Home/Services/Waterproofing & Rot Repair
Rotted siding, trim, window sills, and framing repaired by a licensed contractor with over 40 years of experience.
Dry rot almost never starts where you notice it. By the time paint is peeling or a window sill feels soft, water has usually been getting behind the siding for a season or two. Specialty Improvements Unlimited provides dry rot repair across Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, and owner Eric Wilson has spent more than 40 years tracing that water back to where it starts.
We cut out the rotted wood, check the framing and sheathing behind it, and replace everything that's compromised. Then we fix the reason it happened, whether that's failed flashing, a bad window seal, or siding that sits too close to the soil. Patching rot without stopping the moisture just means paying for the same repair again in a few years.
Most of the rot we see in Sonoma County shows up in the same handful of places. Winter rain and morning fog keep wood damp for months at a time, and anywhere water collects, rot follows.
Siding Rot Repair
We remove and replace rotted boards, damaged sheathing, and building paper, then install new siding that matches your existing profile. For longer-lasting repairs, we offer James Hardie and LP SmartSide.
Trim, Fascia, and Window Sill Repair
Window sills, door thresholds, and trim boards take the brunt of the weather. We replace rotted sections and seal the joints that let water in.
Deck and Stair Rot Repair
Soft deck boards are often a sign of rotted joists or posts underneath. We repair the structure, not just the surface.
Framing and Subfloor Repair
When rot reaches studs, sill plates, or subflooring, we repair or replace the damaged framing so your home stays structurally sound.
Exterior Waterproofing
New flashing, sealing, and moisture barriers around windows, doors, and siding transitions, the places where most water damage begins.
Termite and Dry Rot Repair
We repair wood damaged by termites or dry rot, including repairs listed on pest inspection reports for home sales.
Dry rot is easy to miss until it's spread. Walk around your house and look for:
If you find one of these, there's usually more damage behind it. A small repair today is much cheaper than replacing a whole wall next year.
A lot of contractors will replace a rotted board. Fewer will find out why it rotted. Eric inspects the area himself, opens it up to see how far the damage goes, and gives you a clear written scope before any work starts.
Water-damaged siding replacement
Robin Zinsmaster has hired SIU for three projects. The most recent was replacing exterior siding damaged by water, which she said was done with the best available materials and quality workmanship.
Siding and roof repairs in Windsor
Patrick Winegar and his wife hired Eric to repair the siding and roof on their Windsor home, and said they'd hire him again.
Updating a 47-year-old house
For Pete McMullen, SIU replaced original doors, windows, and siding over the course of a year, then painted the house.
Commercial water damage repair
Devin Daly hired Eric to repair water damage on both the exterior and interior of a commercial building. The work was finished on time, and the site stayed clean while tenants were in the building.
Replacing rotted wood with the same material that failed doesn't solve much. We use James Hardie fiber cement and LP SmartSide siding, Milgard windows, Simpson Strong-Tie connectors, and Vulcan ember-resistant vents, products that stand up to wet winters and fire-season summers.
We're based locally and know how homes here age. Coastal fog keeps siding damp in Bodega Bay and Sebastopol, older homes along the Russian River see years of winter moisture, and inland homes deal with long rainy seasons followed by hot, dry summers. SIU provides dry rot repair and exterior waterproofing in:
Dry rot is caused by fungus growing in wood that stays damp. The name is misleading: the wood needs moisture to rot, and it only looks dry once the damage is done. Leaks, failed flashing, and poor drainage are the most common causes.
Yes. As long as the wood stays damp, the fungus keeps spreading into nearby wood. That's why we remove all damaged material and fix the water source instead of patching over it.
It depends on your policy. Rot from long-term moisture usually isn't covered, but rot caused by a sudden event like a burst pipe sometimes is. Check with your insurance company.
Small repairs like a window sill or a few siding boards often take a day or two. Larger jobs that involve framing or full siding sections take longer. You'll get a timeline with your written proposal.
Call or text (707) 328-3555 to schedule a consultation.
Wood rot is the general term for fungal decay in wood. Dry rot is one type of it, and it's the term most people use for rot in siding, trim, and framing. We repair both.
Contact
Found soft wood or peeling paint that won't stay fixed? Send us a few photos and a short description, and Eric will review it and get back to you about next steps. Prefer to talk? Call or text (707) 328-3555.
Let's stop the damage before it spreads.
