30 YEAR GUARANTEE FOR ALL DAMP WORK
Identifying Dry Rot in Wirral
How does Dry Rot Grow?
Despite the name "Dry Rot" suggesting that no moisture is required at all, it actually requires a moisture level of around 20% to grow.
A key difference between dry rot and wet rot is that dry rot will often remain hidden in areas of your property that cannot be seen, such as behind walls or underneath floorboards. Unfortunately, this means that dry rot can cause significant damage before it is even identified.
So how do you spot the rot?
6 signs to spot Dry Rot
1. Damaged Timber
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
When timber is damaged by dry rot, it is often drown in colour with dry and brittle cuboidal features that are easily broken or crumble in your hand.
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
There are dry rot spores in most properties which are harmless. However if you spot large concentrated patches of fine orange/brown dust, this would indicate that dry rot outbreak is in progress.
3. Grey Strands on Timber
2. Concentrated Spore Dust
3. Grey Strands on Timber
Fine greyish strands that look similar to cobwebs, develop from dry rot spores are known as hyphae. This stage in the dry rot lifecycle allows dry rot to spread and grow by extracting moisture from damp areas and feeding on timber.
4. White Mycelium
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
Mycelium are silky cotton wood-like cushions, varying in colour from grey to pure white, that dry rot produces when it needs to spread to nearby timber.
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
Perhaps the most visually distinctive sign is the final stage in the dry rot lifecycle.The mushroom-like fruiting bodies occur when dry rot can no longer feed on the timber it is attached to and needs to eject new spores into the atmosphere to begin a new cycle
6. The Smell!
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
6. The Smell!
Dry Rot timber decay has a damp musty odour. If you notice this odour in your property, you should look out for any of the previously mentioned signs.
Why identification is critical
It is very important to identify whether timber decay has been caused by dry rot or another wood-destroying fungus such as wet-rot. This is due to the fact that dry rot can travel through other building materials - as well as timber - and has the potential to spread quickly through your building. Due to this high risk, added measures often have to be taken, such as masonry sterilisation, when treating dry rot in Wirral, in additional to steps necessary when facing outbreaks of other wood-rotting fungi.
If the dry rot signs above seem familiar, it is strongly advised that you consult a qualified specialist to investigate the possible dry rot cause.
Contact Abbey Damp in Wirral and ask for a Dry Rot Survey or simply email us on the form below.