Aug 6 at 16:45




3




3




Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
– Hot Licks
Aug 6 at 20:55




Poor quality wood, poorly installed, and poor quality paint. The damage is primarily occurring in areas where rainwater is trapped in a joint between pieces of wood, and the cut surfaces were not appropriately pre-treated to keep the moisture out.
– Hot Licks
Aug 6 at 20:55




1




1




What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
– JimmyJames
Aug 6 at 21:09




What kind of climate is this? Is there significant snow that lasts for more than a few days?
– JimmyJames
Aug 6 at 21:09




3




3




Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
– Nathan
Aug 6 at 22:50




Just a guess: gutter clogged (nobody likes to clean them) so overflowing rain ran down the outside of the downspout, then onto the wood. Root solution: clean gutters
– Nathan
Aug 6 at 22:50












@JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
– Prototype958
Aug 7 at 21:21




@JimmyJames New England area, eastern MA, so yea, tons of snow in winter, plenty of rain in spring and high humidity in summer...
– Prototype958
Aug 7 at 21:21










6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes

















up vote
21
down vote



accepted










The cause is simply nature. You've got wood that's outside. It gets wet, the wet stays in the wood, the wood rots. This happens when wood is left outside in an area where water can get stuck and the wood wasn't properly installed (no caulk) and isn't properly maintained (not regularly painted/caulked).



Much of the rot seems to start near places where wood was penetrated (nails, etc) which would make sense as an initial entry point for water.



The fact that it's on a corner near a downspout is probably a contributing factor. You should watch this area of the house during heavy rain to see if the gutters/spout are leaking.



To repair - replace the wood, replace it with new wood, seal the seams between wood pieces with paintable exterior caulk. Properly prime and paint the wood with exterior paint. Apply new paint regularly as per manufacturer (the paint that is) guidelines. Also check caulk regularly for potential need to replace.






share|improve this answer

















  • 3




    Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
    – Hot Licks
    Aug 6 at 20:55







  • 1




    I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
    – Chris H
    Aug 7 at 8:23










  • In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
    – Martin Bonner
    Aug 7 at 13:59










  • Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
    – The Evil Greebo
    Aug 7 at 16:39










  • Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
    – jpmc26
    Aug 7 at 21:33

















up vote
8
down vote













  1. Because that's what wood does, especially when exposed to regular and/or prolonged moisture. The lack of gable overhangs on the home are a factor. Even cedar and other rot-resistant species have their lifespans, and apparently 25 years is it in your climate.


  2. You'll need to replace the boards (or the portions that are decaying) with properly treated or sealed boards. The good news is that this is fairly basic (and dare I say, fun) carpentry.






share|improve this answer




























    up vote
    8
    down vote













    It's hard to say for sure without pulling it apart but your pictures suggest to me that you have water getting behind the wood at that corner. The reason I think this might be the case is that you basically have no visible problem except at the bottom of the board where it intersects with a horizontal piece.



    What I mean to say here is that this looks to me in picture 1 that the rotted section is where the water is exiting, not entering. Contrary to popular opinion, wood is not likely to just rot from water splashing on it. It takes a while for water to penetrate wood. Whenever I've had serious rotting issues like I see here, it's when water is trapped at some choke-point within the structure. The neighboring sections look perfect and it doesn't look like there's any significant reason less rain hits those areas.



    Anytime you have a water issue, you need to make sure the roof, fascia, drip-edge, and gutters (if you have them) are all super tight.



    UPDATE: Because you live in a cold area with snow, I suggest you watch the roof closely during the winter, especially in that area. An otherwise perfect roof can leak if you have an ice dam. In a nutshell, you can end up with a pool of water standing on your roof. In your area, I would expect that the roof would have some protection against this (e.g. ice and water shield) but this is typically only installed a few feet up the roof. The pitch on your roof appears to be pretty gradual which means any pooling will extend farther back and it will not shed snow as readily as a more steeply pitched roof. If you get major 'killer' icicles, it's a sign you might have an issue. Ice dams are really hard to get rid of once they form and it's freezing out so the key is to remove the snow before they form using a roof rake or roof razor.



    You need to pull down the wood around that corner and make sure there is no rot in the structure. You really don't want the corner of the building sagging. If find any rot in the structure, you need to remove it and replace it with new wood. Open it up. It's scary at first but you really need to do it.



