When you saw the title of this blog post, you may have thought to yourself, “Why is a pest control company talking about dry rot repair?” That’s actually a great question. On the surface, pest control and dry rot repair don’t seem like related services, but in fact, they are.
When our pest control company is called out to do a termite inspection, another thing we look for is the presence of dry rot. Both termites and dry rot affect wood in and around homes, so when you are looking for one, it makes sense to look for the other at the same time. In addition, the repairs that are often needed to fix termite damage are the same repairs that need to be done when dry rot damages wood structures in Temecula area homes. Because of this, our pest control company has chosen to offer wood repair services for both termite and dry rot damage.
What is Dry Rot?
Dry rot is a type of wood decay caused by a fungus. The fungus specifically attacks the part of the wood that gives it its strength and rigidity. When left untreated, dry rot causes wood to crack and eventually crumble. If the dry rot fungus attacks the structural wood elements of a home, it can cause a home to become structurally unsound, or even collapse. Of course, that is the worst-case scenario. Dry rot can also affect areas like wood decks or fascia boards in Temecula homes.
Unfortunately, dry rot is not always easy to spot. It often occurs in areas that are hidden from view, but here are some things that can indicate the presence of dry rot:
- Cracked wood
- Grey strands in the wood
- Orange-brown dust on or near wood
- A damp, musty smell
Dry Rot Inspections and Dry Rot Repair in Temecula
If you notice any of these things occurring in your Temecula home, you should call us right away to come out for an inspection. If dry rot is caught early, before it has a chance to do a lot of damage, we may be able to simply treat the infected wood with a fungicide, and no further treatment or dry repairs will be necessary. However, if the wood has already been damaged by dry rot, it may be necessary to remove and replace the wood.
Fortunately, we have a great general contractor as part of the Knockout team who can handle any needed dry rot repairs. Once the fungus has been treated, our construction team can remove the damaged wood and replace it with new wood. The new wood will be painted or stained to match what was removed, if needed, so it will look like there was never any damage.
We will always recommend the least invasive treatment that will take care of the problem and the least expensive remedy to fix the damage. If we recommend extensive dry rot repairs to your Temecula home, it’s because they are necessary to keep your home structurally sound and to eliminate the fungus altogether.
Contact us at Knockout to schedule an inspection of your Temecula home, where we can check for both termites and dry rot.
