Wet & Dry Rot Treatments

What’s The Difference Between Wet and Dry Rot?

Wet rot treatment is usually less expensive to eradicate than dry rot. Wet rot holds more moisture in comparison to dry rot, but fungal decay of timber by either wet rot or dry rot can occur when timbers are in prolonged contact with damp situations, especially in poorly ventilated areas such as sub floors.

What Is Wet Rot and Dry Rot?

Dampness from plumbing leaks, defective gutters, rising dampness or high ground levels etc., can create the conditions for decay to establish, which allows wood rotting fungi to develop and flourish. This can cause huge structural problems for a property.

What Is Wet Rot?

Wet rot is a term used to help define all manners of fungal species that can cause damage to your home. Wet rot needs a high moisture content to be able to grow and it mainly affects timber. There are many kinds of wet rot fungi, whereas there is only one kind of dry rot fungus. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to work out whether your property has rot – and if its wet or dry – as soon as possible. Wet rot often happens in a more localised area and can be dealt with more quickly and at a lower cost. If it is left untreated it can cause major structural issues, so it’s important to always get it fixed with wet rot treatment as soon as possible.

Wet Rot Treatment

Typically, wet rot is found in the dampest areas of the property. We will look to find the source of the rot and eliminate the source of the water to eradicate it permanently and replace affected areas of timber.

What Is Dry Rot?

The fungal growth from dry rot may be in the form of white strands, sheet mycelium and fruiting bodies. The white strands are able to penetrate through brickwork and mortar joints and can transport moisture to dry, poorly ventilated areas, allowing the spread of the fungus.

The mycelium appears as silky white sheets, often with yellow / lilac edges. Fruiting bodies appear as fleshy, pancake like growths, laden with spores, often creating a red dust around the affected area.

Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans)

Wood Rot Treatment: Dry Rot Treatment

Successful implementation of Dry Rot treatment normally involves several key factors.

The first step to good and accurate dry rot treatment is removal of the moisture source(s), establishing a dry environment. Dry rot treatment then requires eradication of fungal growth and replacement of defective timber elements.

Irrigation

Dry rot treatment (Serpula lacrymans) normally requires cutting out and disposing of defective timbers and chemical treatment to adjacent areas to eradicate fungal growth. Where masonry is affected, treatment of the brickwork may be required in the form of sterilisation and / or irrigation to the walls.

Irrigation is the term used to describe the eradication of Dry Rot from masonry and involves drilling the masonry and injecting a fungicidal preservative to the walls under pressure. Kenwood fungicidal biocide is used to sterilise the surfaces of masonry and the oversite.

Wet rot

Following the eradication of the fungus and removal of the moisture sources during the dry rot treatment, new timbers can be introduced, ensuring isolation from masonry with physical barriers and adequate ventilation to the floor voids.

Where floor voids cannot be adequately ventilated, replacement in concrete may be required.

The Cost of Wet Rot Treatment & Dry Rot Treatment

Fungal decay

Wet rot treatment is usually less expensive to eradicate than dry rot, as eradication of fungal growth is much simpler and does not normally require chemical treatment.

Eradication of moisture sources, promoting a dry environment and timber replacement will still be required. Kenwood PLC’s range of treatments for fungal decay may include specialist eradication works, partial or complete floor replacements and re-plastering.

If you have any questions about wood rot treatment – either wet rot treatment, or dry rot treatment – please feel free to get in touch with Kenwood. As is the case with any potential for serious issues when it comes to housing, and things that could have huge structural effects on your property, it’s best to get a professional to assess the situation as soon as possible. Book a survey, today!

Removal of flooring for treatmentRemoval of wall plastering for treatment

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