How to prevent and treat dry rot in your home
Dry rot is one of those crucial common problems to avoid. Along with Japanese Knotweed and woodworm, it causes homeowners one of the most significant expenses they’ll face.
As such, its prevention and treatment is vital. By keeping dry rot at bay or taking care of it as soon as you notice the warning signs, your home will remain safe and secure and retain its value.
This article is about preventing dry rot and what to do if you or a survey finds it in your home.
What is dry rot, and is it a danger?
Dry rot actually refers to different fungi depending on where in the world you are. However, here in the UK, we’re specifically talking about the Serpula lacrymans.
This fungus grows by consuming the moisture and cellulose within the wood, leaving it brittle and weak. In severe cases, it can even damage the structural integrity of a building.
Yes, then. It’s a danger.
Despite the name, dry rot requires moisture to germinate and grow (as mentioned above). It’s just that it needs far less than other forms of rot, like those in the wet rot family.
Its name is thought to originate from old boatyards. In the days of wooden ships, they’d be brought into aptly named dry docks for winter or repair. When labourers found rot even in these ‘dry’ conditions, they christened the fungus as such.
In reality, it’s likely that the spores were already in the ship’s timbers and consumed the absorbed moisture over the months it was stored. This would give the appearance of rot growing in dry conditions.
How to prevent dry rot
If your home doesn’t have dry rot, great. Let’s keep it that way.
If we were to briefly summarise, dry rot prevention is about simple home maintenance. Here are a few things you can do to keep it at bay:
- Reduce moisture ingression (damp) – as soon as you find a leak (in a pipe, the roof, or a downpipe), fix it. Don’t let water pool on wooden surfaces, where it might soak into the timbers and give dry rot something to feed off.
- Clear up any water you do find – sometimes, leaks happen with no way to know about them. However, as soon as you do find that puddle, get the dehumidifiers in and improve ventilation as much as possible.
- Improve ventilation – as alluded to above, if you have a constant airflow, it’s less likely that the spores will settle into place and germinate. This could involve extractor fans, dehumidifiers, fans, or even something as simple as regularly opening the windows (‘purging’).
Unfortunately, once dry rot germinates in your home, it’s not going away without a fight. It may be too late for these measures.
If you need clarification on whether your home or a home you’re buying contains dry rot, consider a home survey. A chartered surveyor will do the searching for you.
If they find what they suspect to be dry rot, they’ll recommend the best next steps you can take, which usually involves contacting a dry rot specialist for further investigation.
How to treat dry rot if a survey uncovers it
Let’s say you order a home survey and it finds those suspicious web-like organic structures in your roof, and the surveyor confirms the presence of dry rot.
Okay. That’s not ideal, but don’t panic. There’s always a way to move forward.
After finding dry rot, the first thing to do is consult the chartered surveyor. They’ll have produced a report for you to reference and read about, including their most important points and advice.
However, you should be welcome to email, call, or otherwise chat with your surveyor about their findings. If you have any questions or don’t understand any aspects of the report, please don’t hesitate.
The treatment for dry rot is essentially the same, no matter the case. The area must be reinforced before the affected timbers are removed and replaced. A specialist company then sprays chemicals on all the wood in the surrounding spaces, treating it and preventing the spores from germinating again.
The only difference might be the scale of the problem. You’ll need an equally intense treatment plan if you find an old, severe infestation – say, ten years old or more. The opposite is also true.
Dry rot treatment in structural wood can cost more than £10,000, although possibly as low as £6,000 in less harmful cases.
Give GB Home Surveys a call
GB Home Surveys is a national company employing chartered surveyors to work in local offices. We’re based in the South-West, South Wales and the West Midlands.
We offer Home Surveys and Structural Surveys (among others) to our clients in these areas. Use our free Quote Calculator to see what we can do for you, and don’t forget about our price guarantee. If you find the same survey listed for less elsewhere, we’ll do our very best to match it.
Are you worried about dry rot or looking to instruct a survey? If so, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our staff are always delighted to have a commitment-free, friendly chat to learn about you and how we can help.
Use the form below to reach out. We can’t wait to hear from you.
