How to Care for a Wood House
A wood house is exactly that--a house made mostly from wood. It has a wood roof, covered by shingles. The wood boards of the roof are supported by wood beams. The wooden floors of the home are also supported by wooden beams. The walls contain wood studs. In older houses, the walls are made of slat boards. The exterior of the home is many times wood siding. A wood house requires care to stay good and solid. A home without proper care will not stay solid. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Roof cement
- Bright light
- ¾-inch plywood
- 2 by 6 boards, 1 per rotten stud
- Slat boards, as many as needed
- Water-sealing product
Instructions
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Repair any roof damage. Use roof cement to fill in holes and stop leaks until you can replace the roofing. Know that a leaky roof will rot the wood beneath the shingles as the water seeps in through damaged shingles, running under them and over the wood surface of the roof. Know, too, that the water can then run down the walls, rotting wall boards and studs, and to the floor boards, rotting them and the beams that support them. Understand that fixing your roof will protect your wood home all the way around. Stop any leaks before they damage your home.
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Check the beams in your home. Use a bright light to carefully inspect every beam. Inspect to see if past moisture problems could have left your beams weakened, rotten or bowing. Look for the beams under the roof, and under each floor. Find the bottom set of beams, which will be on the basement ceiling, or beneath the house if you have no basement. Check the beams in each ceiling support as they support the floor above on the other side of the ceiling in multistory homes. Check the beams on the attic ceiling as they are the roof support beams. Know that termites will leave holes in the wood and will eat away at it. Inspect each beam carefully for water damage and signs of termites. Replace beams that have substantial damage.
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Look at the floors closely to find rotten or weak floors that are a result of water damage, termites or dry rot. Understand that if the house has sat unused for many years, the wood may have become dry rot. Repair weak or rotten floors quickly as they are dangerous. Remove all rotten wood and replace it with new ¾-inch plywood.
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Take care of the wood studs that run through your walls and the slat boards that face the wall by making sure they stay dry. Know that the No. 1 cause of damage to walls is a leaky roof. Prevent water running down through the wall as it damages the wood that supports the wall. Replace any bad studs to ensure the wall is properly supported. Use new slat boards to replace damaged ones.
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Use a water sealer or an oil-based paint on your wood home's exterior. Using a water sealer prevents rotting of wood siding. Applying water sealer makes the wood water resistant, meaning the moisture will not penetrate the sealer and will not absorb into the wood. Apply the sealer to wood porches, decks or steps as well.
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Tips & Warnings
Stop leaks to prevent damage to the wood of your home.
Do not ignore rotten wood anywhere in your home. It should be repaired as soon as you become aware of it.
