And, if you don’t catch the warning signs of dry rot early, your floor joists—the load-bearing wood beams supporting your floor—can completely collapse.
Because dry rot poses such a serious safety risk to your home and your family, it is important to call in the experts at Helitech Waterproofing & Foundation Repair the moment you spot the warning signs. Most often, dry rot manifests itself as sagging or bouncy floors and brittle floor joists.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to dry rot treatment as every home is different. There are, however, two main methods of wood rot repair which can be customized to your home’s needs.
This process, called ”sistering” is a cost-effective way of staying the structural damage and preventing future dry rot. First, we will remove the dry rot from the affected board and coat it with a dry rot treatment—antifreeze, copper solutions or epoxy formulas are common options—to prevent future fungal growth.Then, a ”sister” board is attached to the affected board, restoring the structural integrity of your flooring system.
Depending on the extent of damage, it might be necessary to replace the affected boards. First, we will need to install temporary floor jacks, which are adjustable steel beams used to support flooring systems. We will remove the affected floor joists and then install new ones. Once the new load-bearing joists have been installed at appropriate intervals, we will remove the floor jacks.
To learn more about how we repair sagging floors, click here.
Replacing the affected boards is only half the battle. To complete a full wood rot repair, we must address the source of the moisture that caused the dry rot in the first place. This can be done through a three-part moisture control system—a vapor barrier, ventilation system and dehumidifier.
In conjunction, these three elements will protect against excess water vapor, promote healthy air circulation and maintain healthy humidity levels. To learn more about moisture and mold control for crawl spaces, click here.
My husband and I were very pleased with the professionalism of Helitech representative. He was very polite and courteous. I was impressed with his ability to explained a solution to our basement problem with a complete assessment.
St. Peters, MO, USA
