Question: My husband and I purchased a beautiful townhome on Santa Barbara’s Upper Eastside a few years back that was recently built.

There are two buildings, both three stories tall, built in what I would call a Craftsman style with upper levels decks built with large beams and decorative corbels at the roof peaks.

The problem is that even though the building is relatively new and well built, we are starting to see signs of dry rot on some very large beams that support our decks, on the corbels, and there even appears to be some type of fungus growing under some deck boards.

All the wood has been thoroughly painted so we are very concerned about how to repair the damaged wood and how to prevent further damage.

Your Handyman: Wood that is exposed to rain or fog can often develop dry rot, which is a type of wood-decaying fungus that actually digests wood and that, once established, will continue to cause expensive damage even after the wood has dried out.

Dry rot can be relatively simple to prevent but can be very difficult to repair and stop after it has established itself in the exposed lumber on the outside of your home.

Dry rot is commonly found on exterior decks, on the top of the joists on which the deck boards are fastened, and on the top of beams and decorative corbels.

The solution for protecting deck joists is the application of joist flashing tape on top of the joists prior to the deck boards being screwed or nailed down onto the joist.

Joist flashing tape is a water-resistant butyl adhesive tape that comes in a roll and is available at most lumber yards.

There are numerous brands available and one that is commonly used is Trex Protect. It is not particularly expensive and really is a must in my opinion for any wood deck.

I have seen many decks over the years that essentially were ruined by water damage to the joists that would have been prevented by the correct application of joist tape.

Exposed wood beams in a trellis, arbor or pergola, and corbels are also commonly damaged by dry rot as rain and heavy fog wet the top of the wood. Over time the wood splits, allowing the moisture to penetrate deep into the wood.

The solution is to have a metal cap fabricated that sits on top of the beam, essentially like a lid that keeps the wood dry even in the wettest weather. This type of cap will also prevent moisture damage to the top of an expensive wood gate.

The cap can be made from galvanized sheet metal that can be left raw or painted, or can also be made from copper. There are numerous sheet metal fabricators and HVAC contractors in Santa Barbara that can fabricate a cap to fit the needed dimensions for your project.

Repairing and stopping this type of water damage to deck joists that were not protected with joist tape really isn’t possible after the fact unless you were to remove the deck boards and start over with new joists — which could be a major project.

Minor damage to the top of beams and corbels can be repaired by digging out the damaged pithy wood, saturating the area with diluted chlorine to kill any remaining fungus spores, letting the wood dry out, filling with a high quality epoxy filler like WoodEpox, and then properly installing a metal cap.

Home Maintenance Tip

If your home is one of the many in Santa Barbara that experienced roof leaks during our very wet winter, now is the time to start talking with roofing contractors.

This is going to be an extremely busy summer for the roofers and if you put off making contact for too long you may not be able to get your roof repaired or replaced before the next rains arrive next winter.

A roof leak rarely heals itself and usually gets progressively worse.

Great New(er) Product

I hate to admit it but I have never been a big fan of the original WD-40 spray because its petroleum base seems to always collect dust and lint over time, which can gum things up.

The same company now makes Specialist Silicone spray that I use regularly to protect exterior door handles, light fixtures, copper gate caps and even decorative artwork.

The propellant dries quickly, leaving a solid coat of silicone for weather protection and lubrication. Great stuff!