The story of a Dry Rot and Wet Rot damage.
If you have ever purchased property before, you will know the importance of having a full survey, but what if the report finds wet rot or dry rot?
What is wet rot or dry rot? How can it be dealt with? Fixrot.co.uk can fix it all for you.
I will take you through two of the most common types of damp damage in timbers and how to fix it.
The issues of dry rot and wet rot.
Now the 2 main types of rot refer to damage done by effectively the weather, mainly to the timber parts of your property. Rotten timber are never going to be a good sign what so ever.
This can include floorboards & floor joists, roof joists/trusses and timbers inside your attic space and any other timber that makes up the construction of your home.
Wood is a readily available building material which has been used by our grand parents for generations without much issue. It is used for so many different parts of construction and home improvements.
The issues we come across with heating systems, insulation and double glazing, our homes don’t get to breath anymore, which is when most of these issues come from.
What is dry rot?
Dry rot is the decaying timbers which are normally caused by a fungus that eats away at the timber, it starts destroying core natural strength, meaning the timber loses it’s strength. If the affected wood is load-bearing timber, such as in your roof space, this can be a very bad sign and treatment must be started as soon as possible.
Not like it’s name, dry rot is not dry at all, it needs moisture in order for it to germinate and grow, but can travel as far as 1.5m per month in every direction in its perfect conditions.
The tricky thing about this type of damage is that, it often occurs in places out of site, such as under your floor or in your roof, so even if you have lived in the same home for 15 years and have no intention of selling, a survey from fixrot.co.uk is a must.
There are four stages to dry rot infestation
Dry rot, starts out as tiny spores in the air and can be spotted sometimes as an orange colour dust or powder on the timber. Regular inspections by a qualified timber contractor can save you a fortune later if the rot is found early on, it can be treated which may save the wooden structure from further damage, and/or expensive replacement of timbers.
The second stage of contamination, and only with sufficient moisture or damp present, is where the rot starts to grow into something like a fungus, which then germinate, grow and spread into the third stage of multiplying rapidly.
The fourth stage is where it starts to resemble a living plant and the infestation then serious and spreads much quicker. At this stage we wont be able to carry out a repair without replacing ALL the affected wood in the area.
What is wet rot?
Wet rot is not as common a problem than dry rot and is often caused by the wood being exposed to high levels of moisture, accelerating the natural decay of timber, and is often caused by an external issue such as a roof slates or a leaking pipe.
Wet rot can be caused by a poorly maintained property, especially where the exterior walls have little or no weatherproofing, allowing the moisture into the home and into contact with the timbers, causing it to rot.
Wet rot is easier to spot than dry rot and mainly affects the surfaces of timber. A place to spot it would be the bottoms of doors or the door frames.
What to do after finding any rot in your home
We would strongly advise contacting us at fixrot.co.uk. We will come and do a home visit to assess the problem.
However bad the issue is, in most cases dry or wet rot can be treated, usually in the form of removing and replacing the wood. Afterwards it is good practice to have all your timbers professionally treated to avoid a recurrence of the problem.
Written by Scott Galloway – Senior Project Manager