Is this Dry Rot In Plaster ?

[•Andy]

Hi,

Can anybody help please? I stripped the walls of wallpaper for the first time since moving here ( 6 years ) . The house is 50 years old.
The house was unoccupied around 10 years ago when water tanks leaked and soaked the inside of the house. I have checked the walls with a damp meter which show two areas of wall in the room with slight damp ( clicking on the machine, but no fast clicking or buzzing ) .
I can't find any other sign of dry rot atm ( though have only checked the windowsill & skirting board ) the windowsill has some wet rot in a corner and this damp ingress will have to be sorted anyway.
......The Plaster has these trails about as if somebopdies gouged some runs with metal blade, but as you can see from the photos, this can't be as the gouges arn't complete, could it be dry rot 'roots' spreading out?

If not what could they be?
( btw, Ive looked at http://www.buildingpreservation.com/Dry rot.htm )
Many thanks in advance

Andy

 

[anobium]

Your photos do not show any evidence of dry rot.
God knows what the cracks are , could be just a result of somebody scoring the plaster with a trowel.
To identify dry rot you should have thin white strands within the plaster , a bit like the roots of a plant, and on the face of the brickwork if you remove the plaster, coupled with a sickly mushroom smell.
In advanced situations you may also see a fungal growth on the surface of wood /plaster and a reddish brown dust on the adjoining areas.
In severe cases this reddish brown dust can cover the room, I have seen it cover whole buildings!
You will also see decayed timbers in the immediate area which again when examined will reveal the white strands within the decayed sections.
Finally the decayed timbers will show signs of cuboidal cracking.
Hope this is of assistance

 

[•Andy]

Thanks anobium,



Your reply does answer my fears mostly. I removed the windowsill ( 2.2m ) and found no stings/strands of such fungal growth, and certainly havn't had any reddish brown deposits, and the smell is only what plaster smalls like normally when exposed.

All the skirting boards in that room are sound too as is all the wood like door frames etc.

I found no evidence of cuboidal cracking as also shown in the photo on the link I posted earlier. and I guess this shows thru paintwork too.........there is a reason for this comment......in my other receptiom room on the same aspect as the room with my concerns, I found today the skirting board is crumbling dust under the paint.........now there is no cuboidal cracking apparent so I guess this is woodworm?...

isn't always the way, worried about one thing and another jumps in yur face

 

[Nige F]

Just a thought.........could it have been the burst tanks of a decade ago soaking the plaster and actually washing out small amounts .............who knows how many gallons were poured through the house

 

[•Andy]

Just a thought.........could it have been the burst tanks of a decade ago soaking the plaster and actually washing out small amounts .............who knows how many gallons were poured through the house

It must be a possability........ check out th e3rd macro phot in particular ///it shows the damage to undulate under the surface of the plaster and back up to contact with the ( ex ) wallpaper. i was worried this was a sign of something growing through the plaster and feeding off the paper a sit went........I'm pretty convinced its not DR now, theres no other signs at all.

the room has a working chimney breast , is 4m x 5 m and this pattern occurs on the 5m exterior wall and 1m in, into the 2 walls leading from the exterior one.....

as i've just said i took out the window sill and checked the cavity and its bone dry with not signs of owt bar some cobwebs....

I stripped the 1st floor 2 years ago and there was no sign of anything untoward in the rafters so its not coming from above.


going back to your comment though, it is possible, The 1st floor floorboards had to be replaced ( prior to me owning the place ) because of the water problem from the tanks in the loft.

 

[anobium]

I found no evidence of cuboidal cracking as also shown in the photo on the link I posted earlier. and I guess this shows thru paintwork too.........there is a reason for this comment......in my other receptiom room on the same aspect as the room with my concerns, I found today the skirting board is crumbling dust under the paint.........now there is no cuboidal cracking apparent so I guess this is woodworm?...

More than likely to be woodworm, but if you are really concerned ease off the skirting and check the reverse side and if it is woodworm you can treat the wood more effectively. Insecticides will not penetrate through painted surfaces.