What Happens When We Find Rotten Wood During a Siding Project?
When we start a siding replacement project, we can see a lot from the outside of a home. However, we cannot see everything hiding behind the existing siding.
Sometimes the wood underneath looks perfectly fine from the outside. Once demolition starts, that can change quickly. We may uncover rotten sheathing, water damage, or even wood that insects have destroyed over the years.
That is exactly why demolition is such an important part of the job. It gives us a chance to see what is actually underneath the old siding and make sure we have a solid surface before installing anything new.
Hidden Wood Damage on Our Clawson Siding Project
We recently ran into this on the siding project we are working on in Clawson. The homeowners are getting new Mastic Ply Gem Carvedwood siding in Harbor Grey.
During demolition, our crew uncovered areas of damaged wood behind the existing exterior. I’ll include two photos from the project so you can see what we found.
This type of damage is not always visible during an initial inspection. The old siding covers the sheathing, so there is no way to know exactly what condition every piece of wood is in until we remove it.
That is why we never want to make assumptions about what is behind a wall.
Termite Damage on a Royal Oak Garage
We found an even more dramatic example during a garage siding project in Royal Oak.
In the TikTok video below, Brandon shows wood that termites had severely damaged. The damage was so extensive that parts of the wood practically crumbled apart when touched.
From the outside, you would never know how bad it was.
Once the siding came off, there was no question about what needed to happen. We had to remove the damaged material before moving forward with the new siding.
It is a good example of why you never want a contractor to simply cover up a problem.
@level_up_improvement You never know exactly what you’re going to find until the old siding comes off. During our recent garage siding project in Royal Oak, Brandon found some rotten wood hiding behind the existing siding. In this video, he walks through what we found and why it needed to be addressed before installing the new siding. This is an important part of doing a siding project the right way. Covering damaged or rotten wood with new siding might make everything look good from the outside, but it doesn’t fix the actual problem. We repaired the areas that needed attention, properly prepared the garage, and then moved forward with the new Mastic Carvedwood siding. It’s the stuff you won’t see when the project is finished that can make the biggest difference. Do it right! RoyalOakMI SidingReplacement MasticSiding Carvedwood SidingContractor HomeImprovement MetroDetroit LevelUpImprovement
♬ original sound – Level Up Improvement – Level Up Improvement
Why We Replace Rotten Wood Before Installing Siding
New siding needs a solid, nailable surface behind it.
If we find rotten, soft, deteriorated, or badly damaged wood during demolition, we replace it. We do not install new siding over wood that cannot properly hold a fastener.
Think about what would happen if we ignored it.
The siding might look great when the job is finished, but the material underneath would still be compromised. Nails could fail to hold properly, and existing moisture problems could continue getting worse.
That is not doing the job right.
Replacing damaged wood also gives us a solid base for the rest of the siding system. Once the repairs are complete, we can move forward with the proper weather-resistant barrier and new siding.
You can learn more about our siding replacement services and how we approach exterior remodeling projects throughout Metro Detroit.
Why We Can’t Always Know Before Demolition
Homeowners sometimes ask whether we can identify rotten wood before a project begins.
Sometimes we can.
If there are obvious signs of water damage, soft areas, missing siding, or other visible problems, we may have a good idea of what we will find.
Other times, there simply isn’t a visible sign.
The siding may have been covering the damaged area for years. Water could have entered around a window, corner, roofline, or another penetration. In other cases, insects may have caused damage behind the siding without leaving an obvious problem on the exterior.
We would rather be upfront about that possibility than pretend we know exactly what is behind every wall.
Finding Damage Isn’t Always a Bad Thing
Nobody wants to hear that we found rotten wood during their siding project. But if damaged wood is hiding behind your siding, finding it is much better than leaving it there.
The demolition stage gives us the opportunity to expose the problem and fix it correctly.
Our goal at Level Up Improvement is not just to make the outside of the house look better. We want the materials underneath it to be solid too.
That means taking the extra time to replace damaged wood when we find it.
We are a family-owned exterior remodeling company serving homeowners throughout Metro Detroit. Whether we are working on siding, roofing, or another exterior project, we believe the parts you cannot see matter just as much as the parts you can.
If demolition exposes a problem, we fix it before moving forward.
That’s part of doing it right.
Do it right!