What is dry rot?
Dry rot is considered the most harmful type of fungal degradation found in buildings. It attacks the wood in buildings and eats the components that give the wood its strength. Even without a source of moisture, dry rot can spread as it can produce moisture through the digestion of wood. As soon as dry rot begins to develop, the building’s structural stability may suffer significant harm.
If you suspect that you may have dry rot, you should make arrangements for a specialist (like our team at Matheson Damp Services) to conduct a survey and treat it ASAP. All of the afflicted wood might need to be removed and replaced if the dry rot is not quickly recognised and treated.
What does dry rot look like?
Dry rot has a distinctive appearance so can be spotted fairly easily. The following are some possible signs of dry rot:
- White mycelium that is fine and fluffy spreading across the wood
- A grey/white”skin,” which is flecked with yellow and lilac areas
- Fruiting body that resembles a mushroom and is soft, fleshy, and frequently orange in colour and has broad pores
- Red spore dust is frequently observed near fruiting bodies
What causes dry rot?
Dry rot is caused when airborne spores come into contact with damp wood that has a moisture level of more than 20%. Following their germination, these spores produce strands of grey root hyphae. The hyphae develop into mycelium, which coats the wood in a thick material resembling cotton wool. The fungus weakens the wood by eating it and sucking the moisture out of it. The fungus subsequently develops into a sporophore, a fruiting body that produces other spores to complete the life cycle.
Dry rot spores develop into wood-eating fungus, which thrives in moist, damp, poorly ventilated environments. Timber in the house may be wet for a variety of causes, such as penetrating damp, condensation, leaking pipes, poor drainage, and a damaged roof.
Is dry rot dangerous?
Dry rot is one of the most harmful timber fungus, not just because it threatens the structural integrity of your building but also because of the underlying damp issue it symbolises. While dry rot by itself won’t pose a significant threat to health, it can lead to expensive structural damage that eventually becomes a health danger.
What is the difference between wet and dry rot?
There are two different kinds of fungi: wet rot and dry rot. Wet rot requires a higher moisture content to flourish than dry rot, which is one of their key distinctions. The dry rot fungus will germinate at a lower timber moisture level of between 20% and 30% while the wet rot fungus prefers to develop on wood with a high moisture content of around 50% and above.
There are numerous varieties of wet rot, but there is only one variety of dry rot fungus.
How to treat dry rot
To treat dry rot, you must first remove the source of moisture that created the conditions for rot and fungal growth in the first place. Next, remove plaster and timber infested with fungus and spores before applying a fungicide treatment and fixing any structural integrity issues. This may involve the removal and replacement of structural and decorative timbers.
If you suspect you have dry rot in your property, it’s important to call in experienced damp-proof specialists like Matheson Damp Services.
Call us now on 07898 010 682 to book a damp survey in central Scotland.