DRY ROT RETURNED AFTER BUILDER REPAIRS

‘Dry Rot is rare but can cause millions of pounds worth of damage to properties annually.’

By far the most common problem or defect in houses, how can we eradicate it? We provide a summary our services help identify the problem and recommend the best action.

I am an assistant surveyor at first associates.co.uk. The chartered surveyor I work with surveys 250 properties per year. Out of this he may see dry rot twice a year. I have seen forms of rot in properties during my work experience, but am yet to witness dry rot. Yes it is rare, but it is advisable you call a structural surveyor if you would like to know if it is present in the house you are buying, because believe you me it is expensive to treat!

Our research shows some people that have been really affected by the problem, these include: House owners, commercial, Churches what next! Here are some victims of dry rot.

The costs of dry rot/ verdicts

‘I bought my house three years ago and when I moved in I found the porch roof was leaking. I made a claim on my home insurance for this and they paid out. I now have dry rot in the porch presumably as a result of this leak. Do you think the insurance company should pay out for this? They are saying that they do not think a leaking roof would cause dry rot.’ Maybe in this case the victim should have treated the problem earlier before it escalated.

It doesn’t only apply only to residential homes, the rot can spread to shops for example Sam a shop owner said,
”I rent a shop with a full repairing lease. The building is approx 100 years old. 6 months ago I had to pay out for repairs for dry rot. The builders replaced the affected floorboards, timber frames and re-plastered the affected masonry. They also sprayed the area with a chemical. They guessed it may have been caused by an overflowing drain on the outside of the building, this was rectified and they also installed 2 airbricks into the outside wall as there was no ventilation under the floor. The dry rot has now reappeared on an inside wall about 2 feet away from where they sprayed up to”. From this we can deduce that older properties usually the subject of our surveys are problem areas and a guarantee for works does not mean that the problem will not come back.

I also recently spoke to a MSC student who works for the church of england. When asked about common defects she has experienced. She mentioned if dry rot does spring up it is rare. She told me of one story.

“A bishop she knew lead a congregation back into Ingestre Church in Staffordshire. This was claimed as the only parish church outside London designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Three years ago the 150 parishioners were faced with the unexpected discovery of dry rot and an estimate of £500,000 for repairs“ This is immensely huge. Her job is very demanding and to be able to spot a defect of this sheer size is what a building surveyor can do.

What is dry rot and how to see it?

Dry rot is a crumbling and drying of timber caused by a fungus. It is called Serpula lacrymenas. It is common and expensive to fix. One tough way it affects properties with old timber is in the roofing.

As mentioned it is not the most common problem in properties in the U.K, it requires a certain level of mositure to spread. It eats away at the cellulose in the wood which causes it to shrink and break. It usually appears as grey or white strands in the wood. Other ways of sensing apart from the colouring of the wood are smell and fungal growths. It really is ugly! It really take a big chunk out of the timber. You can also usually find dry rot in cellars, underfloor areas, kitchen sinks and around sanitary fittings These are areas not too cold, badly ventilated. Lets say for example a roof with poor insulation!. Dry Rot spreads through ceilings plaster and joists. Sometimes if it appears in walls it can mean irrigation has to be used with a chemical barrier to stop it spreading.

Tackling dry rot.

You can liken it to tackling Vinny Jones on a football pitch! The first job is to have a real look at the damage. This can involve removing plaster and using a blow torch to remove strands. Heat treatment is however not recommended. It can also involve removing floorboards plaster and cutting inspection holes. Not easy to do! How to rid of the problem it is not just as easy as cutting away the timber, One of the challenges is to stop it spreading.

As surveyors we would recommend timber decaying specialists visit your house to determine the root and how to get rid of it. Some other methods researched to help eliminate the problem could form part of your DIY. One way you can repair is by cutting back the timber and eliminating the damp. You can fill holes and voids with putty like moulding mortar. For missing ends or mid spans you can use timber resin splice. These are timber units treated with a spray and gel to paste and fill the wood. The other way is to drill back the wood and determine the moisture content extent and then apply boron paste gel and ultra 12. You can remove all the decay by drilling before applying the fix. Probably the best way to eradicate the problem from the start is by preventing rising damp. Treat the timber to boron gel, paste and spray, and then apply a special dry rot paint to prevent the spread. For example you could have logs on a house featuring the rot and prevent the spread by applying the boron using paint and grout.

This provides long term protection and is cheaper than dealing with the issue later

Please note equipment used can be hazardous so special clothing must be worn and the right people must be consulted! Start with first associated.co.uk. Book a survey if you feel there is any scare of this wood disease.