What is Dry Rot...

Dry rot is the term given to brown rot decay caused by certain fungi that deteriorates timber in buildings and other wooden construction without an apparent source of moisture. The term is slightly misleading because all wood decaying fungi needs a minimum amount of moisture before decay begins.

The decayed wood takes on a dark or browner crumbly appearance, with cuboidal like cracking or ‘checking’, that becomes brittle and can eventually crush the wood into powder. Often associated with the rot are tendril growths and fruit bodies often producing rusty-red coloured spores.

An outbreak of dry rot within a building can be an extremely serious infestation that is hard to eradicate, requiring drastic remedies to correct. Significant decay can cause instability and cause the structure to collapse.

Treatment
The treatment of dry rot depends on the nature of the materials affected. Both timber and masonry may require sanitisation with specialist chemicals and plasterwork and timber may require replacement.