    I would also recommend not painting exterior wood and use a solid stain (or at least use a 'breathable' paint) instead. Paint can end up contributing to water being trapped within wood. In theory, it should keep it out but it's never completely sealed on all edges. This means moisture in the wood can be blocked from exiting.






    share|improve this answer



















    • 1




      On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
      – Martin Bonner
      Aug 7 at 14:00










    • @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
      – JimmyJames
      Aug 7 at 15:42

















    up vote
    7
    down vote













    We require “back priming”. That means pre-paint all surfaces before the trim is installed...especially cut ends. End grain on trim sucks up moisture more than side grain.






    share|improve this answer




























      up vote
      1
      down vote













      The wood rots because water gets under the paint, but can't evaporate. The wood on the facade allows that. You can use breathable paint on linseed oil base or something similar. That will protect the wood and let it breathe. It has to be renewed regularly. That was done on my house.



      On the other hand, you can use a water-resistant material to protect the structure. In that case you have to take care that there is space in the adjacent areas where the wood is furthermore allowed to breathe.






      share|improve this answer






























        up vote
        0
        down vote













        Softwood rots quite quickly, when water gets into it. Which it inevitably will unless you live in a desert.



        One option is to replace it all with a non-rotting material such as PVC.



        If you do replace with more wood, use timber that has been pressure-impregnated with preservative ("Tanalised" in the UK). Then, most importantly, after cutting to length, treat the cut ends (because the preservative doesn't go all the way through the timber). The best way to do this is to leave the timbers standing, cut end down, in a tin of the appropriate preservative for the recommended time, which is likely to be at least 24 hours. Merely painting on preservative will be much less effective.



        Cutting along the grain, or planing more than a few millimetres, makes the whole exercise pointless.



        In my experience, painting and sealing softwood joints does not work. Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity. The joints soon crack and water gets in. If it gets past the preservative, the timber will rot. If not, the bare timber will last and paint is merely cosmetic. A garden shed that's manufactured as a set of panels which are then pressure-treated in their entirety will last for decades.






        share|improve this answer





















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          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes








          6 Answers
          6






          active

          oldest

          votes









          active

          oldest

          votes






          active

          oldest

          votes








          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted










          The cause is simply nature. You've got wood that's outside. It gets wet, the wet stays in the wood, the wood rots. This happens when wood is left outside in an area where water can get stuck and the wood wasn't properly installed (no caulk) and isn't properly maintained (not regularly painted/caulked).



          Much of the rot seems to start near places where wood was penetrated (nails, etc) which would make sense as an initial entry point for water.



          The fact that it's on a corner near a downspout is probably a contributing factor. You should watch this area of the house during heavy rain to see if the gutters/spout are leaking.



          To repair - replace the wood, replace it with new wood, seal the seams between wood pieces with paintable exterior caulk. Properly prime and paint the wood with exterior paint. Apply new paint regularly as per manufacturer (the paint that is) guidelines. Also check caulk regularly for potential need to replace.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 3




            Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
            – Hot Licks
            Aug 6 at 20:55







          • 1




            I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
            – Chris H
            Aug 7 at 8:23










          • In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
            – Martin Bonner
            Aug 7 at 13:59










          • Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
            – The Evil Greebo
            Aug 7 at 16:39










          • Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
            – jpmc26
            Aug 7 at 21:33














          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted










          The cause is simply nature. You've got wood that's outside. It gets wet, the wet stays in the wood, the wood rots. This happens when wood is left outside in an area where water can get stuck and the wood wasn't properly installed (no caulk) and isn't properly maintained (not regularly painted/caulked).



          Much of the rot seems to start near places where wood was penetrated (nails, etc) which would make sense as an initial entry point for water.



          The fact that it's on a corner near a downspout is probably a contributing factor. You should watch this area of the house during heavy rain to see if the gutters/spout are leaking.



          To repair - replace the wood, replace it with new wood, seal the seams between wood pieces with paintable exterior caulk. Properly prime and paint the wood with exterior paint. Apply new paint regularly as per manufacturer (the paint that is) guidelines. Also check caulk regularly for potential need to replace.






          share|improve this answer

















          • 3




            Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
            – Hot Licks
            Aug 6 at 20:55







          • 1




            I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
            – Chris H
            Aug 7 at 8:23










          • In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
            – Martin Bonner
            Aug 7 at 13:59










          • Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
            – The Evil Greebo
            Aug 7 at 16:39










          • Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
            – jpmc26
            Aug 7 at 21:33












          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          21
          down vote



          accepted






          The cause is simply nature. You've got wood that's outside. It gets wet, the wet stays in the wood, the wood rots. This happens when wood is left outside in an area where water can get stuck and the wood wasn't properly installed (no caulk) and isn't properly maintained (not regularly painted/caulked).



