info@debrette.co.uk
What is dry rot?
And why you need it treated
Dry rot is a fungus which feeds off wood. It requires a lower level of moisture than wet rot fungi.
It has a root system (mycelium) that can spread behind wall plaster as well a through most building materials including mortar and concrete to find timber.
Dry rot eats the wood from the inside out. It feeds off the cellulose and hemicellulose leaving the wood weak and brittle. The decay will eventually cause instability and sudden collapse.
The name is misleading as both wet and dry rot are forms of damp rot and are caused by high levels of moisture in timber.
To keep your home a healthy place to live, dry rot infestations should be treated quickly.
Dry rot treatment
- Cure the source of the dampness
- Remove rotted timbers
- Replace rotted timbers with fresh wood that is treated with a wood preservative so as to resist future wet rot and dry rot infestations
- New timbers are isolated from any damp brickwork
This photograph shows a dry rot fruiting body found lurking within a client’s wine cellar. This building is approximately 100 years old.
This photograph shows the spread of dry rot mycelium within a cupboard where it has covered a silver coffee pot and candelabra.