Wood rot is called out on your termite inspection report as “wood-decay fungi.” This fungi actually eats and digests wood. The wood has to be wet or at least moist to be attacked, and spores from the fungi are constantly floating around in outdoor air, ready to colonize any piece of wood with enough moisture content to sustain their growth.
Unlike dealing with insects that destroy wood, such as termites and some species of wood-boring beetles, the specified treatment for wood rot is simply to remove the areas of soft/damaged wood and replace them. You can remove the affected areas by cutting out pieces of wood and installing new lumber, or by digging out the soft, rotted spots in the wood and patching them with a material such epoxy or a wood filler compound.
Removing the wood and replacing it is preferable to patching, but if the purpose of your repair is simply to get a “clean” WDO required by a buyer so that you can sell your home, patching is the least expensive solution for smaller areas. Simply removing the area of rotted wood will also get you a clean WDO, but may not satisfy the home buyer.
Unlike dealing with insects that destroy wood, such as termites and some species of wood-boring beetles, the specified treatment for wood rot is simply to remove the areas of soft/damaged wood and replace them. You can remove the affected areas by cutting out pieces of wood and installing new lumber, or by digging out the soft, rotted spots in the wood and patching them with a material such epoxy or a wood filler compound.
Removing the wood and replacing it is preferable to patching, but if the purpose of your repair is simply to get a “clean” WDO required by a buyer so that you can sell your home, patching is the least expensive solution for smaller areas. Simply removing the area of rotted wood will also get you a clean WDO, but may not satisfy the home buyer.
