A Guide to Repairing Rotten Wood

Tools you’ll need:

• Flat bladed screwdriver
• Specialist wood chisels
• Sandpaper (medium grit)
• Paintbrushes
• Spreaders and Flexible filling knives
• Filler for Wood
• Wood hardening liquid
• Rags

Time:

• Possibly up to 20 mins for the smallest repair.

Skill level:

• Easy for DIY beginners

Safety first:

• Ensure you are wearing protective eyewear when striking any hard surfaces.

Is your wood rotting? Fix it easily!

Rotten wood is most commonly the result of trapped water that’s seeped into a wooden structure and is unable to drain away. As long as you aren't trying to fix any structural items, such as walls and outbuildings, the list below should give you good guidance on how to fix wood rot. If you have discovered severe wood rot in furniture or the structure of the building you are better off calling in the professionals, however if you are keen to repair something smaller like a shed or wardrobe then follow these simple to understand instructions.

Step 1: Use the flat bladed screwdriver or wood chisel to gouge out any rotten wood. Ensure that all rotten and wet wood is removed and don't stop until you see the dry wood.

Step 2: You have now got to the stage where liquid wood hardener needs to be applied to the exposed parts of the wood, this is readily available from all the big DIY stores or online. The hardener can be applied with any brush, but it is very flammable so make sure all the windows are open when using it.

Step 3: Get your wood filler ready, it should resemble a brown paste when you have got to the correct stage.

Step 4: Using a filling knife, slightly overfill the area with filler and then push firmly into place and make sure thats it is packed into the damaged area.

Step 5: Varying upon the manufacturers guidance, you should leave it to dry for roughly 15-20 minutes.

Step 6: After allowing the filler to dry, it needs to be sanded with some medium grit sandpaper. Keep sanding until the filler has become flush with the wooden surface. Blow the dust from the wood surface and run your hand over to check for uneven section and tiny holes. If needed you can put on a bit more filler to get rid of these inconsistencies.

Step 7: To seal the outer area and prevent any moisture escaping into the wood, carefully dust off the area and apply the wood primer. Once the primer is dry you have the option to stain it or paint it to a colour of your selection.

Wood Rot Prevention

The number 1 method to prevent the wood rot is to stop all moisture. When the level can't be stopped it is best to get your wood into a treatment program to condition the wood until the moisture is reduced. Speak to your local DIY shop or forums online and check what treatments on the market are good for your needs.