Treating Wet Rot in Wooden Windows Auburn NY

Source: Belfast Telegraph
Publication date: May 13, 2009

NOW is a good time to inspect your home's windows for damage sustained during winter. That way, you can address any problems when the weather's nice.

If you have wooden windows, easily remedied problems like cracks and chipped paint are common, but a more serious situation is wet rot because the damage has already been done. If you spot this, treat it straight away.

There are various methods for treating wet rot, but the following approach is easy for DIYers to do. Start by scraping out the worst of the rotten (soft) wood, but proceed with care.

If you remove too much, you could be left without much window frame.

When you've removed most of the rot, use a wood-hardening liquid on the rest. Apply it on the area around it and work in well. This liquid, as the name suggests, makes soft wood hard again. You could use the liquid alone and not scrape the rotten wood out, but obviously the liquid will penetrate better and work more effectively if you remove the top layers of rot first.

To restore the appearance of the window frame, use a wood filler specially designed for rotten frames. This usually requires you to mix hardener with the filler, which can be tricky, so read the instructions carefully. Work quickly before the hardener sets.

When the filler's set, sand, wipe clean and paint. It's obviously important to apply the paint as quickly as possible.

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