Fixing Wood Siding

Repairing wood siding is integral to owning a home with wood siding.

Fixing wood siding.

Water splashes up from the ground frequently soaking the vulnerable bottom edges. Remember to add new tar paper for extra weather proofing. Finally attach the new siding with sliding nails that do not rust and fill seams with outdoor caulk. Fixing decayed rotted wood using an epoxy penetrant and filler.

Paint can hide wood rot so poke the siding with the tip of the screwdriver the wood should be firm and hard. If the screwdriver sinks into the wood you ve got a wood rot problem. But without proper attention isolated areas can begin rotting in only a few years especially near the foundation. Boards shingles and panels usually can be replaced without too much trouble.

Whether it s cracked rotted or the victim of a woodpecker s bill a damaged strip of wood siding is an open invitation for water to leak in and wreak havoc on a house. A new generation of wood fillers hardeners and epoxies fill holes and firm up soft spots so they are as strong as the original wood. These small repairs can add years to the life of the siding. See how to remove the damaged siding with little damage to existing siding.

Then measure for proper fit of the new siding. Learn how to repair wood siding yourself with a complete material list and step by step instruction. You can try pulling a warped board so that it s flat and tight by driving a couple of long galvanized screws through the siding into studs drill pilot holes to avoid splitting the siding. When you come across rotted wood in your old house projects instead of replacing the damaged wood you also can repair it with specialty epoxy penetrants also called consolidants and fillers to make repairs.

So when a piece needs fixing it s a task that merits a big red flag on the to do list. You can often repair damaged nonstructural wood such as molding siding or trim on your home by filling the damaged area with automotive body filler. When hardboard siding is installed and maintained correctly it can hold up for 30 or 40 years.