This is a $2 .5M home homeowner didn’t want to spend $220,000 re-trimming the entire exterior. In the end, the trim is mostly cosmetic and not structural or functional (siding is a different matter). Rather than even replacing down to the piece, the homeowner requested that we ‘punch’ and ‘patch’ dry-rotted areas along the front walkway. Because it will all need to be re-done eventually, as a stop-gap solution, we agreed.
The cause? The house appears to have been re-painted when it was suffering from water intrusion (a ‘term of art’ for water penetration), sealing the water in and causing serious damage to trim, which was not suited for exterior use in the first place. The paint was not a breathable type.
We opened up these areas with an oscillating tool, allowed them to dry, patched them – making them almost invisible – and left breathe-ways for water to evaporate out of enclosed posts, without rain entering.
