Wood is a common material to use. Be it for household DIY projects or to add to your office, wood is amazing! The popularity of wood to be used in pretty much is anything is that it looks wonderful and is sturdy.
But when it comes to wood, remember this, it is not indestructible! The simple reason for this is that wood, when left untreated, can become prone to rot. So, learning about rot does wood rot spread, and how to stop the rot from spreading is crucial.
You see wood projects, doors, and furniture are preferred because it is meant to last. This blog post will help you keep your wooden objects, projects, and furniture for longer!
Rot, wood, and what to know about it?
Wood rot is common. But being common does not mean that you know how to work around it. Before we get into does wood rot spread and how to stop it, let’s learn a little about wood rot.
Wood rot is defined as a form of decay. Rot in wood comes about because of moisture and fungi in the wood. See, wood is a combination of different things, water being one of the primary things. Now, as you know, water is not really good for untreated wood. Water reacts with the atmosphere and different organisms, which can lead to damages to your wood.
And that is precisely why wood rot becomes a problem. Now, to answer the question of does wood rot spread, the simple answer is yes. Rot can spread and it is bad for wood. If rot in wood is left untreated for a while, it will spread into different parts of the project. And when it starts spreading, the wood will begin to fall apart.
For wood rot to become a problem and grow, the wood has to be continuously in touch with water. In other words, your wood should be damp.
When it comes to finding elaborate answers to does wood rot spread, the answer is:
Wood rot spreads, but only the dry kind. Wet rot is damaging as well. But wet rot only makes the wood soft and does not spread. Dry rot, on the other hand, is very dangerous and spreads fast.
Since you know the answer to does wood rot spread, you should take it seriously. You should consider learning how to remove rot from wood.
Identifying rot in wood
Before we get into the steps on how to remove rot from wood easily, learn how to identify rot on wood.
Wet Rot
You can see wet rot as a dark patch on the wooden surface. It will be wet to touch as well. Wet rot also makes the wood look cracked. Once the wood is infected with wet rot, it will be easy to break. Another tell-tale sign of wet rot is the smell. You can smell a wet-ish wood smell.
Dry Rot
Dry rot is easier to spot. You will most likely see grey strands in the wood. Also, you can see cracks on the surface as well. The wood will become brittle, and you may even begin to feel it. Another way to identify dry rot is that you see some fruiting bodies on the surface. These could look like large mushrooms.
How to remove rot from wood?
Now that you know the answer to does wood rot spread, and how to identify them, let’s talk about removing it.
For softwood Rot Repairs and Removals
The first thing to note is that softwood rot is not repairable. So, what you can do is, replace the softwood area. The moment you spot rot on your softwood objects, do not delay replacing them.
To understand if the area you suspect to have rotted, but are not sure, you can perform a test. This test is called a screwdriver test. Here are the steps to perform it:
Step 1
Identify the area where you think the rot is damaging the wooden object.
Step 2
All you need to do is get a screwdriver. You will use it to test the solidity of wood.
Step 3
The next step is to try and push the screwdriver in the wood. If the wood is very damaged, you will see the screwdriver create deep dents. And if the wood is beginning to become damaged, then you will see shallow dents.
Step 4
Get a wooden piece that fits the area and surroundings. Take out the damaged area and replace it.
Pro Tip:
If you want to try and repair the affected area. You can make use of a dehumidifier to dry the wood. Once the wood is dry, you can apply a wood preservative. Choose a wood preservative with borate or copper. Once you apply it, simply monitor the wood to see if the rot is spreading or not. If it does not, you don’t have to worry about it.
Repairing and Removing rot
If you’re trying to improve your house, you can make use of the following steps to inhibit the spread of rot.
Step 1
Make use of a sharp tool to remove the rot. Get all of the rot out.
Step 2
Check if you left some rot behind.
Step 3
Use wood putty or expandable foam. Make sure that the putty or the foam fits well in the gap.
Step 4
Remove any excess foam or putty. Leaving excess of these sealing materials will cause cracks in the wood.
Step 5
Patch the wood with wood stains and sealants. You can sand the area if you want a neat finish. Remember to seal it in the end.
Conclusion
Since you have the answer does wood rot spread, you need to keep a careful eye out on the wooden areas. Make sure that you seal all the cracks, doors, and windows.
Always remember to scrape all of the rot. If you leave even the smallest speck of rot in the wood, it will continue to grow. Another way to protect your wood from rot is to be generous with wood drying and sealing processes.