          Much of the rot seems to start near places where wood was penetrated (nails, etc) which would make sense as an initial entry point for water.



          The fact that it's on a corner near a downspout is probably a contributing factor. You should watch this area of the house during heavy rain to see if the gutters/spout are leaking.



          To repair - replace the wood, replace it with new wood, seal the seams between wood pieces with paintable exterior caulk. Properly prime and paint the wood with exterior paint. Apply new paint regularly as per manufacturer (the paint that is) guidelines. Also check caulk regularly for potential need to replace.






          share|improve this answer













          The cause is simply nature. You've got wood that's outside. It gets wet, the wet stays in the wood, the wood rots. This happens when wood is left outside in an area where water can get stuck and the wood wasn't properly installed (no caulk) and isn't properly maintained (not regularly painted/caulked).



          Much of the rot seems to start near places where wood was penetrated (nails, etc) which would make sense as an initial entry point for water.



          The fact that it's on a corner near a downspout is probably a contributing factor. You should watch this area of the house during heavy rain to see if the gutters/spout are leaking.



          To repair - replace the wood, replace it with new wood, seal the seams between wood pieces with paintable exterior caulk. Properly prime and paint the wood with exterior paint. Apply new paint regularly as per manufacturer (the paint that is) guidelines. Also check caulk regularly for potential need to replace.







          share|improve this answer













          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer











          answered Aug 6 at 16:12









          The Evil Greebo

          23.6k1476109




          23.6k1476109







          • 3




            Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
            – Hot Licks
            Aug 6 at 20:55







          • 1




            I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
            – Chris H
            Aug 7 at 8:23










          • In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
            – Martin Bonner
            Aug 7 at 13:59










          • Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
            – The Evil Greebo
            Aug 7 at 16:39










          • Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
            – jpmc26
            Aug 7 at 21:33












          • 3




            Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
            – Hot Licks
            Aug 6 at 20:55







          • 1




            I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
            – Chris H
            Aug 7 at 8:23










          • In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
            – Martin Bonner
            Aug 7 at 13:59










          • Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
            – The Evil Greebo
            Aug 7 at 16:39










          • Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
            – jpmc26
            Aug 7 at 21:33







          3




          3




          Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
          – Hot Licks
          Aug 6 at 20:55





          Also, design the joints so they will naturally drain, vs retaining water. (Requires thought.)
          – Hot Licks
          Aug 6 at 20:55





          1




          1




          I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
          – Chris H
          Aug 7 at 8:23




          I managed to catch a similar issue a little earlier, and while the visible faces of the wood were nicely protected, the endgrain wasn't, and sat on brick. So water could wick into the gap and rot the wood from the end.
          – Chris H
          Aug 7 at 8:23












          In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
          – Martin Bonner
          Aug 7 at 13:59




          In addition: Make sure that the wood is pressure treated. Try to reduce the number of joints (it's joints where the rot will start).
          – Martin Bonner
          Aug 7 at 13:59












          Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
          – The Evil Greebo
          Aug 7 at 16:39




          Personally disagree with PT suggestion. It's usually lower grade, is prone to curling, and generally won't look good as a fascia board IMO.
          – The Evil Greebo
          Aug 7 at 16:39












          Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
          – jpmc26
          Aug 7 at 21:33




          Any reason the OP has to use new wood? Or could they go with another more durable material?
          – jpmc26
          Aug 7 at 21:33












          up vote
          8
          down vote













          1. Because that's what wood does, especially when exposed to regular and/or prolonged moisture. The lack of gable overhangs on the home are a factor. Even cedar and other rot-resistant species have their lifespans, and apparently 25 years is it in your climate.


          2. You'll need to replace the boards (or the portions that are decaying) with properly treated or sealed boards. The good news is that this is fairly basic (and dare I say, fun) carpentry.






          share|improve this answer

























            up vote
            8
            down vote













            1. Because that's what wood does, especially when exposed to regular and/or prolonged moisture. The lack of gable overhangs on the home are a factor. Even cedar and other rot-resistant species have their lifespans, and apparently 25 years is it in your climate.


