Press/News

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.

Another great photograph of Dry Rot taken in a basement from one of our Dry Rot specialists! This great picture shows the key elements of Dry Rot – the fruiting body, mycelium growth, hyphae and at the ends of the hyphae tear like droplets of water appear (this is the Dry Rots way of controlling moisture) hence the term Lacrymans meaning tears.

The solution to a Dry Rot problem

Dry Rot has many different stages in its lifecycle. Dry Rot treatment initially starts with correctly identifying which stage your Dry Rot problem has reached within the dry rot lifecycle.  At Timberwise our fully qualified and specialist surveyors are experts at identifying the extent of the decay and will arrange for a suitable solution to the treatment of your dry rot problem. To arrange a Dry Rot survey call 0800 288 8660 of complete our 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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