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In damp climates like King County and Snohomish County, wood rot isn’t just cosmetic. It can move from trim and siding into framing and structural supports if moisture keeps feeding it. Catching it early and fixing it correctly protects your home’s safety and value.
“Dry rot” is fungal decay that starts when wood stays wet long enough for fungi to break down the fibers. The Pacific Northwest’s rain, humidity, and mild temperatures keep wood damp longer, so small water issues can turn into real damage over time.
Most rot begins when water gets in and doesn’t dry out. The usual triggers are leaking or overflowing gutters and downspouts, poor drainage that keeps lower siding wet, failed caulking or paint that lets water behind trim, missing or incorrect flashing around windows, doors, and rooflines, and deck or porch connections that trap moisture. Damp crawl spaces and attics can also keep framing wet longer than it should.
Pay close attention to windows, trim, siding edges, decks, and rooflines. Common signs include dark staining or cracking, wood that feels soft or spongy when pressed, paint that bubbles or peels in one concentrated area, trim pulling away, or boards that warp and sag. A musty odor can be a clue, and in more advanced cases you may see white or gray fuzzy growth in hidden areas. Sticking doors and windows or a bouncy deck can also point to weakened framing.
Rot rarely stays where you see it. The visible damage is often just the surface, while decay continues inside walls and structural wood. Surface patches can hide the issue while it keeps spreading.
A qualified exterior rot damage repair contractor should remove all decayed wood (often including a small buffer beyond what looks damaged), treat nearby materials to reduce recurrence, correct the moisture source that caused the problem in the first place, and rebuild with the right materials and proper sealing. If the water issue isn’t solved, the rot tends to return.
How to Spot Dry Rot
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Waiting usually increases the scope. What starts as trim damage can turn into framing replacement, larger tear-outs, and issues during resale inspections. Early repairs are typically smaller, cheaper, and less disruptive.
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