            2. You'll need to replace the boards (or the portions that are decaying) with properly treated or sealed boards. The good news is that this is fairly basic (and dare I say, fun) carpentry.






            share|improve this answer























              up vote
              8
              down vote










              up vote
              8
              down vote









              1. Because that's what wood does, especially when exposed to regular and/or prolonged moisture. The lack of gable overhangs on the home are a factor. Even cedar and other rot-resistant species have their lifespans, and apparently 25 years is it in your climate.


              2. You'll need to replace the boards (or the portions that are decaying) with properly treated or sealed boards. The good news is that this is fairly basic (and dare I say, fun) carpentry.






              share|improve this answer













              1. Because that's what wood does, especially when exposed to regular and/or prolonged moisture. The lack of gable overhangs on the home are a factor. Even cedar and other rot-resistant species have their lifespans, and apparently 25 years is it in your climate.


              2. You'll need to replace the boards (or the portions that are decaying) with properly treated or sealed boards. The good news is that this is fairly basic (and dare I say, fun) carpentry.







              share|improve this answer













              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer











              answered Aug 6 at 16:10









              isherwood

              40.3k45099




              40.3k45099




















                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote













                  It's hard to say for sure without pulling it apart but your pictures suggest to me that you have water getting behind the wood at that corner. The reason I think this might be the case is that you basically have no visible problem except at the bottom of the board where it intersects with a horizontal piece.



                  What I mean to say here is that this looks to me in picture 1 that the rotted section is where the water is exiting, not entering. Contrary to popular opinion, wood is not likely to just rot from water splashing on it. It takes a while for water to penetrate wood. Whenever I've had serious rotting issues like I see here, it's when water is trapped at some choke-point within the structure. The neighboring sections look perfect and it doesn't look like there's any significant reason less rain hits those areas.



                  Anytime you have a water issue, you need to make sure the roof, fascia, drip-edge, and gutters (if you have them) are all super tight.



                  UPDATE: Because you live in a cold area with snow, I suggest you watch the roof closely during the winter, especially in that area. An otherwise perfect roof can leak if you have an ice dam. In a nutshell, you can end up with a pool of water standing on your roof. In your area, I would expect that the roof would have some protection against this (e.g. ice and water shield) but this is typically only installed a few feet up the roof. The pitch on your roof appears to be pretty gradual which means any pooling will extend farther back and it will not shed snow as readily as a more steeply pitched roof. If you get major 'killer' icicles, it's a sign you might have an issue. Ice dams are really hard to get rid of once they form and it's freezing out so the key is to remove the snow before they form using a roof rake or roof razor.



                  You need to pull down the wood around that corner and make sure there is no rot in the structure. You really don't want the corner of the building sagging. If find any rot in the structure, you need to remove it and replace it with new wood. Open it up. It's scary at first but you really need to do it.



                  I would also recommend not painting exterior wood and use a solid stain (or at least use a 'breathable' paint) instead. Paint can end up contributing to water being trapped within wood. In theory, it should keep it out but it's never completely sealed on all edges. This means moisture in the wood can be blocked from exiting.






                  share|improve this answer



















                  • 1




                    On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                    – Martin Bonner
                    Aug 7 at 14:00










                  • @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                    – JimmyJames
                    Aug 7 at 15:42














                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote













                  It's hard to say for sure without pulling it apart but your pictures suggest to me that you have water getting behind the wood at that corner. The reason I think this might be the case is that you basically have no visible problem except at the bottom of the board where it intersects with a horizontal piece.



                  What I mean to say here is that this looks to me in picture 1 that the rotted section is where the water is exiting, not entering. Contrary to popular opinion, wood is not likely to just rot from water splashing on it. It takes a while for water to penetrate wood. Whenever I've had serious rotting issues like I see here, it's when water is trapped at some choke-point within the structure. The neighboring sections look perfect and it doesn't look like there's any significant reason less rain hits those areas.



                  Anytime you have a water issue, you need to make sure the roof, fascia, drip-edge, and gutters (if you have them) are all super tight.



