Termite wood damage--replace or patch?

Well, as you all know, termite damage can be very expensive to repair for the areas in or around your home that are wood.

I found out about something recently that amazed me, had not a clue, so I'll share.

Wood can be patched with a bonding type of material (get it at Home Depot, Orchards or any home fix up place). It doesn't necessarily have to all be completely replaced.
For example, my sister-in-law has a wood patio cover that had termite damage.
The large bottom supporting beam was rotted out at one end and broken. This had to be completely replaced, along with a cross beam which was also badly damaged. There were other cross beams with termite damage, but they were non-support types of beams, so with this bonding material, they were patched!

Being able to patch, rather than completely replace, saved her around $2000.00!

Of course repairing would depend upon the location of the wood and if it supported anything of significant weight. If just decorative, then by all means, patch it if it will be less expensive! And get a contractor who is artistic to do this. These guys do exist and they put that added extra into making the repair look like actual wood! Or if it's a small enough project, get a Do-It-Yourself manual and have at it.

The contractor who did the repair on my sister-in-law's wood patio is very artistic, and made the patched places look like the actual wood grain.
The whole patio is painted now and looks great. (The painter was impressed with the work that was done on the wood also.)

Hope this tip helps you out, and I would love your comments.

Dawn