Dry rot: recognising this fungus and knowing who to call

Dry rot, or Serpula lacrymans, is a fungus that feeds on wood. It grows in damp, poorly ventilated areas: cellars, floors, behind panelling. It can pass through masonry to reach other rooms.

The signs

• a white, cotton-like growth, sometimes with greyish strands;
• a rust-brown dust, which is its spores;
• a mushroom or cellar smell;
• wood that cracks into small cubes and crumbles under your finger;
• a floor that sags.

Why this is not ordinary cleaning

Scraping or brushing dry rot does not get rid of it, and can spread the spores. Treatment means identifying how far it has spread, removing the source of damp, taking out the affected wood and treating the masonry. That is the work of a company specialising in timber treatment.

In a cluttered home

Heavy clutter often hides the first signs. During a clearance, we may uncover a suspect area. In that case, we stop work there, show you what we saw and advise you to call in a specialist before the restoration.

What you can do

If you suspect dry rot, ventilate, avoid touching the area and have a diagnosis carried out. The faster the treatment, the more limited the damage.