Dry Rot, Wood Damage & Wood Rot Repair in Omaha, Grand Island, Kansas City, Sioux City
Dry rot, mold & wood rot are some of the most damaging forces on household wood in the world
Crawl spaces with moisture and humidity issues can cause weakened floor joists and wooden beams, leading to costly structural damage and even a home collapse. Types of wood rot and damage caused by excess water and humidity in the crawl space include:
- Dry rot: A dry rot outbreak occurs several months after wood becomes wet. Airborne spores come into contact with damp wood, germinates, and sprouts grey root hyphae strands. Strands grow into mycelium and cover the timber in a thick, cotton-like substance. Dry rot targets cellulose, causing the wood to turn brown, shrink, and weaken.
- Wet rot: Wet rot forms after one to six months of exposing wood to moisture or water. Fungus attracted to the damp wood feeds off the timber and destroys it. Wet rot feeds itself on wood and releases more spores, causing it to spread.
- Mold damage: If wood or the air around the area has a high moisture content for extended periods, it can cause mold growth. Wood is biodegradable, so mold will eat away at the source and spread, causing severe structural damage.
The best way to repair wood rot is to prevent it in the first place by controlling moisture by sealing and dehumidifying the space. Thrasher Foundation Repair uses a vapor barrier or crawl space liner with a self-draining dehumidifier. Our system removes excess moisture and prevents future water events, like flooding or leaking. Schedule a free estimate on crawl space encapsulation and repairs to learn more. We serve Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Colorado areas, including Kansas City, Omaha, Wichita, and nearby.
Catching Wood Rot & Mold
Here are some of the telltale signs of wood rot, mold, and water-damaged wood in the crawl space:
Dry Rot
Dry rot starts as a "red brick dust," indicating fungal spores waiting for the right conditions to grow. Architect's Journal reports that dry rot can grow through damp mortar, concrete, masonry, and behind plaster. That means dry rot damage repair is complicated and expensive. And it can lead to future problems without proper wood rot treatment.
Wet Rot
Wet rot starts as dampness, dark brown staining, splitting or cracking along the grain, musty odors, and visible fungus spots. Wet rot first impacts damp wood, but once timber weakens and fragments, the fungus can spread to other areas of the home, affecting drywall, wallpaper, and carpets.
Mold
Mold on wood can be identified by the appearance of damage, discoloration, and visible spores or staining. Mold spreads to other damp surfaces, including ceiling tiles, cardboard, wallpaper, carpets, drywall, fabric, food, insulation, and other organic materials. Depending on the moisture and humidity in the environment, mold spores to spread in days, months, or years.
Water Damage
Water damage to wood can appear as swelling, nails popping out, discoloration, visible mold, and rotting. Water permeates the wood's membrane, causing it to soften, decay, and rot. That weakens the structure and can lead to foundation damage if left to worsen.
How We Repair Wood Rot & Damage
Does your basement have rotting, moldy, damaged wood? Thrasher Foundation Repair provides reliable repairs, reinforcing the structural integrity of the below-grade space and ensuring lasting results.
Structural Support Jacks
Often, it's not necessary to replace the wood, even when the frame shows mold damage. In these cases, we recommend house jacks to repair the damage. These adjustable support beams can be installed quickly underneath your home to restore strength to your structure.
If your structural support beams are rotting, a sister beam of new wood may be installed along the old one to add structural strength.
These supports are appropriate to repair floor joists that are rotting or supports that are sagging due to poor supporting soils. They're also an effective solution for basements that are sagging due to a poorly designed house or one with too few supports to bear the weight of your home.
Basement Waterproofing
We can't address wood rot until we remove all sources of moisture intrusion. That is why along with structural damage repairs, we also provide a patented basement waterproofing system, including:
- Sump pumps that discharge water entering the home and have features for added protection, even during a power outage!
- Dehumidifiers that keep the basement regulated and reduce condensation, lowering the risk of wood rot, mold, and mildew.
