There's a lot of great things about living in a rainforest – lush green forests, temperate climate and beautiful coastal scenery. What's not so great is its impact on the wood products we use around our homes and gardens.
When cool, wet winters meet hot, sunny summers that cause paints and stains to peel, the combination means one thing: rot, says Srdjo Djurkovic, Project Lead for Mac Reno Design Build, serving Greater Victoria.
"As homes age, we'll often start to see signs of rot in the fascia, door or window frames, decking or other exterior areas," Djurkovic explains. "And rot spreads. When it's left untreated, it can cause much bigger problems, reaching into the siding, roof or other parts of the structure that are more difficult to access, which will be much costlier to repair."
The right care & attention
A common culprit of rot here around Greater Victoria is gutters and downspouts clogged with leaves, fir needles and other debris. This can cause water to back up and run over the gutters, onto the exterior of the home.
Regular gutter cleaning can help the water run quickly away from your home. Looking at your wooden windows and doors, consider whether the flashings were – and are – correctly installed, and try to keep plants, shrubs and trees at least six inches away from the home.
For those replacing the affected areas, opting for materials other than standard wood can help.
If you do start to notice rot, take advantage of the warm, dry season to carefully sand the area then re-paint or stain with an appropriate product that can seal it once again. In some situations, products such as an injectable epoxy compound can be used to fill the rotted space within the wood. Once it cures, the surface can be painted as usual.
Where rot has infiltrated beyond the exterior, MAC will undertake a half- or full-day investigation to help determine the extent of the problem, Djurkovic says.
The right materials
For those replacing the affected areas, opting for materials other than standard wood can help.
A composite material for areas such as fascia and decking can help resist the impacts of the elements long-term, with the added benefit of requiring little maintenance, Djurkovic notes.
And, with the wide variety of products now on the market, it's easy to find one that matches the look and feel of your home, whether it's clad in siding, shingles or other materials.
Other solutions the MAC team has seen success with include wrapping powder-coated aluminum around wood, sealing it from the elements. For long-term strength and durability for deck structures, pressure-treated remains the go-to choice.
The bottom line: "If you start to see rot, catch it quickly before it becomes a bigger problem," Djurkovic says. "I guarantee it's not going to go away on its own."
To learn how MAC Reno Design Build can help create the home you love coming home to, visit macreno.com or call 250-384-6091.