Press/News

A couple of photos from one of the Timberwise Manchester surveyors taken on a recent survey of a former hospital in Bowden, Cheshire. The hospital which was opened in 1885 has been unoccupied since 2004. With a new hospital been planned the local NHS trust are now in the process of selling the property which will potentially be split into apartments. The site is historically important and is made up of a collection of attractive Victorian buildings.

Timberwise were called upon to provide a survey of the property and determine the extent of the Dry Rot outbreak that had taken hold in the years that the buildings had stood dormant. The decay had caused some structural breakdown and had caused floors to collapse in places. The Dry Rot had spread from the basement through to the second floor.

The pictures below give an indication of the extent of the Dry Rot outbreak. The first one shows the extent of the Dry Rot outbreak in the basement area. Mycelium growth can be seen in abundance.

The second picture shows how Dry Rot spores can spread. As part of the Dry Rot life cycle ,when stressed the Dry Rot produces a sporophore or fruiting body which is a self reproduction organ. This allows the spore bearing surface of the sporophore to shed spores  into the atmosphere so that the new spores can land again, hopefully in the right environment to carry on germinating and extending the growth of the Dry Rot.

Here the orange coloured spores can be seen on the lavatory as well as the basin and grab rails.

To learn more about the life cycle of Dry Rot check out our Dry Rot podcast or our dedicated Dry Rot web page. For more pictures of Dry Rot have a look at our photo library on the Timberwise Facebook page.

What to do if you suspect Dry Rot in your property

First and foremost don’t panic! Timberwise are experts in identifying the source of the Dry Rot as well as providing the necessary remedial treatments to resolve the problem. Simply call 0800 288 8660 or complete the on-line Dry Rot survey request form.

Some pictures today from one of our Timberwise Manchester Dry Rot specialists – a great example of what can happen when you combine moisture and poor ventilation in a mothballed cellar environment – You can create the perfect breeding ground for Dry Rot!  Timberwise were called upon to survey this unused basement at the bottom of a store in St Helens, Merseyside as it was apparent to the owner that there was a problem with Dry Rot. Only when our surveyor inspected the basement fully was the true extent of the Dry Rot outbreak known.

The pictures below show the Dry Rot outbreak in a little more detail

Upon initial inspection the basement appears dark and damp but looking carefully you can see mycelium growth associated with Dry Rot behind the suspended ceiling.

Having removed some of the suspended ceiling it soon became clear  that the Dry Rot had spread throughout the basement covering in total approx. 35% of the basement area.

The Dry Rot was feeding on the timbers that held the suspended ceiling in place and left unchecked would continue to feed on the rest of the timber in the basement.

Our solution to this Dry Rot problem

To prevent a further attack of Dry Rot our solution involved the installation on an in-line fan system to increase ventilation to the basement area as well as removing and replacing all the infected timbers and sterilising any intact timbers to make sure there is no reappearance of the fungal decay.

What should I do if I suspect Dry Rot in my property?

Dry Rot is one of the most feared fungal decays and if found in a property needs expert treatment to ensure the out break is contained and not allowed to spread. Timberwise are experts in treating Dry Rot and have been for over 45 years. To arrange a survey from one of our Dry Rot experts simply pick up the phone and call 0800 288 8660 or complete our on-line dry rot survey request form.

A great photo today from our London surveyor of the dreaded Dry Rot.  Our team in London recieved a call from a distressed home owner following the discovery of what looked like Dry Rot spores in a utility room. Our surveyor tracked down the source of the Dry Rot outbreak to the sub-floor where he took the photo.

From the picture you can clearly see that the Dry Rot is growing on what appears to be new timbers. It then came to light that the owner had previously had a problem with Dry Rot that she thought had been treated which resulted in the fitting of new joists to replace decayed timbers. It would appear though that the previous Dry Rot outbreak was not treated correctly, hence the return of the Dry Rot problem. Here the Dry Rot can be seen travelling over over the new timbers and previously treated areas in search of new timbers to colonise.

The moral to this tale: If you suspect a problem with Dry Rot or any other type of fungal decay call in an expert to identify the problem and provide a solution to make sure that the problem does not come back!

Do you have a Dry Rot problem?

