Dry Rot Repair on Santa Rosa Fascia, Trim & Siding
Soft fascia behind a leaking gutter, rotted trim at a downspout corner, a damaged piece of siding. When dry rot turns up during exterior maintenance, we repair the small stuff and fix the water behind it.
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Dry rot repair
What kind of dry rot repair do you take on?
Small exterior repairs that turn up while we’re working on gutters, the roof edge or siding: a soft stretch of fascia, rotted trim at a corner, a damaged piece of siding. We repair what we find and fix the water causing it. If rot has reached framing or anything structural, that’s a different job for a different contractor.
- Soft spots in fascia boards
- Rotted trim at gutter ends and corners
- Siding sections with water damage
- Wood under a leaking downspout
- Critter damage to trim and chimneys
- Rot found during an estimate
- Small repairs ahead of paint or stain
- New wood primed after the repair
Good to know
Why does dry rot show up around gutters?
Because that’s where wood stays wet. A clogged or leaking gutter spills over its back edge and soaks the fascia board it hangs from, and a downspout that empties against the house keeps siding and trim damp all winter. Wood that never dries out starts to rot, and gutter fasteners lose their grip as it softens.
Found a soft spot?
- Press a screwdriver tip gently into the wood. Sound wood resists; rotted wood gives.
- Look up at the gutter above it for overflow stains, drips or a sagging section.
- Check where the nearest downspout empties, since water against the wall keeps rot going.
- Take a few photos to show Dave at the estimate visit.
- Call (707) 940-7875 and ask to have it looked at along with the gutters.
How the job runs
From soft spot to sound wood
- FindRot usually turns up at the estimate or during gutter and roof work.
- ExplainDave shows you what he found and how far it seems to go.
- ProposalThe repair goes into a written proposal, so you decide how and when.
- RepairThe damaged wood is removed and the section repaired.
- Fix the causeThe leaking gutter or misdirected downspout gets fixed so the wood can dry.
From a customer
What have customers said about repair work like this?
Ryan S. wrote that Dave and his worker fabricated a rain gutter for him, that Dave “also mitigated some dry rot,” and that he did “an excellent job.” Emily P. mentioned siding repaired on her house and a chimney fixed after critter damage, both small exterior repairs of the kind this page covers.
“Dave and his worker fabricated a rain gutter for me. Dave also mitigated some dry rot for me. He did an excellent job.”
FAQ
Dry Rot Questions
Is dry rot actually dry?
No, and the name throws people off. The fungi that rot wood need moisture to grow; the wood only looks dry and crumbly once the damage is done. That’s why a repair should include finding where the water comes from, whether it’s an overflowing gutter, a downspout dumping against the wall or a gap in the trim.
What if the rot goes deeper than the trim?
Then it’s bigger than this page covers. Our dry rot work is small exterior repairs found during maintenance, not framing or structural rebuilds. If the damage reaches that far, you’ll want a contractor whose license covers that work, and you can look up any contractor’s license and classifications with CSLB’s Check A License tool.
Should the gutter or the rot get fixed first?
Both, ideally on the same visit. Replacing rotted fascia without stopping the leak above it just starts the clock again, and hanging a gutter on soft wood means the fasteners won’t hold. On Ryan S.’s job the new rain gutter and the dry rot were handled together, which is how it usually makes sense.
Why is rot so common on Sonoma County homes?
Wet winters and a lot of shade. Many homes here sit under oaks, redwoods and bay trees that keep gutters full and trim damp through the rain season. Wood that gets soaked every storm and never fully dries is where rot starts, most often at the eaves, the outside corners and the bottom edge of the siding.
Do you find dry rot during other jobs?
Often that’s how it gets found. A gutter cleaning or replacement puts the crew right at the fascia, and a roof cleaning puts them at the eaves and trim. Misti W. wrote that Dave “identified a few issues during my estimate process that I didn’t realize existed,” which gave her time to decide how and when to fix them.
Service area
Where do you do dry rot repairs?
On homes around Sonoma County that we’re already caring for, from the Santa Rosa and Windsor offices out to Petaluma, Sonoma, Sebastopol and Healdsburg, and on the Napa and Marin jobs we take. Rot repair usually comes up during a gutter or roof visit, so mention it when you book one at (707) 940-7875.
Related services
Fix the water, then the wood
Talk to Dave's team
Soft wood under the gutter?
Call (707) 940-7875 and describe where it is and what’s above it. Dave will come out, look at the wood and the water source, and write up a proposal.