Wet & Dry Rots.

Wood rotting fungi can only exist in timbers which have a moisture content of above 20%, they feed by breaking down the cells of the timbers which eventually leads to a loss of strength and possible collapse.

Wet and Dry Rots occur mainly due to building faults i.e. rising or penetrating damp, condensation or contact with a damp surface, such as a sub floor void or leaking pipe.

Wood fungi which are generally found in buildings can be split into two main groups.

White Rots. The timbers become lighter in colour and fibrous in texture.
Brown Rots. The timbers become darker in colour, suffer cracking across the grain of the timbers and crumbles when dry.

All of these white and brown rots apart from one brown rot are wet rots, this brown rot is Serpula lacrymans or DRY ROT.
Dry Rot is thought to be the most serious type of timber decay and requires the most radical  treatments to ensure complete eradication.

  • Dry Rot fruiting body.
  • Often the first sign of dry rot will be a fruiting body (left) this is the reproductive area of the fungi.
  • This fruiting body measured 3 metres by 1.5 metres.
  • Spores are produced from the fruiting body, they are rusty red in colour.
  • Spores are often spread by air currents through out the property and can be seen on flat surfaces.
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  • Mycelium
  • Mycelium is the network of microscopic threads of a decay fungus, looks like cotton wool

  • The Mycelium (picture left) can be seen as a white sheet between the floor joist and below the floor boards, this attack was found below the fruiting body above.

  • Colour varies depending upon humidity, white and fluffy to thin grey felt texture.

  • Strands.
  • Strands are a collection of hypae which act is a similar way to a root system in plants.

  • The strands are white to grey in colour, are up to 5mm thick and become brittle when dry.

  • The strands are able to grow through brick and mortar although they do not cause too much damage to walls.

  • Rot Damage to Timbers.
  • The picture ( left ) shows damage caused by dry rot on timber.

  • The cracking with dry rot is deeper and more pronounced than with wet rots.

  • Timber becomes lightweight and crumbles fairly easily.

Tie Right Ltd / Wall Tie Replacement / Wood Boring Beetles / Wet & Dry Rots/Wet & Dry Rots Treatments
Rising & Penetrating Damp/ More Damp, Condensation & Treatments/ Structural Timber Replacement/Response Page