Wood Repairs Made Easy

​ When finding wood rot or decay on your home comes a sense of discouragement and distress. Wood rot or decay usually occurs when dry wood is exposed to condensation in places where there isn’t sufficient aeration. This water contact usually occurs through leaky roofs, faulty plumbing, rain leaks, etc. 

​The Wood Repair Struggle
The struggle of fixing wood rot often poses a challenge to people who do not have the budget capacity to hire professionals or the experience to handle it by themselves. However, they may want to take on the task on their own and encounter hiccups in the process. It is for these people that we bring this step-by-step tutorial on how to do it yourself and still get the professional result. Here are a few steps to take when fixing wood rot using epoxy resin in your home by yourself. 

​Everything Begins from Gathering the Right Tools: Without gainsaying, the first step to fixing wood rot in your home as an amateur is to assemble your tools before commencing. Gathering your tools before commencing the job helps reduce the possibilities of having to stop halfway through the task to go get some things in the shop or in the garage. Stopping halfway through the task is something you want to avoid especially when there are procedures which you need to follow successively, and which may be distorted if you pause. Some of the important tools to gather are; epoxy resin, wood hardener and filler, paintbrush, putty knife, sanding block, rasp, wood chisel, utility knife, wire brush, polyester filler and 100 grit sandpaper. 

​Next Step is Applying the Wood Hardener and Filler: Prior to the application of wood hardener and the polyester filler, first remove the rotten area of the wood with a sharp tool in order to stop the spread of the rot to the good areas of the wood. After that, cover the area with the wood hardener and apply the mixed polyester wood filler into the corners and crevices using a putty knife. If you are on a tight budget, you can opt for the Bondo wood filler or some other product of wood filler or two-part auto body polyester which are also guaranteed to work well. 

Applying the Epoxy Resin Filling: Using epoxy resin as an alternative for new wood fillings is a great idea. This would save you reasonably on the cost for procuring wood and save you the stress of having to fix the wood. You can select from a wide range of options of epoxy variants for filling rotting spots on wooden platforms. The epoxy resin filling comes in a liquid form which eventually hardens when it dries. Epoxy adhesion is compatible to almost anything including wood, however, it is advisable to use it only on surfaces of rotted or rotten wood that is not necessarily hanging. This is because the epoxy can ooze out from a hanging wood like a door. When this filling has been applied, the surface should be allowed to dry in a temperate and dry environment. Also remember to protect your hands with Nitrile Rubber gloves when applying the Epoxy resin filling.

Finishing Off the Wood Repair: Once your epoxy is applied and starts to harden; drag a wire brush through the patched area in the same direction as the wood grain. This will allow you to mimic the wood grain on your patch, instead of seeing a “flat” patched spot. Be deliberate; this effect will soften after sanding and priming.

Final Note: Always be sure to prime the epoxy patch before applying a high-grade paint; these are considered “hot patches”.