                  UPDATE: Because you live in a cold area with snow, I suggest you watch the roof closely during the winter, especially in that area. An otherwise perfect roof can leak if you have an ice dam. In a nutshell, you can end up with a pool of water standing on your roof. In your area, I would expect that the roof would have some protection against this (e.g. ice and water shield) but this is typically only installed a few feet up the roof. The pitch on your roof appears to be pretty gradual which means any pooling will extend farther back and it will not shed snow as readily as a more steeply pitched roof. If you get major 'killer' icicles, it's a sign you might have an issue. Ice dams are really hard to get rid of once they form and it's freezing out so the key is to remove the snow before they form using a roof rake or roof razor.



                  You need to pull down the wood around that corner and make sure there is no rot in the structure. You really don't want the corner of the building sagging. If find any rot in the structure, you need to remove it and replace it with new wood. Open it up. It's scary at first but you really need to do it.



                  I would also recommend not painting exterior wood and use a solid stain (or at least use a 'breathable' paint) instead. Paint can end up contributing to water being trapped within wood. In theory, it should keep it out but it's never completely sealed on all edges. This means moisture in the wood can be blocked from exiting.






                  share|improve this answer



















                  • 1




                    On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                    – Martin Bonner
                    Aug 7 at 14:00










                  • @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                    – JimmyJames
                    Aug 7 at 15:42












                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  8
                  down vote









                  It's hard to say for sure without pulling it apart but your pictures suggest to me that you have water getting behind the wood at that corner. The reason I think this might be the case is that you basically have no visible problem except at the bottom of the board where it intersects with a horizontal piece.



                  What I mean to say here is that this looks to me in picture 1 that the rotted section is where the water is exiting, not entering. Contrary to popular opinion, wood is not likely to just rot from water splashing on it. It takes a while for water to penetrate wood. Whenever I've had serious rotting issues like I see here, it's when water is trapped at some choke-point within the structure. The neighboring sections look perfect and it doesn't look like there's any significant reason less rain hits those areas.



                  Anytime you have a water issue, you need to make sure the roof, fascia, drip-edge, and gutters (if you have them) are all super tight.



                  UPDATE: Because you live in a cold area with snow, I suggest you watch the roof closely during the winter, especially in that area. An otherwise perfect roof can leak if you have an ice dam. In a nutshell, you can end up with a pool of water standing on your roof. In your area, I would expect that the roof would have some protection against this (e.g. ice and water shield) but this is typically only installed a few feet up the roof. The pitch on your roof appears to be pretty gradual which means any pooling will extend farther back and it will not shed snow as readily as a more steeply pitched roof. If you get major 'killer' icicles, it's a sign you might have an issue. Ice dams are really hard to get rid of once they form and it's freezing out so the key is to remove the snow before they form using a roof rake or roof razor.



                  You need to pull down the wood around that corner and make sure there is no rot in the structure. You really don't want the corner of the building sagging. If find any rot in the structure, you need to remove it and replace it with new wood. Open it up. It's scary at first but you really need to do it.



                  I would also recommend not painting exterior wood and use a solid stain (or at least use a 'breathable' paint) instead. Paint can end up contributing to water being trapped within wood. In theory, it should keep it out but it's never completely sealed on all edges. This means moisture in the wood can be blocked from exiting.






                  share|improve this answer















                  It's hard to say for sure without pulling it apart but your pictures suggest to me that you have water getting behind the wood at that corner. The reason I think this might be the case is that you basically have no visible problem except at the bottom of the board where it intersects with a horizontal piece.



                  What I mean to say here is that this looks to me in picture 1 that the rotted section is where the water is exiting, not entering. Contrary to popular opinion, wood is not likely to just rot from water splashing on it. It takes a while for water to penetrate wood. Whenever I've had serious rotting issues like I see here, it's when water is trapped at some choke-point within the structure. The neighboring sections look perfect and it doesn't look like there's any significant reason less rain hits those areas.



                  Anytime you have a water issue, you need to make sure the roof, fascia, drip-edge, and gutters (if you have them) are all super tight.



                  UPDATE: Because you live in a cold area with snow, I suggest you watch the roof closely during the winter, especially in that area. An otherwise perfect roof can leak if you have an ice dam. In a nutshell, you can end up with a pool of water standing on your roof. In your area, I would expect that the roof would have some protection against this (e.g. ice and water shield) but this is typically only installed a few feet up the roof. The pitch on your roof appears to be pretty gradual which means any pooling will extend farther back and it will not shed snow as readily as a more steeply pitched roof. If you get major 'killer' icicles, it's a sign you might have an issue. Ice dams are really hard to get rid of once they form and it's freezing out so the key is to remove the snow before they form using a roof rake or roof razor.



