Repairing Siding From Rot Damage

Inspect the sidewall around and underneath the fascia and inside the house for signs of moisture damage and repair any rotted areas.

Repairing siding from rot damage.

Generally fiber cement sidings last a lot longer than their wooden counterparts. Not only is this faster but the fixed wood is stronger than the original. If the wood is discolored but the screwdriver test did not detect. The sheathing and framing sometimes need repairs too but that is less common.

If the area of the siding you need to repair is larger than two to four inches the best and most permanent solution is to replace that particular panel of siding. The goal was to get 2 3 inches above the inside of the siding. Gap at corner and butt joints. If your siding has a lot of damage due to pests or rot then that s probably the time to think about replacing it for a more robust siding like this fiber cement lap siding.

Caulk any nailheads that break the paper face. The heads will break the paper face allowing water to soak in and deteriorate the siding. This can be tough since so many times the siding is nailed down. Softwood damaged by wood rot is not salvageable and should be replaced as soon as possible to keep the rot from spreading.

In most cases the original layer of building paper or housewrap at the bottom of the wall was enough to prevent water infiltration and damage beneath the siding. Lift the bottom shingle and slip in the kickout flashing. However the amount of present rot can be deceptive. Nail it to the sidewall or glue it if nailing isn t possible.

A couple easy solutions that saved me tons of time was to gently pull up on the siding at the studs with a pry bar careful enough not to damage the siding but enough to loosen a nail or two. When you come across rotted wood in your old house projects instead of replacing the damaged wood you also can repair it with specialty epoxy penetrants also called consolidants and fillers to make repairs.