Client: Domestic
Our client, a homeowner in Southend-on-Sea, contracted Timberwise to conduct dry rot treatment on their hallway floor. This property was a detached house of solid brick construction with external render and was both occupied and furnished at the time of our inspection. The weather was sunny.
Challenges
During our inspection, our surveyor was limited only to the area where decay had been identified, the ground-floor hallway. This is a regular challenge our surveyors face when surveying any property, as it’s natural to target only an area where a problem arises.
However, Dry Rot Fungus is especially hardy, and its ability to spread over brickwork and plaster to further moisture sources means it can also be present in other areas of a property. In these cases, it is often advised to conduct opening-up works to reveal any concealed areas to ensure thorough and total treatment can occur.
Observations
Our surveyor began by assessing the property for any likely spread of dry rot beyond the ground floor hallway. Externally, flaking and debonding paint was noted to the side elevation on the house, which would likely cause some amount of damp penetration. There was also an evident case of Wet Rot in one of the roof fascia boards. Neither of these was a likely cause for the internal condition of the property, but both defects needed attention to ensure the internal condition of the property remained normal.
Our surveyor did highlight a likely cause of the Dry Rot infestation within the property. High ground levels were identified on the side elevation of the property. This, combined with a lack of visible air bricks, would reduce air flow to the floor timbers and increase the risk of attack by fungal decay.
Moving internally, our surveyor assessed the extent of the dry rot infestation within the property. Lifting the flooring in the hallway, our surveyor revealed a large infestation of Dry Rot Fungus (Serpula Lacrymans), likely due to the ventilation concerns outlined previously. Small strands of dry rot spread were also identified in the walls adjoining the floor, suggesting that the infestation had spread within the wall plates behind the plaster.
Lifting away this area of flooring also allowed our surveyor to send their camera into the subfloor void, which revealed hyphae spread to the joists beyond the immediate area of the infestation. It also revealed cuboid cracking to some of the surrounding joists, indicating areas of structural weakness where the floor could bow or eventually collapse if left untreated.
Solutions
Working alongside our surveyor, our technicians conducted a thorough plan that would not only repair the damaged areas of the hallway floor but would also reduce the risk of recurrence in the future.
The only reliable method of treating a Dry Rot infestation is to completely remove the infested materials. Unlike Wet Rot, which can be left alone provided the defects surrounding them are treated and the timber is still structurally sound, this is not viable for Dry Rot.
Dry Rot is especially hardy and can lay dormant until conditions change which promote its growth. Leaving dry-rotten timbers alone means that any future defect would encourage it to regrow or spread to find other moisture sources away from the infestation site.
Our technicians hacked off the wall plaster to expose the dry rot spread, then removed all the infested materials, including wall plates, chipboard flooring, and floor joists. The exposed areas were then treated with a fungicidal spray to eradicate any remaining spores within the sub-floor void. This would reduce the likelihood of recurrence once the new timbers were fitted.
The infested floor joists were then replaced with new treated timbers. These were isolated from the masonry with a damp proof membrane which would prevent moisture from being able to reach the joists in case a new defect allowed water within the property. A new air brick was also installed into the subfloor void to improve ventilation to remove any excess moisture from beneath the floor. On the walls, new wall plates were constructed with the same treated timbers.
Once the new timbers were installed, our technicians created a Toxic Box, an additional measure against future fungal decay. This involved injecting LignaTek fungicidal treatment into the masonry at regular intervals. This gel then creates a barrier around the treated area which not only protects the work of our technicians but also reduces the ability of any future fungal infestation to spread in or our of the area.
With the new timbers laid and a Toxic Box created, our team could complete the restoration of the hallway. Our technicians fitted a treated moisture-resistant chipboard floor, upon which the decorative flooring could then be reinstated. The walls were then topped with our DryTek salt-retardant plaster specification. This plaster finish prevents salts from being absorbed into the wall, which would attract future moisture to the wall surface.
Results
Our client was delighted with the Timberwise team for treating the dry rot infestation within their home. They praised the team’s thorough attention to detail, ensuring that not only was their home fully treated, but that it would also be protected from recurrence if a future defect were to occur. Their treatment was supported by a 20-year guarantee, ensuring our clients peace of mind for years to come.
Do You Want Help with a Dry Rot Solution?
Our dedicated and experienced team in Kent are ready to talk to you about your options for property preservation. Don’t hesitate to call us on 01233 356 114, or you can request a survey online.
