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Wet & Dry Rot
Wet Rot
What Are The Indications of Wet Rot?
Some Wet Rots are termed as "Brown Rot": Here, you can see the shrinking and splitting of the timber causing "cuboidal" cracking. The wood is also darker after the metabolism of lignin.
Other types of wet rot are termed white rots which cause the timber to become fibrous and lighter in colour.
What Causes Wet Rot?
In common with all fungi, wet rot requires moisture for germination to take place and to sustain life. So as with all wood rotting fungi the primary cause of wet rot is moisture. If wood is kept 'dry' - below 18% moisture content - it will not decay.
How Do You Treat Wet Rot?
The first step is to remove the source of moisture. All decayed timbers should be replaced with pretreated timber, or wherever possible, a material not susceptable to wet rot i.e. concrete (lintels etc).
Can Rot Return After Treatment?
Both Wet & Dry Rot can return after successful treatment. Contractors can sterilise, treat and replace affected areas to eradicate any decay present, however if the necessary conditions reoccur, the rot will start again.
Spores are always present in the air and the only way to prevent Wet & Dry Rot is to control the conditions.
What Are The Indications of Wet Rot?
Some Wet Rots are termed as "Brown Rot": Here, you can see the shrinking and splitting of the timber causing "cuboidal" cracking. The wood is also darker after the metabolism of lignin.
Other types of wet rot are termed white rots which cause the timber to become fibrous and lighter in colour.
What Causes Wet Rot?
In common with all fungi, wet rot requires moisture for germination to take place and to sustain life. So as with all wood rotting fungi the primary cause of wet rot is moisture. If wood is kept 'dry' - below 18% moisture content - it will not decay.
How Do You Treat Wet Rot?
The first step is to remove the source of moisture. All decayed timbers should be replaced with pretreated timber, or wherever possible, a material not susceptable to wet rot i.e. concrete (lintels etc).
Can Rot Return After Treatment?
Both Wet & Dry Rot can return after successful treatment. Contractors can sterilise, treat and replace affected areas to eradicate any decay present, however if the necessary conditions reoccur, the rot will start again.
Spores are always present in the air and the only way to prevent Wet & Dry Rot is to control the conditions.
Dry Rot
What Does Dry Rot Look Like?
The wood shrinks, darkens and cracks. A silky grey/lilac/yellow skin forms in less humid conditions whereas a white fluffy "cotton wool" mycelium develops in more humid conditions.
Any active decays creates a musty "damp" smell - this is sometimes what raises alarm within a property resulting in a survey.
Can Dry Rot Spread Across Walls?
Yes it can. Dry Rot spores can live for years without water which makes it the worst case of rot possible. Although water is essential in the initial phases of Dry Rot, thick walled hyphae develop called Strands. These Strands are resistant to desiccation and therefore spread over bricks & mortar, conducting nutrients from the source to the tips enabling them to spread further.
How Do You Treat Dry Rot?
As with all types of fungal decay, the source of moisture must be found and removed. Any affected timber must be replaced, including materials that are up to 1m from the last point where Dry Rot is visible.
Where masonry is affected, it is possible to sterilise these areas. This is acheived by drilling and injecting fungicide into the masonry.
What Does Dry Rot Look Like?
The wood shrinks, darkens and cracks. A silky grey/lilac/yellow skin forms in less humid conditions whereas a white fluffy "cotton wool" mycelium develops in more humid conditions.
Any active decays creates a musty "damp" smell - this is sometimes what raises alarm within a property resulting in a survey.
Can Dry Rot Spread Across Walls?
Yes it can. Dry Rot spores can live for years without water which makes it the worst case of rot possible. Although water is essential in the initial phases of Dry Rot, thick walled hyphae develop called Strands. These Strands are resistant to desiccation and therefore spread over bricks & mortar, conducting nutrients from the source to the tips enabling them to spread further.
How Do You Treat Dry Rot?
As with all types of fungal decay, the source of moisture must be found and removed. Any affected timber must be replaced, including materials that are up to 1m from the last point where Dry Rot is visible.
Where masonry is affected, it is possible to sterilise these areas. This is acheived by drilling and injecting fungicide into the masonry.
