Dry / wet rot experts - your opinion please on building fabric?

Question

Am doing up a house at the moment, one of the floor beams is located by the back door, and until I replaced the door, rain water would splash in from outside - not in huge amounts, but enough to make the beam pretty damp. There is a small section of the beam that since drying out I have noticed has some rot on it. I have been able to remove (just by hand) the rotten timber as it was crumbly. I have removed back to solid timber about 1cm in to the beam. I reckon it's just a bit of wet rot that has now dried out, but cannot find much helpful info out online as to how to tell what type of rot it is. Like I say, it was crumbly, and a little yellowed. No fungus or mushrooms or anything obvious or slimey on the timber though. Any thoughts as to I.D. the type of rot??.

Also, what can I put on the remaining good timber to preserve it properly/stop anything nasty spreading.

Thanks in advance for any advice....

Answer 1

Your not going to find much info on types of rot, this usually comes from experience. When untreated wood that's constantly gets wet will start to fray as it dries, also the moist wood attracts insects, like ants and termites, who will further the damage. Insect usually leave tracts and the wood feels hollow and crumbles. I'd recommend replacing the wood with treated timber, I would also investigate as to how the water is migrating to the wood and see if you can minimize that, using flashing, caulking, etc.  

Good Luck

RC

Answer 2

The question of dry rot or wet rot is interesting.  From my research, dry rot is an actual fungus that will have a white or yellow appearance on the wood, whereas "wet rot" is just natural wood decay from constant contact with water.  If it's dry rot the treatment can be a specific fungicide or A liberal application of household bleach.  If it's wet rot the treatment is to remove the rotten wood, dry it out and make sure it doesn't get wet again.  If you google "wet rot" "dry rot" you will come up with a lot of hits that will help you.

Answer 3

It is probably wet rot.  It would probably have spread by now if it was dry rot: the pathology is that it is capable of moving onto other timbers, wetting and destroying them (in both insstances these are manifestations of normal decay sytems for forest timbers - the wetting increases the avaiibility of sugars which is what the fungus is feeding on).  Dry rot has a distinctive mushroomy smell. The cure is the same for either - cut off the source of water and reduce the moisture content of the wood so that the rot spores cannot survive. You can slosh noxious chemicals about but they tend to be pretty useless and advocated by those who are selling them, rather than the experts. Steer clear of Lindane, but something like Cuprinol 5 star treatment might help discourage mould and worm whilst the timber is drying out. The best thing is to sort out the water ingress and keep the space properly ventilated to really dry the timbers out.

Answer 4

Dry rot has the appearance of a cobweb or very fine plant roots that drain any moisture from the wood making it dry.  You have wet rot you can buy a variety of sprays and brush on solutions that strengthen the wood again. I have my own specialist restoration business specialising it stone and timber restoration so come across dry and wet rot on a daily basis.

Answer 5

I don't profess to being an expert but, having lived in a house which was riddled with dry rot for 10 years, I would say you have wet rot. Dry rot looks like dried out seaweed which will even grow through plaster. Its a nightmare to get rid of and smells horrible.

I think the best thing to do is go to your local wholesale builders merchant who will have some ideas for paint on damp treatment, which is safe to be used indoors.