Exterior water damage

11 years ago

My first time posting a message on this forum. I have an addition, built four years ago, that appears to have some rot at the lower corner of a window, in the T111 siding and the layer of OSB behind it. I noticed it when a recent hailstorm 'punctured' the piece of partially rotted cedar trim covering the damaged area. I removed the trim and checked for termites--no tunnels or sawdust, but there is some 'feathery-pattern' fungus, climbing the wall. None of the three other pieces of trim (on two windows) seems to be affected. Also, there is nothing on the inside to indicate that the damage has reached that far.

My questions: Is there a product that I can inject to saturate the area, to stop the fungus and rot? Can I then fill in the void with an epoxy product, before installing a new piece of trim, then caulk as usual to seal? Should the T111 have been painted before the trim was installed? And, should I remove all the trim pieces and paint the bare wood before this happens again?

Thank you for any help or suggestions.

Comments (3)

annzgw
11 years ago
I'm no expert but IMO, yes, it should have been primed and painted, and it appears it wasn't caulked properly to start with. I can't advice on the best way to patch but I would contact a lumber yard (not the big box store) and ask them for guidance.

Google T-111 and you'll see it has a problem with wicking.

Have you looked into the warranty on the siding, or contacted the person that did the work?

Here is a link that might be useful: Paint for T-111
mama goose_gw zn6OH
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you, annz. After posting, I did a search on this forum for 'leaking windows' and found some info on wood hardeners and epoxy products. Also did a search on 'window flashing' when I realized that my window doesn't appear to have any (no caulk, either).

I called the licensed contractor whose crew did the framing, windows, and exterior finish on the addition. He is supposed to stop by today to check the damage--at least I'll know what to ask about.

We used the T111 because it was used on the house (probably installed in the early 1980s--we purchased the house in 1994), but I read in the link that not all T111 is the same quality. When the old siding was pulled off on that side, to add the new room, there was no problem with leaks or rot around the windows. One of the old windows wasn't affected by the new construction, and it's still OK.

Thanks again for your help.
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energy_rater_la
11 years ago
so what did original contractor have to say?