Dry Rot Eradication
Wood rotting fungi
Wet rot is a general term used to describe all but one of the fungal species responsible for timber decay. The majority of timber decay found in buildings is caused by species of wet rot fungi.
Of all of the wood rotting fungi Dry Rot (Serpula lacrymans) is by far the most destructive to buildings and the most difficult to eradicate.
As you will read here, it is essential that experience, expertise and great care are employed to ensure that any attack is properly and successfully dealt with. If you believe that you have a Dry Rot outbreak in your property do not delay in contacting us to arrange for a thorough survey and diagnosis.
The eradication of dry rot is frequently an extremely complex problem and to be successful, requires the attention of a professional and thoroughly experienced, specialist contractor. Before any remedial works can commence to eradicate the dry rot, a thorough inspection of the building must be carried out. It is essential that a fully qualified remedial treatment surveyor does this inspection.
Experienced recommendations for
Dry Rot
Rudders & Paynes surveyors, when carrying out this type of inspection, will take great care to investigate and report on two main aspects:
- Firstly, it is necessary to fully identify the areas of the building affected by dampness and establish the cause.
- Secondly and requiring considerable expertise, is to assess the extent of the dry rot outbreak.
This will involve careful examination of all accessible timbers and surrounding masonry. Dry rot can penetrate brickwork, travel behind wall plaster, panelling and similar: to properly assess the spread of the outbreak demands great care and experience. Adjoining areas that may be susceptible to attack will be included in the inspection providing access can be gained. In the most serious cases it may be necessary to carry out a programme of ‘exposure’ works to determine the full extent of the attack.
Remedial works
Following our survey we will provide a full report, supported by sketch plans. This will give full details of our findings, our recommendations for remedial works and our estimated price, for carrying out the works specified. The remedial works necessary to eradicate dry rot will frequently involve much more than just the removal, replacing and treatment of affected timbers.
Additional works that may be necessary can include, for example; the removal of wall plaster and subsequent re-plastering, masonry treatment, replacement door and window frames, repair or renewal of staircases, etc. Recommendations will also be included with regards to eliminating the cause of the problem. Thorough drying out will also include improving the ventilation to affected areas and eliminating the cause of dampness. Thorough drying out of the affected areas of the building is a vital part of the eradication process.
Frequent indications of a dry rot outbreak
Often, the first sign of an outbreak of dry rot will be the appearance of a fruit-body. The fruit-body will produce profuse quantities of spores that frequently settle as a layer of fine reddish brown dust on horizontal surfaces. On occasion, the collapse of suspended timber joists or other structural timbers will be the first indication of what has become a serious problem.
As will be appreciated, identifying the extent and providing a long-term solution to an outbreak of dry rot is not for the amateur or unqualified. Dry rot, as with other problems associated with timber and dampness in buildings, requires the attention of a truly professional company such as Rudders & Paynes.
PCA and other Accreditations
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