Attic Wood Leaking Sap

There s a couple support boards for the roof in my attic that have sap dripping out of them.

Attic wood leaking sap.

To prevent sap from leaking out of deck boards it needs to be finished with paint stain or deck waterproofing. Is this normal for this kind of wood and is this cedar. Attic ambering refers to wooden beams in the attic having sap leak out. Similarly when a tree is damaged the sap can bleed out.

These materials slow the leakage by clogging the wood grain pores but will not stop it completely. Much of the wood produced for framing lumber has pitch pockets or areas of crystalized resin. Imgp3939 by r0ckstarr on flickr. Sap on boards can be a problem.

You should be able to determine the adequacy of the attic ventilation by direct observation of the ventilation system. The sap when in live trees carries nutrients throughout the tree that helps to keep it alive. We see more of this sap staining when the wood used for framing was not kiln dried before construction. When it dries it hardens and becomes difficult to remove creating unsightly spots or bumps in the wood surface.

The sap feels pretty solid to the touch and not really sticky. Like kevin said the attic heat restores this to a liquid form and it flows out. Sfogarty sean fogarty february 25 2016 3 40am 6. Sanding blocks help smooth large flat areas.

Sand the wood surface with fine 220 grit sandpaper to smooth the grain and remove any crystallized sap. It cooks out in the heat and eventually crystallizes. Sap can caused a problem on decks and in houses where wood beams are used for support. It s sap crystals that have been extruded from the wood due to high attic temperatures.

Use a handheld oscillating fitted with. When it is wet it is sticky and can rub off on clothing or attract dust and dirt. Some wood has an abundance of sap in it. Hopefully not on your hands as you steady your walk through the attic.

While there are complex chemical components found in tree sap it s easy to compare sap to blood. Treat the knot areas with extra coats of the finishing material.