If you suspect you have a problem with Dry Rot don’t panic! Our team of surveyors are experts in diagnosing Dry Rot and tracking down the source of the problem. To arrange a survey with one of our Dry Rot experts simply call 0800 288 8660 or complete our on-line Dry Rot survey request form.

Some pictures today from one of our remedial surveyors who was called out to a case of Dry Rot that had taken hold in a property in Peterborough.

Dry Rot under a radiator

Close up of Dry Rot beneath a radiator

This Victorian property had at some point had a leaking down pipe that had led to water ingress creating the ideal breeding conditions for Dry Rot fungus.

What should I do if I suspect Dry Rot in my property?

Dry Rot outbreaks are normally accompanied with some of the following symptoms:

1) Any affected wood shrinks, darkens and cracks in a ‘cuboidal’ manner
2) A silky grey to mushroom coloured skin frequently tinged with patches of lilac and yellow tends to develop in less humid conditions.

3) White, fluffy ‘cottonwool’  like mycelium develops under humid conditions. ‘Teardrops’ may develop on the growth.
4) Strands develop within the mycelium growth; these are brittle and when dry crack when bent.
5) Fruiting bodies are a soft, fleshy pancake or bracket with an orange-ochre surface. The surface has wide pores.
Rust red coloured spore dust is frequently seen around fruiting bodies.
6) Active wood rot decay produces a musty, damp odour.

Get a Dry Rot experts opinion!

If you suspect an outbreak of Dry Rot in your property don’t panic! Call Timberwise on 0800 288 8660and request a Dry Rot survey -  alternatively complete our Dry Rot on-line survey request form

Todays photo from our surveyors files is of Dry Rot Mycelium Growth. Dry Rot is a wood destroying fungus and can cause wide spread structural damage if left untreated and is one of the most feared forms of fungal decay.

 If you suspect that you have Dry Rot in your property don’t panic! Timberwise have over 4 decades experience in the treating of Dry Rot in properties. For more information on Dry Rot check out our other Dry Rot pages on this website. We also have an article written by The Expert that looks in detail at Dry Rot as well an an animation that looks at the life cycle of Dry Rot. To arrange a Dry Rot survey simply call 0800 288 8660 or click here to arrange a Dry Rot Survey on-line.

In this post we look at the life cycle of Dry Rot – the most mysterious of wood rotting funghi.

Like wood boring beetles, fungi too have their own lifecycle and we are now going to look at  the lifecycle of probably the most economically important species of fungal decay in buildings, the True Dry rot fungus, otherwise known as Serpula lacrymans.

Dry Rot needs 3 elements to continue its growth within timber. These are water, air and a food source, in this case timber. The fungus obtains its food from the timber by breaking down the cell walls of the timber which ultimately results in a loss of strength in the timber and eventually the overall collapse of the timber. For the purposes of this example we will assume that the timber has a moisture content of between 25% and 30% for optimum germination and growth of the fungus.

The life cycle starts with a spore landing on the timber in the correct environment. The spores are omnipresent which means that they are in the atmosphere all the time. If you were to take a sample of the air in the room that you are in and micro filtered it down then we would more than likely see that dry rot spores were evident in the filters. As the spores land on the timber they germinate and produce hyphee growth.

 This is a similar process to that of placing seeds in compost. The hyphee growth is the root of the spores. The hyphee growth then mass and colonise together to produce mycelium growth – this is white, and almost “fluffy” in appearance. After a period of time the Dry Rot becomes stressed – this happens when one of the 3 necessary elements for growth (water, air or food) is removed or if the dry rot is in the vicinity of light.

When stressed the Dry Rot produces a sporophore or fruiting body which is a self reproduction organ. This allows the spore bearing surface of the sporohfore to shed into the atmosphere so that the new spores can land again, hopefully in the right environment to carry on germinating and extending the growth of the Dry Rot.

The presence of Dry Rot is usually associated with a building defect allowing ingress of moisture – for example, a leaking gutter or a cracked down pipe. If a building is correctly maintained and kept relatively water tight then generally this would preclude the presence of Dry Rot. Lets now look in detail at the various parts of the life cycle.

Here we see a photographic represenation of the Dry Rot lifecycle:

A piece of wood which has the correct moisture content

The lifecycle begins when the spores land on the timber

The hyphee growth become visible

The hyphee growth colonise to produce mycelium growth

When stressed the dry rot produces a fruiting body to reproduce

Dry Rot – Associated Links

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