As far as we can tell, we only have a small patch where a window leaked.
Hello Mr. Ramirez,
Typically, dry rot needs to be exposed (so that you can see exactly how extensive it is), then cut out and new lumber installed in its place. In some instances, it may be important to ascertain why the dry rot occurred so that a future recurrence of the same may be prevented. However, for small dry rot patches, some homeowners can save money by doing this repair themselves, although experience with framing and saws is recommended.
Hi Pete,
It sounds like the area you are dealing with is in the trim and not a structural issue. If that is the case, yes, this is a pretty simple fix if you’re a handy person. You want to make sure you remove as much of the loose or soft wood as possible. If you don’t, whatever you use to fill or patch the damaged area with will be affected by the unstable surrounding. You can typically see this where someone patched and did not prep the area as well as they could have.
There are a lot of good products on the market and one product I use is Bondo wood filler. You can get this at the local home supply store and its fairly easy to work with, shape but a little hard to sand.
The trick to any good patch is going to be in the prep work. Spend a little extra time cleaning out the area, I would even recommend priming it before patching if it’s outside, and then be sure to sand, spot prime and paint the area. Sounds like a lot…. But it’s really not.
Good luck