# Wood rot - can I just ignore this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993 "2009-03-19T04:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/1 "2009-03-19T04:52:30Z")
One of the window frames in my house has a small area of rot damage. The source of the moisture (old caulking and a poorly designed drainage channel) has been repaired, but the damaged wood has not. I am really, REALLY hoping that I can just ignore this for a while, until we have enough money saved up to get the windows replaced. This will probably take a couple of years. Now that the source of the moisture is gone, is it possible for the rot fungus to spread to the surrounding dry wood, or will it just die off on its own, or what? I’m hoping it will at least just stay where it is, as this would be a pretty complicated repair to make. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/2 "2009-03-19T06:26:26Z")
There’s a product called Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer that is good for repairing dry rot without replacing the wood. It’s made by Smith and Company. You can read about it [here](http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/3 "2009-03-19T06:33:21Z")
Minwax wood hardener [http://www.minwax.com/products/wood\_maintenance\_and\_repair/high\_performance\_wood\_hardener.html](http://www.minwax.com/products/wood_maintenance_and_repair/high_performance_wood_hardener.html) is a thin, brush-on product that will “petrify” the rotted wood and stop further rot. good stuff ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/4 "2009-03-19T10:17:11Z")
Don’t ignore it, it will spread. Use one of the products mentioned above and fix it. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/5 "2009-03-19T10:56:27Z")
I was looking for threads about sexual dysfunction! _backs slowly out, hoping no one notices I wrote that_ 😃 And yes, I **know** it’s a “reach”, but I don’t **give** a friggin’ flern, okay?🙂 I think I need me a WOMAN! 😉 Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Solfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Solfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Solfy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/6 "2009-03-19T15:55:18Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > There’s a product called Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer that is good for repairing dry rot without replacing the wood. It’s made by Smith and Company. You can read about it [here](http://www.smithandcompany.org/CPES/index.html). Chiming in to mention that I used that product (along with some related products by the same manufacturer) last fall to stop further damage to a fairly large chunk of beam under my house. I was very pleased with the results and the ease of use. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/7 "2009-03-19T17:11:48Z")
[Some info.](http://www.bwtse.co.uk/fungal_decay.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/8 "2009-03-19T20:17:09Z")
Holy crap! Between this, the burning and the termites, I’m starting to wonder why anybody thought this was a good material to make housing out of. I miss my concrete house… Thanks guys. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/9 "2009-03-19T23:35:33Z")
Concrete spalls. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/10 "2009-03-20T00:06:14Z")
Having had lots of experience with dry rot over the years, may I make a suggestion here that is real quick, dirty, and surprisingly effective. Since your rot doesn’t sound too big, and the cause has been fixed, I would just dig out the rotted wood and then dowse it with full strength Clorox. That will kill most anything going on. Then you can either ignore it or cover it up with wood filler. I had some rot in the bathroom floor in a cedar cabin at least 20 years ago and used this method. No problems since. BTW - don’t try this on boats. Nothing works on boats. Except dowsing them with kerosene and lighting a match. Hate wooden boats!!! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/11 "2009-03-20T00:45:02Z")
(Dowsing: Magically finding water. Dousing: Thoroughly wetting with some liquid.) ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/12 "2009-03-20T03:16:48Z")
I can say wood rot will spread. I lived in a building that went from decent to horrible because of small little problems involving water and rot. Nothing is worse over the course of time than wood rot and/or water damage. You can ignore it for a bit, but it’ll cost that much more to correct later on. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/13 "2009-03-20T03:25:51Z")
> [@Wheeljack](#): > > Holy crap! Between this, the burning and the termites, I’m starting to wonder why anybody thought this was a good material to make housing out of. I miss my concrete house… > [@Daylate](#): > > BTW - don’t try this on boats. Nothing works on boats. Except dowsing them with kerosene and lighting a match. Hate wooden boats!!! **Daylate** , what you obviously need is a concrete boat. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/14 "2009-03-20T16:11:16Z")
> [@](#): > > (Dowsing: Magically finding water. Dousing: Thoroughly wetting with some liquid.) Stupid spellchecker doesn’t pick up on homonyms. Phooey! ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wood-rot-can-i-just-ignore-this/489993/15 "2009-03-20T16:32:41Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > **Daylate** , what you obviously need is a concrete boat. Like [these](http://www.concreteships.org/) ones?