Dry Rot

[TravelGal]

Our roof has some dry rot problems around the edges. Don't we all? Cough. Seriously, there are probably 20 boards that need attention. None major--just 2-4 feet at the end of overhangs. I've got a quote of $2200, which seems very steep to me and the guy is starting to make noises about re-roofing, and looking to see what it's like when they "get in there." He already went around with a ladder and poked each place with a screw driver. Am I about to get the business end of the screw driver on this?

Bear in mind that he said he would paint the house afterward and gave me a quote almost exactly TWICE what my normal painter quoted. We prefer to have this professionally done but the price and the attitude are beginning to bother me.

Education and suggestions on the topic are solicited from the OC braintrust.

[Gnam]

With the residential construction industry being "kinda slow" I'm sure there are several roofing companies that would be happy to give you a quote. However, since they are hungry, the probability of them finding things "when they get in there" is high.

Do you need a new roof?

[TravelGal]

Gnam, this one is 14 years old. We'd rather wait several more years if possible. Remember, it only rains here 4 months of the year. No leaks but not finished off particularly well because it was done after the Northridge earthquake. That means any live body was up there nailing shingles into the boards.

[Methanolandbrats]

Do you have adequate venting on your roof (soffit vents, proper vents and a ridge vent)? If not you may have to replace all the roof decking because trapped heat and moisture de-laminates the underlayment. I hope not, but you may have a major moisture problem.

[cameraman]

Our roof has some dry rot problems around the edges.
20 boards that need attention.
None major--just 2-4 feet at the end of overhangs.

I'm confused, which boards? Is this a craftsman with exposed rafters?

[TravelGal]

Guys, I wish I knew for sure I would give you right answers. I don't know enough to know about the roof venting but I don't think it's a moisture problem. Mostly because we have so little moisture around here.

This house is a wellmade tract house from the late 1950's. Half board/half stucco finish. None of the boards on the side of the house are damaged. In the 30 or so days we have of rain a year, the rain sluices off the roof and onto the boards that are now needing to be replaced, resulting in a pretty continuous drip when it's raining. Several are rotted because they are at the end of the back section where all the water from that side of the house is directed to that small section. Those four 2x4's are about 2 feet long each are perpendicular to the overhang. We replaced them when we did the roof in 1994 and they need to be replaced again. One other is rotted because of the poor work done on one joint. Two are rotted because a hole was cut to let a pipe through (on the edge of the garage) so the water went under the shingles. There are a few other spots with similar stories.

[datachicane]

I wouldn't sweat too much over the contractor's comment about what he finds when he 'gets in there'. He pretty much has to say that, so a potential customer doesn't try to hold him to his original quote if he does find big problems underneath.

If there is big damage, well, it's only going to get more expensive and complex the longer you put it off, so better to bite the bullet now and deal with it. Roof and rot issues are not a place to be counting your pennies, IMHO.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, I've had great luck with injecting structural consolidant epoxies as an alternative to replacing rotted lumber that's too involved and/or complex to replace easily. The one I use, Abatron, advertises that it's used in the restoration and maintenance at Monticello, Gamble House, Carnegie Hall, etc., etc., and I can't speak highly enough of their whole product line.

[cameraman]

The one I use, Abatron, advertises that it's used in the restoration and maintenance at Monticello, Gamble House, Carnegie Hall, etc., etc., and I can't speak highly enough of their whole product line.

WoodEpox, large portions of my house is now made of WoodEpox:thumbup:

[datachicane]

WoodEpox, large portions of my house is now made of WoodEpox:thumbup:

That's spectacular stuff. The original front door in my 1926 house had been kicked in at some point in the last eighty years, split through the lockset from top to bottom, with a few chunks missing for good measure. Thankfully the previous owners never threw anything away, so it got stuffed in the garage rafters along with all of the original window screens, misc. doors that had been removed, umpteen feet of the original cedar gutters, a bunch of flooring left over from construction, the original screen door (just rebuilt that this weekend), takeouts from multiple bathroom remodels, etc., etc.

I rebuilt the front door with WoodEpox, and while finishing it up with a furniture scraper I was shocked to see that stuff pull curls exactly like a nice hardwood. A goodly portion of my window sash is 50/50 WoodEpox and LiquidWood.

[chop456]

Cedar gutters? Wow.

[TravelGal]

Thanks guys. Just checked in as I flew from LAX to TPA today.

I wouldn't mind if the original guy had said "we'll see" when he first gave the quote. What bothered me was that he said it AFTER he found out he was not going to be painting the house.

Mumbledy mumble. Still have not made up my mind. The difference between $2150 (professional dry rot guy) and $350 (carpenter) is getting my attention.

[TravelGal]

We decided to go the cheapo way, methanbrats comment notwithstanding. I know you're right but it's just not in the budget right now. Not that it will be later. But the next time we need a housepainting job, we'll need a new roof also so we decided to address all the issues at once at that time.