Moisture Problems

                  Moisture can cause peeling paint on the lower part of stucco or other masonry walls. Water entering the ground can be absorbed into masonry, then migrate upward and, warmed by the sun, create water vapor pressure on the back side of the paint film. This problem is often accompanied by a white crystalline deposit called efflorescence on the paint and a general decomposition of the masonry itself.

                Applying a waterproofing compound to the surface of the paint will NOT help. Water must be stopped before it enters the masonry below ground. Excavating and coating below grade surfaces with a coal tar or asphalt coating will help.

                   Improving the drainage of the water away from the structure will also help. This problem of water wicking also occurs with wood in contact with the ground or areas of high moisture concentration (piled snow, siding adjacent to rain water, down spouts, etc.), causing the grain to swell. This in turn causes the paint to peel from the surface.

Excessive Water Damage	Water Damage that Attracted Termites

                     Two of the major causes of painting failure on exterior wood surfaces are either moisture passing through the substrate from the interior, or exterior sources of moisture getting behind the painting film. These may result from faulty flashing, lack of adequate ventilation in the house itself (i.e. ridge vents, eve vents, attic vents), allowing trapped moisture to evaporate, improper or inadequate caulking, or a porous or cracked painting film, among others.

                    A clean surface is extremely important to both interior and exterior painting. To clean most surfaces prior to painting, use a mild detergent solution to remove accumulated dirt, chalk, and grime. Pressure washing with a portable high pressure washer and adding a chemical injection is excellent for removal of dirt, surface contaminants, chalk, flaking and peeling paint from almost any exterior surface.  After washing, rinse the area thoroughly with water and allow to completely dry before painting with primer or finish coat.

DECAY FUNGI

                     More wood is destroyed each year by decay than by all the fires, floods, and termites combined! Commonly called rot, wood destroying fungi need three things to survive, air, water, and food. Since we can't eliminate air and their food is the wood in our homes, the only mechanical control mechanism available to us is the elimination of water. Water is the enemy of wood! Although we've all heard the term "dry rot," dry wood will not rot!

                     The types of wood destroying fungi encountered by pest management professionals and homeowners fall into two basic categories: brown rot and white rot. White rot attacks the cellulose and lignin in the wood giving the wood an off-white appearance. In the later stages the wood becomes spongy to the touch. White rot typically attacks hardwoods and lacks the cubical checking appearance of brown-rotted wood.

                        Brown rot commonly attacks softwoods turning the wood dark brown. In advanced stages of decay, wood attacked by brown rot becomes friable and splits appear across the grain giving the wood a "checkerboard" appearance. Infested wood may be structurally weakened in a relatively short period of time. Once brown rot has extracted all of the nutrients from the wood the wood may become dry and powdery. This leaves the impression that dry wood has rotted (dry rot) but in reality it is an old infestation of brown rot.

                       One of the most destructive types of brown rot fungi is poria incrassata, otherwise know as the water-conducting fungus. This type of fungus actually transports water through root-like structures known as rhizomorphs. Infestations of poria incrassata can progress quite rapidly destroying portions of flooring and wood members in a year or two. One indication of a poria incrassata infestation is the presence of rot in wood with no visible source of water. A moisture meter is the best tool is determining the extent of an infestation. Any wood having a moisture content in excess of 40% without an apparent source of water may well be infected with poria incrassata.