                  You need to pull down the wood around that corner and make sure there is no rot in the structure. You really don't want the corner of the building sagging. If find any rot in the structure, you need to remove it and replace it with new wood. Open it up. It's scary at first but you really need to do it.



                  I would also recommend not painting exterior wood and use a solid stain (or at least use a 'breathable' paint) instead. Paint can end up contributing to water being trapped within wood. In theory, it should keep it out but it's never completely sealed on all edges. This means moisture in the wood can be blocked from exiting.







                  share|improve this answer















                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited Aug 8 at 15:10


























                  answered Aug 6 at 21:05









                  JimmyJames

                  600413




                  600413







                  • 1




                    On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                    – Martin Bonner
                    Aug 7 at 14:00










                  • @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                    – JimmyJames
                    Aug 7 at 15:42












                  • 1




                    On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                    – Martin Bonner
                    Aug 7 at 14:00










                  • @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                    – JimmyJames
                    Aug 7 at 15:42







                  1




                  1




                  On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                  – Martin Bonner
                  Aug 7 at 14:00




                  On paint: use a breathable paint. That way the rain drops tend to fall off, but the water vapour of trapped water can escape.
                  – Martin Bonner
                  Aug 7 at 14:00












                  @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                  – JimmyJames
                  Aug 7 at 15:42




                  @MartinBonner I wasn't aware that was a thing. Thanks.
                  – JimmyJames
                  Aug 7 at 15:42










                  up vote
                  7
                  down vote













                  We require “back priming”. That means pre-paint all surfaces before the trim is installed...especially cut ends. End grain on trim sucks up moisture more than side grain.






                  share|improve this answer

























                    up vote
                    7
                    down vote













                    We require “back priming”. That means pre-paint all surfaces before the trim is installed...especially cut ends. End grain on trim sucks up moisture more than side grain.






                    share|improve this answer























                      up vote
                      7
                      down vote










                      up vote
                      7
                      down vote









                      We require “back priming”. That means pre-paint all surfaces before the trim is installed...especially cut ends. End grain on trim sucks up moisture more than side grain.






                      share|improve this answer













                      We require “back priming”. That means pre-paint all surfaces before the trim is installed...especially cut ends. End grain on trim sucks up moisture more than side grain.







                      share|improve this answer













                      share|improve this answer



                      share|improve this answer











                      answered Aug 6 at 22:26









                      Lee Sam

                      6,9532512




                      6,9532512




















                          up vote
                          1
                          down vote













                          The wood rots because water gets under the paint, but can't evaporate. The wood on the facade allows that. You can use breathable paint on linseed oil base or something similar. That will protect the wood and let it breathe. It has to be renewed regularly. That was done on my house.



                          On the other hand, you can use a water-resistant material to protect the structure. In that case you have to take care that there is space in the adjacent areas where the wood is furthermore allowed to breathe.






                          share|improve this answer



























                            up vote
                            1
                            down vote













                            The wood rots because water gets under the paint, but can't evaporate. The wood on the facade allows that. You can use breathable paint on linseed oil base or something similar. That will protect the wood and let it breathe. It has to be renewed regularly. That was done on my house.



                            On the other hand, you can use a water-resistant material to protect the structure. In that case you have to take care that there is space in the adjacent areas where the wood is furthermore allowed to breathe.






                            share|improve this answer

























                              up vote
                              1
                              down vote










                              up vote
                              1
                              down vote









                              The wood rots because water gets under the paint, but can't evaporate. The wood on the facade allows that. You can use breathable paint on linseed oil base or something similar. That will protect the wood and let it breathe. It has to be renewed regularly. That was done on my house.



                              On the other hand, you can use a water-resistant material to protect the structure. In that case you have to take care that there is space in the adjacent areas where the wood is furthermore allowed to breathe.






                              share|improve this answer















                              The wood rots because water gets under the paint, but can't evaporate. The wood on the facade allows that. You can use breathable paint on linseed oil base or something similar. That will protect the wood and let it breathe. It has to be renewed regularly. That was done on my house.



                              On the other hand, you can use a water-resistant material to protect the structure. In that case you have to take care that there is space in the adjacent areas where the wood is furthermore allowed to breathe.







