Dealing with Dry Rot – Pictures

21st Nov 18 | Back to blog

Over the years we have seen it all! So we thought we would put a collection of pictures together to show you how leaving dry rot untreated, can cause the damage that it does!

Dry Rot

Dry rot is a severe type of wood rotting which can devastate the wood structure, turning it a brown colour and eventually reducing the timber to a dry and crumbly consistency. If you notice red dust forming below timber structures around your property, the appearance of white fungal mushrooms from crevices, shrunken and dark discoloured wood, or a pungent mushroom smell, then you could have a serious dry rot problem.

Dry Rot adapts well to to the environment within buildings. As such Dry Rot is one of the fastest forms of decay and one of the most difficult to eradicate. If you suspect you have a Dry Rot outbreak in a property you need a Dry Rot specialist to survey the problem and recommend the best cause of action to treat the Dry Rot problem.

The Cause

It can arise when moisture content rises above 28%, typically caused by water leaking directly onto the wood, or if the timber is situated next to damp masonry. High humidity and stagnant air can also contribute to timber suffering from dry rot.

Dry rot is caused by moisture ingress and dampness being present in a property; this moisture can be present due to various forms of dampness.

Spores are present in the atmosphere though need the right conditions for it to start growing. Once they land on timber, they will germinate and produce hyphae (fine strands of fungal growth). These hyphae strands join together to form a mass called Mycelium that can vary in colour from grey to pure white, and these strands grow into and across the damp wood. It can also grow into materials such as plaster, mortars, bricks etc.  It’s ability to grow over building materials in search for other timber is the reason that it is feared so much.  It is often referred to as the cancer of buildings.