Stopping wood rot from spreading can prevent you from spending over $20,000 just to repair your deck. It is a common issue. Thankfully, it only requires a simple repair. However, if you allow the rotting process to continue, it will damage the structural integrity. And no pine tar wood treatment can save it from destruction.
Wood Rot and Pine Tar Wood Treatment
Wood rot can happen to any untreated wood. Without proper protection, the microbes in the wood will digest the cellulose fibers that provide the wood its structure and rigidity. The microbes can break down the wood. If you don’t treat it, the structure will be stiff without you noticing it.
The pine tar wood treatment, on the other hand, can stop the wood rot from spreading. However, it is only applied after removing the microbes that have been causing the rot. When talking of rot, it is important to note its two most recognized types.
Dry Rot and Wet Rot
Dry rot is more resilient and can damage your wood without signs. You’ll only see the damage if it becomes severe. It happens if Serpula lacrymans (a type of fungus) comes in contact with unsealed wood that has 20% moisture content.
Wet rot, on the other hand, is commonly caused by a fungus known as Coniophora puteana. It develops when the wood is consistently moist and exposed to oxygen.
Killing the Fungus
As mentioned, before you can apply a wood treatment to the affected area, you need to kill the cause first. In this case, the fungus. You should also eliminate the moisture. For instance, if the rot is the result of excess moisture, you need to allow the wood to dry up and apply fungi killer, like boric acid. You can apply it to your wood to prevent rotting. But you can also use it to stop an active infection.
After the fungi have been killed, you can apply pine tar wood to add an extra layer of protection to the wood. It even stops any moisture from seeping into the wood causing it to rot.
Pine tar application is easy. But you have to allow the wood to dry completely. For that reason, you should consider repairing your wood deck during the summer. In that way, the wood is always dry.
Why Use Pine Tar?
It’s an old wood treatment that has been around for more than 700 years. The ancient Mesopotamians used it before the ancient Greeks discovered it. At that time, this treatment was used in ship construction to prevent rotting. Slowly, people recognized the benefits of pine tar so they started using it on buildings to ensure the wooden elements are safe from fungal infection.
Nowadays, pine tar is not only used on wooden elements but it can also be used to protect fishing gear or car axles. To know more about pine tar wood treatment, please visit our online shop here. Or you may read more blog posts to discover other details about this effective treatment.