- French drain systems that direct moisture intrusion to the sump pump and ensure a safe, secure, and dry space.
- A vapor barrier that seals walls from moisture, creating a clean, dry area.
- Seamless gutters, downspout extensions, and clog-proof gutter guards to protect the foundation from water intrusion from runoff.
Why Choose Thrasher for Damaged Wood Repairs
10% of the United State's wood production goes to repairing rotting wood, which destroys about 20 billion board feet of timber each year — far more than the annual amount destroyed by fire damage.
If you have noticed dry rot, wet rot, mold, or other water-damaged wood in your crawl space, our specialist will have three main focuses:
- They will determine which wood will need replacing
- They will assess where wood repairs are needed
- They will evaluate where repairs are not necessary
If structural wood, floor joists, and beams are compromised, you will need to replace or reinforce the entire piece. But wood damage, wood rot, and mold problems are not straightforward, especially if the contractor is not a crawl space waterproofing professional. That is why you should call the professionals at Thrasher Foundation Repair.
We not only repair wood damage, but we also offer crawl space waterproofing and encapsulation solutions to ensure it never happens again! Get started by scheduling a free, no-obligation crawl space repair estimate, offered in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Colorado.
Before Damaged Wood & Wood Rot Repairs
While many homeowners and crawl space repair contractors think repairing damaged wood will solve the problem, they are sadly mistaken. The crawl space waterproofing experts at Thrasher know that you also need to fix the cause of the damage!
How to prevent mold, dry rot & water-damaged wood:
- Address all plumbing & ground water leaks
- Fix any grade line problems
- Repair or replace damaged, clogged gutters
- Eliminate pest infestations
- Install an energy-efficient dehumidifier
- Seal the area with a vapor barrier
Surface Mold vs. Wood Rot
Why aren't trees damaged by mold and rot? The answer to this question can help you understand something important about mold. As mold grows, it feeds on the sugars, starches, and other compounds in wood. Living wood protects itself from mold and rot damage with its bark. The bark is absent of the sugars and starches that mold eats, discouraging mold growth. When wood is cut and processed, it loses this natural layer of protection and opens the door for mold and rot growth.
Surface mold consumes the sugars and starches in the wood, which does not influence the strength of the wood. Wood rot can consume sugars and starches, but it also converts the structural polymers in wood fibers to food, which weakens the wood's strength.
If you have surface mold, you can clean it without damaging your wood. Wood rot is a deeper problem that may require serious repairs.
Why Fix Structural Damage & Wood Rot?
Repairing structural damage and wood rot is a quick and reliable way to reinforce the home against a collapse. Other benefits include:
- Increasing curb appeal
- Reducing mold & mildew hazards
- Preventing sticking windows & doors
- Boosting resale value
- Preventing a home collapse
- Preventing future structural damage
Schedule a free basement waterproofing estimate to learn more. We proudly serve Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Colorado areas throughout Springfield, Denver, Peoria, Sioux City, Fort Madison, Lincoln, Grand Island, Wichita, Kansas City, Omaha, and nearby.
Get a Free Estimate
Give us a call at 1-800-827-0702 or complete this form and we'll contact you shortly to schedule a Free Inspection, and you'll get a no-obligation written quote during our initial visit.
We serve the following areas
- Anchor
- Arrowsmith
- Ashkum
- Beaverville
- Bellflower
- Buckley
- Cabery
- Campus
- Chebanse
- Cissna Park
- Claytonville
- Clifton
- Crescent City
- Cropsey
- Cullom
- Danforth
- Donovan
- Dwight
- Emington
- Fairbury
- Forrest
- Gibson City
- Goodwine
- Iroquois
- Kempton
- Loda
- Martinton
- Odell
- Onarga
- Papineau
- Paxton
- Piper City
- Pontiac
- Roberts
- Saunemin
- Saybrook
- Stockland
- Strawn
- Thawville
- Watseka
- Woodland
- Wellington