Dry Rot & Wet Rot?
Damp and timber company specialising in surveys, reports and quotations. We are a damp proofing, wood preserving and waterproofing specialist company. We provide honest, beneficial and full comprehensible advice on all aspects of the eradication and prevention or rising damp, damp proofing, woodworm treatment and timber decay. We provide specialist damp and timber survey report to homeowners, estate agents, property buyer, landlords and property management companies. We cover most of the United Kingdom. (London, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool, Warrington, Stoke-on-Trent, Chester, North Wales, & Wrexham)
This page will help you with many questions you many have on timber decay. If you think you many be suffering from any type of timber decay in your property then please get the correct advice and diagnosis from a specialist timber decay surveyor at DampServe. Call or email one of our friendly staff in the office today.
Why do timbers rot?
Timber will start to rot when it has a high moisture content (20% and above) caused from a plumbing leak, flooding, defective rainwater goods, high external ground levels or if timber in in contact with damp masonry due to defective damp-proof course or poor ventilation.
What is the difference between dry rot and wet rot?
Wet rot stays close to the source of moisture and the timber will seem wet to the eye. Wet rot will have small cuboidal cracking on the timber surface usually following the grain.
Dry rot can form some distance away from the source of the moisture. A white/grey coloured film will be present covering the timber. In more severe cases a white mushroom with reddish/brown center will be present, these are called fruiting bodies. A reddish/brown dust will be present in the surrounding area called sore dust. Unlike wet and dry rot will have large cuboidal cracking along and against the grain.
What is dry rot?
Dry rot is a wood destroying fungus that requires four things to grow. 1. Food (timber) 2. Moisture 3. Correct temperature 4. Oxygen.
There are always dry rot spore in the air, once they land on timber in the correct condition the will start too grown and produce hyphae which is the start of the dry rot cycle. Mycelium will then start to grow which is a white/grey film covering the timber. When dry rot is left over a long period of time, a fruiting body will form which looks like a white mushroom with a reddish/brown center.
How much will it cost to treat dry rot?
The specialist dry rot surveyor cannot provide you with a price for treatment until the full extent of the dry rot infection has been discovered and the area had been opened up. A destructive dry rot survey will have to be carried out on the property to see if the dry rot is in the areas obstructed on the dry rot survey or the surveyor can provide you with a guideline price for the treatment that could increase once the infected area is opened up.
Is dry rot the most common form of wood rot?
Wet rot is the most common timber decay as dry rot needs conditions that are rarely found in properties in the UK. Unlike dry rot, wet rot only needs to be in contact with damp masonry to start developing.
Can you treat a structural beam with wet or dry rot?
If the beam is structurally sound and the wet or dry rot infection hasn’t decayed the timber to much then it is very likely that we can treat the timber for dry rot or wet rot.
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How do I know if you have wet rot?
There may be small cuboidal cracking along the grain of the timber.
Timber might start to crumble when squeezed if it has dried out.
The timber will feel soft when squeezed.
Black fungus may start to appear on timber.
Timber may become discolored.
Thick strands may be present on timber and surrounding areas.
A reddish/brown dust may be present.
A white film may be present on decayed timber “mycelium”.
A mushroom may be present white and reddish/brown in the center “fruiting body”.
Large cuboidal cracking along and against the grain of the timber.
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Timber Decay
One of the most common causes of damage to timbers in a property in wood rot and can become very dangerous if left untreated. We have a highly skilled team of technicians that treat dry and wet rot on a daily basis. There are many decorative and structural timbers in buildings that can be subject to wood rot from floorboards, floor joists, roof timbers, window frames etc. All these timber can be treated and protected from becoming rotten.
If you think you may be suffering from dry rot or you may have some wet rot then please contact DampServe and arrange a wet and dry rot survey. We will send out a fully qualified wet & dry rot surveyor to correctly diagnose the problem. He will then give you some advice to eradicate the issue. The longer the timber decay problem is left the more the timber treatment will cost.