What rotted roof framing looks like, and how we fix it
Shingle Roofs · 5 min read ·
Rotted roof framing is dark, soft wood that crumbles or pulls apart by hand, usually found along an edge where water has been getting in for a long time. We cut it out, frame it back with sound lumber, sheathe over it, and only then put a roof on.
What we found on this one
The rotted framing job was an attached roof section on a house with white siding and a brick and block lower wall.
Once the old roofing came off, the framing along the edge was rotted through. That is the part of a roof that takes the most water: everything running down the slope ends up there, and if the drip edge, gutter or flashing has been failing, the wood soaks it up year after year.
What rot looks like up close
Healthy framing is light colored, hard and holds a nail. Rotted framing is usually dark and stained, feels soft when you press a screwdriver into it, and may break apart in chunks. Sheathing over it often sags or delaminates in layers.
From the ground, the hints are subtle. A wavy line at the eave, a gutter pulling away, peeling paint on the fascia, or a stain on a ceiling near an outside wall can all point to it. None of those prove rot, but they are worth having someone look at.
Opening it up
We opened that corner of the roof and pulled the bad wood out piece by piece. Tarps went down on the ground first, much like we protect a yard on any shingle roof job, to catch the debris, so the yard and the bushes along the wall did not end up full of rotten wood and old nails.
The trick is cutting back far enough. Rot spreads farther than it looks, so we keep removing until we reach solid wood on every side.
Rebuilding the framing and deck
With the bad wood gone, the framing gets rebuilt with new lumber tied into the sound framing around it. The hero photo shows that moment: the corner still open, new boards in place, and the rest of the deck already covered.
New sheathing gets patched in over the repaired framing so the deck is continuous and flat again. Only then does underlayment go down. Laying a new roof over soft wood just hides the problem for a while.
Then the new roof
On this job we rolled GAF FeltBuster synthetic felt over the deck and then installed Owens Corning Duration shingles in gray, working up from the eave with the bundles staged on the roof. Hip and ridge caps finished it off, with the white gutter and downspout in place below the eave.
If you want to know more about the layers under the shingles, read what goes under new shingles. For the shingle itself, see our Duration note.
Questions
What does rotted roof framing look like?
Rotted roof framing usually looks dark and stained, feels soft when pressed with a screwdriver, and can break apart in chunks or pull away from nails. The sheathing above it may sag or separate into layers. Schaub and Sons found framing rotted through along one roof edge during a June 2026 tear-off and replaced it before re-roofing.
Can rotted roof framing be repaired without replacing the whole roof structure?
In many cases, rotted roof framing can be repaired locally. Schaub and Sons cuts out the rotted wood back to solid lumber, rebuilds the framing with new boards tied into the sound structure, and patches in new sheathing. On a June 2026 job, only the corner along one roof edge needed rebuilding before the new roof went on.
How can I tell from the ground if my roof edge is rotting?
From the ground, signs that a roof edge may be rotting include a wavy or sagging eave line, gutters pulling away, peeling or soft fascia, and water stains on ceilings near outside walls. None of those signs proves rot on its own. Schaub and Sons confirms the condition of roof framing at a site visit or during tear-off.
Should a new roof go over rotted framing?
No. A new roof should not go over rotted framing, because soft wood will not hold fasteners well and the damage keeps spreading underneath. Schaub and Sons removes the rotted framing, rebuilds it, and patches in new sheathing first, then installs underlayment and shingles. On a June 2026 job that meant GAF FeltBuster felt and Owens Corning Duration shingles.
