How to Tell If Boards Are Rotted or Have Termites

Dry Rot Symptoms

• 1

  Look for signs of early dry rot fungal growth. Early-stage dry rot fungus appears as a thin white covering over wood. Other common colors include light yellow and off white. Visible strands growing from a central fungal point indicate late-stage dry rot fungal growth.

• 2

  Feel the wood for cracks and brittleness. Dry rot causes wood to slowly crumble as it deteriorates. Chunks of missing wood also indicates a possible dry rot problem.

• 3

  Inspect between cracks in the wood for mushroom-like growths. These growths clearly indicate the presence of dry rot fungus. Also look for accompanying red-colored spores.

Wet Rot Symptoms

• 4

  Feel the wooden board for firmness. A soft sponge-like feel indicates the presence of wet rot.

• 5

  Gently stick the pointed end of a utility knife into the wooden board. The knife will not penetrate a healthy piece of wood. A wooden board suffering from wet rot, on the other hand, will give way to the knife's sharp end.

• 6

  Inspect the wood for abnormally dark spots. This visual sign indicates water deep within the wooden board.

Termite Damage

• 7

  Inspect the ground for insect wings. Termite colonies often shed wings in copious amounts.

• 8

  Look for small pin-hole sized openings in the boards. Multiple holes are symptomatic of various termite entryways. A small amount of sawdust may also be visible near the holes.

• 9

  Knock on the wood and listen for a hollow sound. Healthy wood emanates a solid sound. A hollow sound indicates multiple termite passageways running through the wooden board.

• 10

  Inspect the wooden boards for areas that appear to be crushed. Multiple termite tubes can cause wood to collapse in certain areas. The appearance of crushed wood exhibits an advanced termite infestation problem.