The costs of ignoring dry rot in your property
Dry rot is a real problem in the British Isles. It can be found in many places around the country – anywhere it’s damp (which is ironic, given the name).
Without proper treatment, dry rot could pose a significant safety risk and lead to a massive repair bill.
This page explains what dry rot is and why it’s so crucial to find, identify, and eliminate it.
What is dry rot?
Dry rot in the UK is the Serpula lacrymans fungus. Its spores digest the structurally strong parts of timber, leaving it looking flaky, patchy, and obviously rotting. It may be causing powdering or cracking.
‘Dry rot’ is a misnomer. It only thrives in damp wood. It’s assumed that the name comes from the dry appearance of timber after being affected, or perhaps because of how it thrives even in ‘dry’ environments. The latter is generally taken as historically correct, originating from timber boatyards.
While wet rot requires relatively humid environments to activate, it’s confined to the local spots in which the spores rest. On the other hand, dry rot can damage wood when its moisture level is above 20% (which is pretty much everywhere), with air humidity above 20%.
However, it’s more dangerous than wet rot because, unlike its similarly named cousin, it can travel to other pieces of wood, even in low-humidity areas. In other words, the risk of dry rot spreading is high.
Dry rot can cause significant structural damage in your home
In other words, dry rot is a real problem. Once it enters your home, it spreads, eating away at wooden structures.
For example, window and door frames are one of the easiest places to spot dry rot. These typically hold moisture, perhaps due to a poor seal. From here, it could spread to the window sills, skirting, or any nearby furniture.
This is serious – and costly – but it isn’t structurally damaging or unsafe. Not yet, anyway. The repairs are pretty straightforward.
The most significant impact of dry rot is when it gets into your structural components made of timber. In most of our red brick or stone homes, the predominantly affected areas will be:
- Roof beams
- Floor joists and floorboards
- Interior walls
The outer and structural walls could be affected if you have a timber frame home.
This is where the real danger of dry rot kicks in. If these pieces of wood start to rot away due to dry rot, they lose their strength. We call it a ‘loss of structural integrity’. In severe cases, the affected beams, cross members, or joists could collapse, posing an extreme safety risk.
Of course, the repair would also be incredibly expensive.
How to eliminate and avoid dry rot
Dry rot most commonly affects historic properties (where ventilation and humidity control aren’t so effective). However, you might find it anywhere.
Another building type we often find dry rot in is timber-frame homes with improper foam insulation. This prevents air circulation and creates issues in the structural wooden frames.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to avoid that happening. We suggest a thorough review of your home’s setup, including checks of the following:
- Drainage
- Eaves and downpipes
- Pipe leaks
- Sufficient ventilation (in every room)
A home survey can help you spot and identify the first visible signs of dry rot. You can get one as part of a home purchase or if you already own the building. Either way, knowing about potential safety risks and cost implications will benefit you significantly.
The surveyor will recommend a course of action if dry rot is found. Typically, this involves instructing a dry rot specialist to remove and replace affected timbers and a chemical spray on the remaining areas. RICS suggests not overdoing it; different species of the dry rot fungus are more or less serious, and there’s no need for overkill, especially if the chemicals are themselves potentially detrimental to human health.
Get a survey from GB Home Surveys
With local offices in the South-West, South Wales, and the West Midlands, GB Home Surveys can help you identify any visible signs of dry rot in your home.
Our team of expert, RICS-registered chartered surveyors is trained to spot the signs of dry rot. Identifying it as early as possible means you’ll have the best chance of keeping costs down and keeping your family safe.
Why not contact us for more information about a home survey? Fill out the form below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
