[MoreCowbell70]

2008 build. I'm a layman.

I noticed a piece of aluminum sheathing fell off on one side and loose on the other - upon inspection, the wood under the window false apart on touch:

My question: Do I open a possible can of worms and peel everything back, attempt to redo this bottom section with a new piece of wood, or can I cut this 5" or so of rotted wood back and shorten the lower area, capping it off as best as possible with the existing aluminum end caps?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[chandler48]

Most likely you will find the entire run of board will be rotted. Non pressure treated wood doesn't last long in that environment. Remove the run of metal, replace the wood with that of an exact size, then replace the metal with new nails.

 

[Nealtw]

I would remove the whole piece from the window down. Worms are best caught and dealt with. I would suspect that it is mostly just decoration.