Rot and Water Damage

Rot and water damage can occur at all doorway entries and entries on decks or concrete stoops, where the door threshold is within inches of the surface. Tap the sub-floor, probe when possible, and listen for soft or delaminating sheathing. Water and snow can back up and seep under the threshold. Check toe kick, sub floor, and other trims. Also check for lack of drip caps over wood trim, windows or doors. These areas are susceptible to water infiltration.

Vertical trim that runs to the ground or concrete can absorb water. This is referred to as wicking and is very common at garage doors and entry doors. It can cause damage to wood siding as well as to the sheathing and framing in the wall.

Termites may create another undetectable problem. Columns or posts resting on concrete without a pad can soak water into the capillaries and may rot. Roof sheathing due to ice damming, leaves clogging where there is no drip edge at the gutters, and tongue and groove porch flooring at the end grain are all areas that should be checked. In the attic at the gable ends near the soffits, look for water stains or rotting at the sheathing from the end grain.

Other areas that should be checked are attic sheathing at plumbing vents, around chimneys, skylights and other roof penetrations; wood exposed to the south side or a lot of direct sun; any wood exposed to continuous dampness; wood trim especially at the end grains, exterior trims which are not back-primed or sealed at the end grain. Damp or wet crawl spaces can promote fungus, mildew and lead to rot.