What's Lurking: Wood Rot and More | J&B Construction Company, Inc.

Potential Problems Lurking in Your Home

At J&B Construction, when we work with homeowners on their exterior remodeling projects, we not only address what is visible when it comes to windows, doors, roofing, siding, and decks, but we discuss what may be lurking behind these materials that can negatively impact the home, such as wood rot.

Rotting wood can easily avoid detection without explicitly looking for it. Enduring moisture produces an atmosphere conducive to fungi growth, which in turn causes the wood’s fibers to deteriorate, causing wood rot. When water interacts with a vulnerable wood surface for a long enough period of time, the wood begins to rot.

Regrettably, wood rot can spread, causing it to be particularly perilous to a home’s wooden building materials. On a long enough timeline, this rotting can affect significant areas of the home. If left untreated, rotting wood can begin to grow mold, which is not only bad for the structure, but also for occupants of the house and can lead to health problems.

As part of its evaluation process when developing the scope of work to be completed on a home’s exterior, J&B Construction staff will assess these areas of the home.

Windows

Water typically lingers on windowsills longer than on the rest of the window frame, so sills are generally the first to experience rot. Over time, as water accumulates on a windowsill, it can gradually wear away the paint, enabling water to seep into the wood, and ultimately leading to rot. J&B staff will examine the windowsills, the window frame, and trim to uncover any soft, deteriorated areas.

Doors

A significant amount of exterior doors contain wood, which becomes damaged over time from ordinary wear and tear, making it vulnerable to the elements. J&B will inspect all portions of the door and doorframe, including the threshold, doorjamb, and trim, making sure there are no soft, spongy areas. Special attention will be paid to the lower sections of the door, as it tends to be a prime area for fungi to materialize, especially if the home does not have a roof overhang to help protect the entrance from the elements.

Roof

J&B Construction personnel will make a close inspection of both the roof itself, as well as the area directly below the roofline, for wear and tear. On the roof, they look for damaged or missing shingles, raised nail heads, cracked seals around chimneys and vent pipes, and discoloration on the fascia below the roofline. They will also look for any sponginess in the plywood as they walk across it.

Siding

Even vinyl or aluminum sided homes likely have wooden framing, plywood, and trim. J&B will observe these wooden components, to the degree possible, and get a sense of their fitness. They will look specifically for warped siding, rotting boards, bubbling, or other damage to siding material. Any type of growth such as fungus, mold, or mildew on a home’s siding, especially at or near seams, may signify water is penetrating and being held inside the wall, where it is gradually released, causing undesirable growth. If the layer under a home’s siding has begun to rot or become soft, that is an indication the home’s siding is due for replacement.

Decks

Most decks contain a lot of wood and due to the fact that they are exposed to the sun, rain, ice, and snow, they will require a thorough inspection for rot. J&B staff will check wooden components that make up the deck and deck stairs from above and below, plus assess the health of the ledger board, the wood that attaches the deck to the house. This includes looking especially close at typical trouble spots, the structural members that are close to the ground and any parts of the deck that are near downspouts. After that, they will direct their attention to the ledger board. This is a prime spot for wood rot if it was not connected properly. The ledger board should be flashed in aluminum, and if that is not the case, water can get behind it, eventually causing rot. This is a crucial item to check, since rot here can spread to the house’s structure underneath the siding.

Enjoy Peace Of Mind

The only complaint I have is when I have J&B do my roof in another 30 years or so, is Dave their sales man (a great guy) would not guaranty I could get the same great crew I had this time. They did a fantastic job. Much better than the last roofing company did. A nice bunch of guys. Did a very nice job cleaning up. I'd give them 10 stars but 5 is the limit. If you need a roof done this is the company you want to do it. One more point I need to make. The guys that did the chimney flashing are artists. I went up on the roof when they were done and was very pleased with not only the roofing job but the sculptured sheet metal work. It's kind of a shame it's on the roof and not hanging on the family room wall :). You get the point. Hire em. You'll like em.

Dave H

We live in a historic designated neighborhood and recently had our 30 year wood shingle roof replaced with another wood roof and new gutters. From Day 1 of the project to the final day, the entire team was responsive, professional, and very competent. When some minor changes were proposed by us they quickly and effortlessly complied. After going through this experience with J&B, I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a roof and gutter replacement, whether it be a simple or complicated project.

John Lamb

J & B did an amazing job from start to finish. The initial meeting at my home took place exactly at the time that was agreed upon and Scott was thorough in his explanations and transparent about costs. When the time came to begin the project, the team that showed up was friendly, professional and timely in getting the project done. The cleanup afterward was such that it looked like they hadn't been there at all. The roof looks great, there were no surprises and Scott came by to inspect the work and explain the warranty upon job completion. I would highly recommend them.

Kenneth Simons

My neighbor had their roof replaced and I was really impressed with the speed, carefulness and quality of the work I saw. Asked her for her experience and she told me she would highly recommend J & B. I called Scott to set an appointment. He showed up on time and was very thorough in his assessment, also letting me know about some other issues and advise on where to get help. J & B is a fantastic company to deal with - their people are incredibly careful about the work they do, clean up and leave the property in the same condition as when they started, were careful about plants and the house, and work very efficiently. The office staff is great about following up, checking in and very responsive to anything that comes up. I was happy with the price charged. If you are looking to replace your roof, you should be calling J & B to get the job done.

David W.

We had work done by the J&B team at a commercial property and were very pleased with the whole process. Their estimator met us onsite and communicated with us every step of the way. They went over the scope in detail and the work performed exceeded what we were expecting. They found some additional concerns during the installation that were quickly addressed and communicated to us and to our surprise, there was not an additional charge. Our tenants reached out to share how respectful the employees were during the installation and how clean everything was left afterwards. As the project was wrapped up, we were walked through the completion paperwork and provided the warranty information. Very impressed with the professionalism of this company and would not hesitate to refer their services or use them again in the future.

Jessie C.