Dry Rot (Serpula lacrymans)
Wet Rots and Dry Rot can be easily misidentified by the layman. However, it always sensible to get any fungal growth checked by an expert. People assume that Wet Rot affects wet timber and Dry Rot affects dry timber but, in fact Dry Rot requires a high moisture content within the timber.
It often affects timbers located next to damp walls and likes humid, unventilated spaces in buildings. Once established it is very persistent and, will travel long distances, often behind wall plaster, to find further damp wood to devour.
Affected timber shows signs of cuboidal cracking and when severely affected crumbles readily into fine powder. Fungal mycelium develops on the surface of the timber; sometimes this mycelium looks like a white, cotton wool cushion, which spreads across timbers and brickwork. Strands radiate from the initial outbreak and can extend for several feet across inert materials such as bricks and steel joists etc.
The fruiting body resembles a flat plate or bracket. They are initially pale grey but as spores develop on the spore-bearing surface it becomes rusty red in colour. Millions of spores are produced and this gives rise to the characteristic red dust which can cover a floor.
Solution!
Treatment must be with comprehensive sterilisation to one metre beyond the last visible sign of growth and it is essential to determine the full extent of the outbreak and ensure that no infected timber is overlooked. All fungus growth will need to be traced to its origin and all hidden timbers uncovered. All infected timber must be burned.
It is also essential to locate and rectify the source of moisture ingress giving rise to the fungal decay.
This is a truly devastating rot, which can cause extensive damage to a property. It is essential that a survey is carried out as quickly as possible once an outbreak is suspected.
