0151 220 3818 or mobile: 07398 275213
0151 220 3818 or mobile: 07398 275213
How to identify Dry Rot
How does Dry Rot Grow?
Don't let the name "Dry Rot" deceive you. Dry Rot actually needs moisture to grow, normally at around 20% moisture level.
The main difference between dry rot and wet rot is that dry rot will often grow in places hidden from view, such as behind underneath floorboards behind walls, skirting boards and plaster. Unfortunately, this means that dry rot can continue to grow undetected and can cause severe damage before it is even identified.
Are these recognisable- the 6 signs to spot dry rot? Are you are unsure about how to identify dry rot? For an expert option, call us today in Liverpool.
6 signs to spot Dry Rot
1. Rotten Timber
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
2. Piles of Spore Dust
When timber joists and floorboards are damaged by dry rot, they are typically brown in colour with dry and brittle cuboidal features that are easy to break or crumble just with your hands.
2. Piles of Spore Dust
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
2. Piles of Spore Dust
Dry rot spores exist in most properties which are harmless. However if you see large concentrated patches of fine orange/brown dust almost like rust, this could be a sign that dry rot outbreak is in progress.
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
On your timber, you may notice fine greyish strands that look similar to cobwebs - but they are not. These strands develop from dry rot spores and are known as hyphae. During this stage in the dry rot lifecycle, the dry rot spreads and grows by extracting moisture from damp areas and feeding on timber.
4. White Mycelium
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
3. Cobweb like Grey Strands
When dry rot needs to find more timber to spread to, it produces "Mycelium". These are silky cotton wood-like cushions which vary in colour from grey to pure white.
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
One of the most distinctive signs of dry rot is the final stage in the dry rot lifecycle. The soft fleshy pancake has an orange-ochre surface and has wide pores. It develops when dry rot can no longer feed on the timber it is attached to and needs to eject new spores into the atmosphere to colonise again.
6. Bad odour!
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
5. Dry Rot Fruiting Bodies
Active dry rot timber decay has a damp, musty odour. If you notice this smell in your property, you should look out for any of the previously mentioned signs and call in the experts.
Why identification is vital
Huge threat to structural damage.
If you think you have found timber decay, it is critical to identify the cause. There is both dry rot and wet rot which can both cause timber decay. However it is Dry Rot that can potentially do the most devastating damage to your property. This is because dry rot can travel through other building materials - as well as timber - and has the potential to spread quickly through your home. Due to this high risk, added precautions often have to be taken, such as masonry sterilisation when treating dry rot in Liverpool, in additional to steps necessary when facing outbreaks of other wood-rotting fungi.
If any of these dry rot signs above seem familiar, it is strongly recommended that you seek a qualified specialist to come out and investigate the possible cause of dry rot.
Call Abbey Damp in Liverpool on 0151 220 3818 and ask for a Dry Rot Survey or please send the completed form below.