Is there a perservative for rotten wood?

[Pete Lamberty]

Hi Everybody! I have a problem with a piece of wood that is on the outside of my house, I think it might be called a facia board. It is starting to be what I would call the first stages of becomeing rotten. It doesn't hold paint. I have to paint it every year. I can't replace the board myself because it is in a very difficult location. It seems to me that I have seen a product, possibly some kind of liquid, that one can brush onto the wood and when the liquid dries it would kind of solidify the wood. I think the product would sort of stop, or delay, the board from rotting and it would help it to hold paint. Does this sound familiar to anyone? If so, could you please tell me the name/s of the product and where I might be able to buy it? Thanks for any leads. Pete

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Min Wax makes a "Wood Hardener". There are also, other brands available. Check a Builders Supply or BIG BOX.

Bruce

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have tried a couple of those high penetrating epoxy formulations with decidedly negative results. They all promise the magic cure as used and endorsed by boat restorers and old home restoration people and they are all garbage not worth even opening the can.


After making a fool of myself with the magical mystical penetrating epoxies I felt like some one who purchases the book after hearing Kevin Trudeau's sales pitch about eating monster meals night after night with all the fat and butter and carbohydrates possible and he can still lose weight with his new fabulous cure for fat book. And -well - - that doesn't work either.


If you take a chunk of rotten wood and soak it in the magical mystical epoxy it will penetrate and make the rotten wood tougher - harder sturdier (I did just that). But that requires with a long maybe an hour soak. Merely brushing it on - ? - ? - Not one chance in a brazillion~!!

Tear the bad wood out replace it with good wood and forget the magical fairy dust penetrating cure alls.

[John Bailey]

Google "System Three" Epoxies. They have a book about epoxy that has a section on reviving rotten wood. Like Cliff, I wouldn't count on it performing any miracles, but if anyone can help, they can.

John

[John Shuk]

Pete,
I'd be more concerned as to why the wood is rotting. You are getting moisture in there somehow and you need to address that.

[Dennis Peacock]

I'd just replace the wood, caulk, and paint....and call it "done". The time you'll waist fiddling with this? You could of already had it done. :D

[Mike Henderson]

The guy who taught the finishing class at Cerritos College told us about the work that was done on the Gamble House in Pasadena. The house has roof beams that extend pass the roof line and had rotted due to moisture and exposure over the many years. He told me what the used to repair the rotted wood but I don't remember the brand name. It required removal of all the rotted wood, then you put this stuff in. I believe it was a catalyzed product that hardened and was not affected by moisture and weather. They then finished over it and you don't notice the treated areas.

I'll try to contact him and see what the name of that product was. If I recall, it wasn't cheap - you'd only use it on a restoration project where you just didn't want to replace the wood.

Alternately, you can search on wood restoration products.

Mike

[Pete Lamberty]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Tommorrow I will try to post a couple of photos of the piece of wood in question. You will then see what a headache it is going to be for me to try to replace. I really dread the idea of replacing it. It will require me to have the skills of Spiderman and then some. This piece of wood has been there since 1928. That's when the house was built so I guess it's getting wet but not to wet. Until tommorrow......

[Wes Bischel]

Pete,
Here's a link to a product I used to fix a set of very old raised panel garage doors. The liquid penetrant worked well to harden the punky wood (strategic holes must be drilled) and the putty was really easy to work once it was hard.

http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm

They have held up well even though the bonehead that owns them doen't keep them painted.:rolleyes:

FWIW,
Wes

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Pete,
Here's a link to a product I used to fix a set of very old raised panel garage doors. The liquid penetrant worked well to harden the punky wood (strategic holes must be drilled) and the putty was really easy to work once it was hard.

http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm

They have held up well even though the bonehead that owns them doen't keep them painted.:rolleyes:

FWIW,
Wes

Yah that's one of the brands that did nothing for me but lighten my wallet by about $60.00.

[Pete Lamberty]

These photos show the piece of wood that I am asking about. The slope of the roof made me hesitant about walking around up there. It's a long way down. I think I figured something out when I was taking these photos. When I looked at the close up photo, I realized the camera was at a different angle than I could see when I was on the roof above this piece of wood. From this photo it looks like the wood does not extend under the roof. It looks like I will be able to pry it off and then use it as a template to make another one. Then all I have to do is nail it into place. Does this look right to you? Thanks for all of your thoughts and if you see any problems please give me some more advice. Pete

[Lee Schierer]

If you do take the wood off, invest in some brown aluminum fascia and cover the wood. Then painting won't be an issue. Be sure to seal the end grain of the new piece of wood to prevent moisture from wicking in the end.

[David Epperson]

Replacing the board is going to be much easier to do than attempting to repair it in place. But getting to the board is the tricky part, isn't it. But if you know how to get close enough to it to paint it, changing it out should be a snap. Still, I'm glad it's not me on that steep pitched roof. I'd have to resort to rappelling gear. :D

[jeremy levine]

Clean you gutters first. I would bet that the gutter is the key factor in the rot.

[Pete Lamberty]

Years ago I had six inch gutters put on up there and nothing gets stuck in them. They are clear. Thanks for the thought.