Do I Have Wood Rot?

Wood rot is a fairly common issue in and around Hampton Roads, thanks to the wet and often humid climate. There are three main kinds of wood rot that might affect your home, but of course they all have the same effects: they undermine the structural stability of the surfaces that they make their home in. In nature, this is a good thing. Wood rot performs the necessary and valuable function of helping dead wood decay. In a home, by contrast, where all wood is dead wood, wood rot is a huge and serious problem that can lead to many issues throughout the structure of your home.

The three main forms of wood rot are: soft rot, white rot, and brown rot. Each of these forms of rot will undermine the strength of wood and lead to it breaking down over time, but they present themselves in different ways and often progress at different rates. Soft rot and white rot are often referred to under the umbrella ‘wet rot’ and require more moisture to thrive. Soft rot is slower moving, but is able to thrive in temperatures that brown and white rot cannot. It can cause a honeycomb appearance and soft, spongy texture in affected wood as it breaks down the cellulose found there.

White rot, by contrast, attacks the lignin that makes up wood along with cellulose and leaves only the cellulose behind. This can cause the wood to turn yellow or white (hence the name) and will lead to a stringy or soft texture, sometimes with a slightly slimy feel. Brown rot, however, is also called dry rot and is the most fast-moving of all types. It can be recognized by dark brown, cracked appearance (rather like the wood has been burned) and a brittle texture in affected wood. If you see these signs, it’s time to call in the professionals.