                              share|improve this answer















                              share|improve this answer



                              share|improve this answer








                              edited Aug 11 at 23:41









                              Peter Mortensen

                              1366




                              1366











                              answered Aug 8 at 9:23









                              Reiner

                              1112




                              1112




















                                  up vote
                                  0
                                  down vote













                                  Softwood rots quite quickly, when water gets into it. Which it inevitably will unless you live in a desert.



                                  One option is to replace it all with a non-rotting material such as PVC.



                                  If you do replace with more wood, use timber that has been pressure-impregnated with preservative ("Tanalised" in the UK). Then, most importantly, after cutting to length, treat the cut ends (because the preservative doesn't go all the way through the timber). The best way to do this is to leave the timbers standing, cut end down, in a tin of the appropriate preservative for the recommended time, which is likely to be at least 24 hours. Merely painting on preservative will be much less effective.



                                  Cutting along the grain, or planing more than a few millimetres, makes the whole exercise pointless.



                                  In my experience, painting and sealing softwood joints does not work. Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity. The joints soon crack and water gets in. If it gets past the preservative, the timber will rot. If not, the bare timber will last and paint is merely cosmetic. A garden shed that's manufactured as a set of panels which are then pressure-treated in their entirety will last for decades.






                                  share|improve this answer

























                                    up vote
                                    0
                                    down vote













                                    Softwood rots quite quickly, when water gets into it. Which it inevitably will unless you live in a desert.



                                    One option is to replace it all with a non-rotting material such as PVC.



                                    If you do replace with more wood, use timber that has been pressure-impregnated with preservative ("Tanalised" in the UK). Then, most importantly, after cutting to length, treat the cut ends (because the preservative doesn't go all the way through the timber). The best way to do this is to leave the timbers standing, cut end down, in a tin of the appropriate preservative for the recommended time, which is likely to be at least 24 hours. Merely painting on preservative will be much less effective.



                                    Cutting along the grain, or planing more than a few millimetres, makes the whole exercise pointless.



                                    In my experience, painting and sealing softwood joints does not work. Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity. The joints soon crack and water gets in. If it gets past the preservative, the timber will rot. If not, the bare timber will last and paint is merely cosmetic. A garden shed that's manufactured as a set of panels which are then pressure-treated in their entirety will last for decades.






                                    share|improve this answer























                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote










                                      up vote
                                      0
                                      down vote









                                      Softwood rots quite quickly, when water gets into it. Which it inevitably will unless you live in a desert.



                                      One option is to replace it all with a non-rotting material such as PVC.



                                      If you do replace with more wood, use timber that has been pressure-impregnated with preservative ("Tanalised" in the UK). Then, most importantly, after cutting to length, treat the cut ends (because the preservative doesn't go all the way through the timber). The best way to do this is to leave the timbers standing, cut end down, in a tin of the appropriate preservative for the recommended time, which is likely to be at least 24 hours. Merely painting on preservative will be much less effective.



                                      Cutting along the grain, or planing more than a few millimetres, makes the whole exercise pointless.



                                      In my experience, painting and sealing softwood joints does not work. Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity. The joints soon crack and water gets in. If it gets past the preservative, the timber will rot. If not, the bare timber will last and paint is merely cosmetic. A garden shed that's manufactured as a set of panels which are then pressure-treated in their entirety will last for decades.






                                      share|improve this answer













                                      Softwood rots quite quickly, when water gets into it. Which it inevitably will unless you live in a desert.



                                      One option is to replace it all with a non-rotting material such as PVC.



                                      If you do replace with more wood, use timber that has been pressure-impregnated with preservative ("Tanalised" in the UK). Then, most importantly, after cutting to length, treat the cut ends (because the preservative doesn't go all the way through the timber). The best way to do this is to leave the timbers standing, cut end down, in a tin of the appropriate preservative for the recommended time, which is likely to be at least 24 hours. Merely painting on preservative will be much less effective.



                                      Cutting along the grain, or planing more than a few millimetres, makes the whole exercise pointless.



                                      In my experience, painting and sealing softwood joints does not work. Wood expands and contracts with heat and humidity. The joints soon crack and water gets in. If it gets past the preservative, the timber will rot. If not, the bare timber will last and paint is merely cosmetic. A garden shed that's manufactured as a set of panels which are then pressure-treated in their entirety will last for decades.







                                      share|improve this answer













                                      share|improve this answer



                                      share|improve this answer











                                      answered Aug 8 at 12:37









                                      nigel222

                                      1513




                                      1513






















                                           

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