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In your home there are two chief problems that structural timber may be affected by, that is rot and woodworm.
Dry rot / wet rot
The name “dry rot” is guaranteed to send a chill into the heart of most homeowners. It’s reputation is deserved, as given the right conditions this particularly virulent form of rot is capable of spreading throughout a property relatively quickly, attacking structural timbers and leaving a costly repair bill. You can identify dry rot by it’s grey cobweb like strands, the way it rots timber into a cube like pattern, and sometimes you may see a fruiting body which looks like a rust red pancake with a white border (see pictures). If you have one of these fruiting bodies then you also may have multiple outbreaks as it will be sending millions of spores around the area. If you even suspect dry rot, then we can’t stress enough that you should seek advice from an expert as soon as possible to prevent further destruction.
There are too many forms of wet rot that exist to go into detail within the confines of this web page. What we can say is that in general wet rots do not spread as quickly as dry rots. However, wet rot is a symptom of damp conditions in the property, which could also attract dry rot so action should be taken.
The best defence you can have against dry and wet rot is to make sure that your property has no damp problems, and that timbers are kept dry and well ventilated as all types of rot need damp conditions in order to flourish. |
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Woodworm
There are various types of woodworm which can afflict properties in the UK, although most infestations we see as surveyors are a result of common furniture beetle attack (anobium punctatum). This results in round holes about 1mm in diameter. The problem with woodworm is that it is sometimes difficult to know for certain how active an infestation is. On the one hand, the little pests may have vacated the premises many years ago. On the other hand, a continued active infestation may see you disappearing unexpectedly through the dining room floor!
Woodworm can be treated by spraying a professional quality insecticide (usually containing permethyrn) onto structural timbers. When it soaks in and cures this leaves a contact envelope which protects that piece of timber for decades against woodworm entering into it or from any larvae chewing their way out. Fortunately, environmentally friendly and safe treatments are also now available.
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