Wood rot is an issue that plagues homeowners and builders alike. It’s not uncommon to leave wood untreated or improperly treated, leading to a long-term problem in your home. Wood rot is a common problem that many homeowners experience after periods of heavy rain or if you live in a humid part of the country like near the coast. There are different ways to tackle this issue, but one of the most effective methods is bleach. Will bleach stop wood rot? This article will explore how to use bleach as an anti-rot solution for wood and what you should do if it doesn’t work.
Can You Use Bleach To Prevent Wood Rot
Yes, you can use bleach to stop wood rot, dry rot and wet rot. It works best on wood that you don’t expose to the elements, like indoors or under a roof. Bleach kills and removes mold and mildew on the outside of the wood. Typically, you can use it on wood that you treat with a preservative. These preservatives eventually lose their effect and you can experience a reoccurrence of the problem if left untreated.
Bleach can’t stop wood rot once it enters the wood. If you notice wood rot is already present in the structure, you should only use bleach for the first round of cleaning because it won’t be able to penetrate the inner layers of the wood.
How To Treat Wood Rot With This Method
Here is step by step directions to treat wood rot with bleach:
Step 1 – Mix a solution of water and chlorine bleach (roughly ten percent chlorine). You can use it straight on the wood surfaces, but you need to test first to ensure that the bleach won’t harm the surface.
Step 2 – Dip a cloth into the mixture and then apply it to the dark or stained areas of the rotted wood. You can also use a spray bottle but you won’t be able to get as much surface area covered this way. Leave the solution on for at least 10 minutes for best results.
What’s important is making sure your bleach solution has completely saturated the wood so it penetrates all of the surfaces and corners. It should soak into any holes or gaps to remove all the wood destroying fungus.
Step 3 – Scrub the solution into the wood using a soft brush or cloth. Ensure you apply enough of the solution so that it soaks all layers of your wood. Ensure you are applying enough pressure with your brush to effectively clean the area to remove rotten wood and dry rot.
If you are applying with a cloth, use circular motions instead of straight lines to scrub the wood.
Step 4 – Rinse the bleach off with water. Use a hose, bucket or shower to ensure all of the solution is removed from wood before leaving it in direct sunlight.
If you’re treating loose mold and mildew, you can simply scrub your solution into the area using a soft bristle brush. Leave it on for roughly eight
Step 5 – Rinse off all remnants of bleach solution using warm water. Alternatively, you can use a wet/dry vacuum to remove standing water on your wood. If you don’t have access to either one of these then we recommend using a squeegee or mop to remove the solution. Ensure all of the bleach has been removed before allowing your wood to dry completely.
How Does Bleach Stop Wood Rot
Bleach stop wood rot by killing any mold and mildew that’s present on the surface of the wood. Bleach is an oxidizer: it reacts with other compounds to form new substances. In this case, bleach reacts with microorganisms and enzymes to stop them from continuing their lifecycles and reproducing.
Bleach should not be the only treatment method rather a supplement to your current method. If you have previously treated your wood with something like copper sulphate you should continue using it aswell.
Will Bleach Stop Wood Rot At The Core?
Bleach will stop rot at the surface level but it won’t be able to penetrate deep into your wood, which is why if it’s already present you need
If your wood rot continues to persist after you have applied bleach for a long period of time, there are other treatment options that can be considered. You should first check if the original cause of the wood rot has been resolved.