Primars Windows, Siding & Doors
"Do It Right, One Time"
Serving: North Atlanta, Milton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Cumming, Dunwoody & Sandy Springs
678-683-5511
Veteran Owned & Operated
Help Center
Welcome to the Primars Contracting homeowner help center. Please scroll down to view some of the Maintenance tips and the most common issues and we see.
Visit our New home maintenance guide from the menu above. If you have any ideas or comments please email us.
Wood Rot
Dry Rot & Mold
Repair gone bad
Sill Rot could not be seen from the ground
rot occurs when moisture gets into wood. then microbes and fungi eat the wood, which can spread. It's commonly called dry rot.
The rot or microbes and moisture must be completely removed to stop it from spreading. Regular maintenance, caulk and paint will prevent most rot.
rot only appears when wood is exposed to high levels of moisture or water. the first step is to locate the source of water infiltration and stop it. A leaky gutter, bad joint, cracked caulk, old paint, cracked stucco, leaking roof or excessive humidity are good examples.
iF YOU FIND ROT, TAKE CARE OF IT SOONER THAN LATER. IT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY AND IT WILL GET WORSE. a DETAILED INSPECTION OF your siding, trim, WINDOWs AND DOORs IS THE BEST WAY TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOME IS in good shape.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REPAIR DAMAGE AS SOON AS YOU FIND IT. IF YOU CANT GET IT REPAIRED COVER IT WITH PLASTIC UNTIL YOU CAN.
mAKE SURE YOUR PAINT IS IN GOOD SHAPE. IF YOU START TO SEE ROT AROUND YOUR WINDOWS, DOORS AND TRIM IT MAY BE TIME FOR A FRESH COAT.
If your home has stucco or stone pay EXTRA careful attention to the trim around windows & doors. THESE EXTERIORS seem to absorb and hold water longer than other MATERIALS; WHICH TRANSFER TO THE TRIM AND PROMOTEs ROT. iF YOU FIND ROT, IT MAY BE TIME TO PAINT YOUR tRIM AND STUCCO.
Most of the time insurance will not cover rot damage, because it happens over time OR ITS CONSIDERED MAINTENANCE.
The upper right corner of this window and the sill show signs that it needs attention. This needs to be repaired quickly or the damage will spread. We Caught this one just in time. The lower right hand portion of this window looks like it had an old sill nose repair that needs attention.
Simply inspect your home regularly to prevent it from getting this bad.
The best way to repair this sill is to replace the entire sill-nose. Cutting a section out gives water another place to enter.
note: Framing damage is usually not included in an estimate unless its visible.
rEPAIR dRY rOT Correctly, one time
oNCE THE SOURCE OF THE ROT IS LOCATED, THE DAMAGED WOOD CAN BE replaced. tHERE ARE MANY WAYS TO REPAIR THE ROTTEN WOOD. wE WILL DISCUSS THE 3 MOST COMMON WAYS.
1. rEPLACE THE ENTIRE PIECE OF WOOD, EITHER WITH NATURAL OR COMPOSITE MATERIALS, SUCH AS pvc. tHIS IS THE BEST OPTION SINCE IT REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD WATER CAN ENTER AND IT RETURNS YOUR HOME TO ITS ORIGINAL DESIGN. Composite materials are much less likely to rot as well.
You don't need to replace everything necessarily. You just need to replace the whole pieces that have rot.
2. cUT the rotten SECTION OUT AND REPLACE IT WITH SIMILAR MATERIALS. tHIS REPAIR can FAIL DOWN THE ROAD SINCE ANOTHER AREA WAS CREATED WHERE WATER CAN INFILTRATE THE WOOD. THE JOINT USUALLY FAILS FROM EXPANSION, CONTRACTION AND WATER INFILTRATION within a few years.
Sometimes this repair is necessary due to the location of the damage. Keep an eye on it, maintain it properly, and it can last. Brick Molding, sills, and most trim should not be replaced this way. It looks bad too.
This is a bay window. The entire piece of 1X4 and brick molding should have been replaced.
3. Epoxy: Attempt to scrape every bit of ROT OUT AND FILL THE OPENING WITH BONDO. tHIS WILL USUALLY FAIL WITHIN A YEAR AND WE HIGHLY DISCOURAGE THIS REPAIR. Water seems to find its way in because of the different expansion and contraction rates. The Paint will crack, fail, and let water in.
If you suspect you already have a bondo repair keep an eye on it. keep it painted and caulked.
This repair is very common especially right before someone puts their home on the market.
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Please do not use epoxy or bondo to repair dry rot and water damage.
Check with your painter or handyman to insure they will not use epoxy on your home. Epoxy can be used in some applications, but not for rot.
people that use epoxy don't know any better or they want to take the easy rout.
This window was repaired with epoxy on the exterior of the window sash. It was painted and hidden for about 2 years. Eventually the wood window bottom rail rotted through to the inside of the house.
THis video shows what can happen to a bondo repair. This is a ledge over a front door. another contractor used epoxy or bondo to "Repair," the wood rot.
Think twice before using epoxy. someone is going to need to repair it correctly eventually. This repair is much more expensive now since the rot got worse because it was hidden with epoxy.
Termite Damage
Termites and carpenter ants also love wet wood. If you run across termite or ant damage you need to call your termite company to see if it is covered under your bond. If there is an active nest, which means you can see the termites or ants, it is usually covered by your bond. If there is no evidence of activity it's usually not covered. This needs to be repaired the same as rotten wood listed above. If the termites get into the framing, more extensive repairs and support are needed, which are not covered here.
Foggy Windows or Seal Failure
Seal Failure
Seal failure occurs when the rubber gasket in between double pane glass leaks and allows moisture to infiltrate the gap.
The only way to fix this is to replace the window sash or the whole window.
Wood windows can rot from excessive moisture that builds up over time.
New Window
Seal failure or glazing issues can lead to bigger problems. The moisture will condense and drip into the sill. Or water will leak spreading rot.
This extensive damage can be avoided! Take care of small issues before they become big ones.
This sill and some framing need to be replaced because the homeowner waited too long to repair the leak.
The homeowner took good care of their home. they did not know this could happen.
Gutter Issues
Gutter issues are one of the most common problems we run across. They are easy to check. Just grab an umbrella and go outside during a rain shower, Not a thunderstorm.
Look at youR drain pipes. They are usually buried under the ground and move the water away from your house. Over time they can get clogged or collapse, which will back up your gutters. The water can back up the downspout and overflow your gutter 2-3 stories up. the water from Downspouts should be piped at least 10 feet from your foundation to prevent damage.
Next Look at the gutter to make sure it is not overflowing. look to see if they are draining or leaning toward the downspout. The gutter will not be exactly level, it will actually lean or be angled toward the downspout. It leans toward the downspout to help it drain. Sometimes the gutter can come loose and lean in the opposite direction of the down spout. If you have a gutter overflowing its either clogged,loose or not angled correctly.
We recommend 6" gutters with 3x4 downspouts and a cover if you are in close proximity to trees.