Rotted wood siding is a common problem that can cause serious structural damage to your home. It is caused by water damage, which may be due to a leaky roof or broken pipe.
Does this sound familiar? You have a well-landscaped yard with beautiful flower arrangements placed carefully along your property. Your window trim, porch, and fence have all been well maintained as well. There’s one problem, though. The wood siding on the exterior of your house is falling apart and rotting. Well, don’t worry! Because we’re here to help you figure out how to go about repairing rotted wood siding or replacing it entirely! Keep reading for all the details.
Materials Needed For this project:
• Safety Glasses
• Chisel
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Measuring Tape
• Replacement wood siding
• Nails
• Borate
• Sand Paper
• Hammer
• Circular Saw
• Epoxy & Expoxy Primer
• Utility Knife
• Acrylic Caulking
• Rag
• Pencil
• Putty Knife
• Pry Bar
What is the cost?
Before we dive into the work involved, let’s cover the cost to repair wood siding that’s rotted out. For this, the price range really does vary. Obviously, you can choose to do the work yourself. So you’ll just be paying for the materials that are needed and the wood — which can get pricy. But if you choose to go with a contractor, here’s a rough estimate of what you can expect:
- • At a minimum, if you just need a few pieces of wood siding replaced, you’ll be looking at anywhere from $150 – $500.
- • If the work is rather extensive and there’s lots of wood that’s rotted out to replace, the price will likely be $1,500 – $2,500.
Repair or Replace Wood Siding
If you’re wondering whether or not it makes sense to repair or replace your wood siding, consider these factors:
• First of all, if the damage is just minor then it might be worth your time and money to repair it yourself. This will save you from having to pay someone else for repairs who may not do as good of a job as you could have done yourself.
• If there are only a few areas that need repair then it may be worth your time and money to do the repair yourself. This will save you from having to pay someone else for repairs who may not do as good of a job as you could have done yourself.
• In case the structural integrity of your home is at risk, then you’ll need to replace it. If the wood is rotten and there are holes in it, then it will not be able to hold up against storms or other natural disasters like high winds. If you think that this may be an issue for your home, contact a local contractor right away so they can assess the problem and provide an estimate on repair costs.
How do you fix rotten wood without replacing it?
If you want to fix the rotten wood without replacing it, then there are a few different ways that you can do this. Here is the step-by-step-guide for wood siding repair and painting:
Step #1. Patchwork & Repair Rotted Wood Siding
• If you have to repair rotted wood siding, you may be able to patch it. It all depends on how severely it has rotted out.
• Find a small part of the siding and remove the damaged section, if it is visible enough to know the rot is in a specific place. It is important to patch the wood siding as soon as there is evidence of rot. This helps to prevent the rest of your wood siding from being completely rotted through.
• After you have removed the part of the siding, make sure you have a clapboard that will fit in flawlessly with your existing wood siding. So it won’t look out of place. Use the removed rotted piece of wood siding as a template. As it has the exact measurements for the replacement siding.
• Use paintable acrylic caulking around the opening on the side of the house. Try to slide the thinner side of the clapboard underneath the board above the opening where you cut from. Then carefully push the board in tightly. Use 8d nails into the wall studs ¾ inch up from the bottom edge of the replacement board and also the bottom edge of the piece above it. Do this carefully as you don’t want to split the wood.
• You can then cover up the nails with acrylic caulking. Wipe away any excess with a rag. Then you’ll want to prime this patch and let it dry. Once dry, paint it the same colour as your existing wood siding with two coats. Allow it to dry fully overnight and then you can apply a second coat!
Step #2. Replace Severely Decayed/Rotted Wood
• If you have to repair rotted wood siding or siding that’s decayed severely, mark the start and end of the rot off with a pencil. Put on your safety goggles and cut out the rotted wood siding piece using a circular saw. Use a hammer to get rid of any nails that hold the wood to the structure. Using a chisel, finish cutting the wood and detach it.
• Now you’ll need the replacement piece that you have measured to fit in perfectly. And just like you would patch like the steps above! Slide in the replacement carefully and nail it together with 8d nails. Prime regularly, let dry and paint the replacement piece with the same colour as your existing wood siding with two coats. Let it dry overnight.
Step #3. Do Repairs To Rotted Wood Siding with Epoxy
• Like the other two steps, get rid of any rotted siding either with a chisel, saw or hammer/pry bar and inject borate into the hole. Borate is a wood preservative and it can be drilled halfway into the wood to be sealed over with epoxy. Borate basically seeps into the wood and will minimize rot/decay in the future.
• Using an epoxy primer – brush it on the wood that has been exposed. Allow a 10-20 minute dry time and then wipe away any excess with a rag.
• Apply the epoxy with a putty knife and sculpt carefully overtop the primed area and allow it to dry.
• Prime with an acrylic primer and paint over the epoxy with two coats of paint.
Last top hints:
• Smaller cracks or holes in your wood siding should be sanded and then filled with wood putty. Then they should be sanded smooth again, primed and painted as well.
• Sunlight will break down Epoxy, so be sure to paint it as soon as it has dried. Especially, if you are completing this project in high sunlight.
• Use a two-part epoxy primer and paint for optimal results.
Are you considering painting your wood siding?
Now that you’ve done all the repairs to your siding, is it time to consider painting it? This is often a big consideration for those who are looking to do some exterior painting. As you it can feel like a major decision when you’re thinking about exterior house paint. You want to make a statement, but still blend in seamlessly with the rest of the homes in your neighborhood.
You really can’t go wrong with Kendall Charcoal in terms of colour. It’s one of the top colour choices year after year. And it goes really nicely with white or even muted black window trim and doors. If you want more of a medium gray that almost has a hint of blue to it, check out Tucker Gray. It’s versatile and looks great with just about any brick colour as well.
Top 5 Exterior Transformations
Consider An Update to Your Fence Painting as Well!
After you’ve done the repairs to your siding, you might find yourself motivated to update other parts of your home as well. Now it might be time to update your deck or do some fence painting. Since your fence and deck are exposed to the elements every single day, they can see a lot of wear and tear. Due to that fact, they are in need of fresh paint or stain every 2 – 3 years. If you really want to update things with your fence painting, why not go for some colour? Dark and chocolate browns like Tucker Chocolate have been all the rage this season for fence painting. And grays really work to bring a nice contemporary feel to a yard. Check out Thundercloud Gray for a nice mid-tone gray that’s classic yet eye-catching.
*some images taken from Pixabay
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If you have to do repairs to your rotted siding at a level that you just don’t think your patience will tolerate, then it sounds like you need some professional house painters to help! Give Home Painters Toronto a call and we’ll happily do it for you! We have over 35 years of experience in painting services behind us. Call us NOW at 416-494-9095 or send us an email at Brian@HomePaintersToronto.com. And don’t forget to follow us on our social media channels as well!
