Tiny roots coming through a wall!

[d000hg]

Would dry rot happen somewhere wet?

 

[kingandy2nd]

Yes

 

[KenGMac]

It is possible at a cost?? to have the internal roots tested for the roots DNA and then matched to a tree or shrub externally.

There are various companies undertaking such work such as

http://www.botanical.net/root-ident.php

http://www.botanical.net/

Ken.

 

[d000hg]

It is possible at a cost?? to have the internal roots tested for the roots DNA and then matched to a tree or shrub externally.

There are various companies undertaking such work such as

http://www.botanical.net/root-ident.php

http://www.botanical.net/

Ken.

if it wasn't so pricey I'd do that just for how cool it is!

 

[endecotp]

When I saw the first photo I thought “Ivy roots”. Then I scrolled down and saw the ivy outside and thought “correct!”. Then I scrolled down a bit further and saw the others’ dry rot photos and though “hmmmmor maybe not ivy”.

I’ve never handled dry rot filaments. I would expect them to be rather less woody than an ivy root. How tough are these things if you pull on them?

(Please be kind to the toads!)

 

[JP_]

They could be very old dead roots, maybe the ivy got very out of hand once and was on the house?

 

[KenGMac]

if it wasn't so pricey I'd do that just for how cool it is!

Some of these types of companies also offer [as a £££] to undertake a root identification, on an old fashioned botanical level, at a lot less cost than full blown DNA match, the DNA route is used in insurance Subs Claims to categorically prove that a particular tree is occasioning the damage.

Ken

 

[wessex101]

Many many years ago TRADA used to do free identification of timber fungus samples. I used it quite a lot and I was surprised how often samples I would have sworn were dry rot turned out to be some obscure type of wet rot fungus. Last time I checked they were charging £500 for this service.

 

[ivixor]

It's the ivy. You want to get rid of that stuff, it will end up doing a lot of damage to the house.

 

[d000hg]

They could be very old dead roots, maybe the ivy got very out of hand once and was on the house?

I don't see any evidence but it's possible.

I don't know how far ivy roots would travel. It's a very large plant...I mean it's basically a tree and I believe roots can travel a long way under concrete. 12 feet root spread doesn't seem implausible

We expect to explore more this week so I'll post updates.
If it IS ivy roots working their way through the old mortar, do I need to be worried about the walls integrity or would removing the plant and fixing the damp issues suffice? Maybe wait to see how the pointing looks?

 

[^woody^]

Bit of a long shot, but Dr Terror's House of Horrors comes to mind.

Have your Tarot done , just to be safe.

 

[scbk]

If you want rid of the ivy at some point anyway, why not kill it off for now with weedkiller

 

[JP_]

any update? Just thought about this for some reason

 

[d000hg]

Someone came to look at it last week. They were pretty certain it was ivy roots.

We found some coming through the window frame too and on closer inspection it looks like there WAS ivy growing up the side of the house in the past.

 

[datadiyer]

Are they mares tail by any chance? I have some growing through my garage floor and are green in colour. Yours could be dead stems of the stuff, just my 2 penny's worth.