Dry Rot / Wet Rot

Question 1

What does decayed timber feel like?

Answer 1

Very light

Crumbles to the touch

Question 2

What are the essential conditions for rot?

Answer 2

Food

Moisture

Temperature

Air

Absence of adverse conditions

Question 3

How do you identify wet rot?

Answer 3

Thin fungal strands (like twine)

Strands are brown / black (yellow when new)

Vein-like appearance on wood

Mycelium usually a cream or off-white to brown colour

Smaller cuboidal cracking than dry rot

Question 4

What are operational reasons to control rot?

Answer 4

May be present in disused buildings converted to accommodation

Can affect strength of structural timbers

Question 5

How do you prevent rot?

Answer 5

Good design

Good maintenance

Good repair and replacement

Question 6

How to treat wet rot?

Answer 6

Remove the damp source and allow the timber to dry

Test strength of affected timber and replaced where necessary

Apply fungicide solution to all surfaces in the area of rot

Question 7

What conditions does dry rot thrive in?

Answer 7

Humid

Stagnant

Question 8

What’s the difference in effect on wood by brown rot and white rot?

Answer 8

White rot = light fibrous appearance

Brown rot = cracking in a cuboidal manner

Question 9

What is the mycelium?

Answer 9

The vegetative part of the fungus

Question 10

How to identify dry rot?

Answer 10

Larger cuboidal cracking

Prefers soft woods

Pancake fleshy fruiting body with white margin and rust red middle

Strands usually grey in colour and embedded in the mycelium, brittle when dry

Question 11

How to treat dry rot?

Answer 11

Eliminate water source causing issues

Promote drying conditions

Cut out all timber up to 1m around last sign of infection

Strip all plaster, linings and skirtings removing all trace of mycelium

Clean all surfaces up to 1.5m from last trace of infection

Heat treat non-flammable surfaces

Apply fungicidal treatment