Help...I think I have dry rot

[ioloowen]

Hi all

As you can gather from the time I'm writing this post - I'm a little worried about what I have uncovered.

I have just started to renovate an old victorian building. I noticed that the skim on the external wall surrounding the boiler was brittle and falling to pieces. Upon the removal of the skim layer along with a few tiles I found some white powder (minimal) and some white strands which looked like cobwebs.

The sand and cement finish sandwiched between the brick external wall and skim is also very brittle and falls apart upon contact.

I can also see minimal yellow tear drops weeping from these areas.

I've found these 'tear drops' elsewhere too. Only one or two spots in totally different areas.

Can someone please help me.

Thanks

 

[joe-90]

Ventilate. Dry rot can only live in high humidity.

 

[ioloowen]

Thanks.

Could it be wet rot then? The building hasnt been heated for about a year. And the affected areas are more or less saturated. The sand and cement is soft to the touch thus indicating water ingress.

Can Wet rot attack masonry?

 

[joe-90]

Wet rot likes it wet - dry rot likes damp and humid. Post a piccie or two.

 

[jeds]

Wet rot can only survive on wet wood. Dry rot transports moisture from elsewhere which allows it to survive on dry wood. Hence its name. But dry rot still needs a source of moisture, which can be anything - I've seen a dripping fridge cause a massive outbreak of dry rot. First step in dealing with dry rot is to identify the source. Next step is to stop the source and dry it out. A common source in Vici houses is below the ground floor. Check that you don't have a lake under the floor and check the ventilation is good. You don't necessarily have to start ripping everything out and burning it but you might have to remove panels, floorboards etc. to trace the source.

 

[gregers]

dry rot can and will if its a big enough outbreak actually create its own environment,once its covered say a floor you can see moisture within it strands and fruiting bodies.well away from the initial moisture source.

 

[^woody^]

Upon the removal of the skim layer along with a few tiles I found some white powder (minimal) and some white strands which looked like cobwebs.

The sand and cement finish sandwiched between the brick external wall and skim is also very brittle and falls apart upon contact.

It may well be the hyphae of the dry-rot fungus, as it does creep along walls, behind plaster in this fashion.

You need to locate infected timber and remove at least 500mm past the last amount of rot, and then treat 1m more of any timber, and walls nearby by hacking off the plaster and sterilising the masonry.

If you don't' it will come back damp or not.

 

[gregers]

woody im not the type to jump on anyone but when i use to do this type of work the industry(written word)used to say 600mm but all the preservation firms i ever worked for always done 1m just to be on the safe side.
and that was in all directions wherever possible or feasible.

how times have changed though as i do believe they carryout something called containment now rather then the 5 star drilling etc.also we used to burn the hyphe off using a blown torch

also they used to use paraffin to spray for woodworm mmm health and safety brigade got this 1 right

op read up on it here,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_rot_treatment