Dry or Wet Rot?

[Johnmelad502]

Surface scraped away

Untitled

• Johnmelad502
• 16 May 2009
• 1

As found

Untitled

• Johnmelad502
• 16 May 2009
• 1

I think dry rot myself. There are no signs of any spoor, just cobwebs. The cause is water getting behind the bath seal and cracks in the tile grout over a couple of years I would say.

 

[gregers]

you think its dry rot???

by the look of your pictures i think it looks like wet rot,but that could change once you have investigated furthur.if it is all you need to do is remove infected timber and treat as best as you can.if its dry rot CRY.

 

[Johnmelad502]

you think its dry rot???

by the look of your pictures i think it looks like wet rot,but that could change once you have investigated furthur.if it is all you need to do is remove infected timber and treat as best as you can.if its dry rot CRY.

Oops, in the absence of spoors etc, I meant wet not dry, it's me age...

 

[^woody^]

There is a greater chance of wet rot in places which have, err, got soaking wet

Dry rot tends to be in dryer, unventilated places

 

[Space cat]

There is no mistaking dry rot. Once it gets a hold in a damp place, it sends out long strands of mycelium in search of more wood to feed on. These carry water so that it can consume dry wood, hence its name, and they can grow very long indeed.

The fruiting bodies are like slabs of matted cotton wool and the spores, when they form, are dark red. The wood it's feeding on breaks up into cubes, ie across the grain as well as along it, which crumble easily.

I don't see any signs of it in those pictures.

 

[mpaton2009]

not quite correct

dry rot will only attack timber that has > 20% moisture, so dry wood will not be attacked
the mycelium is like cotton wool or thin sheets of white film
the fruiting body is like a pancake shaped affair which has the spores which look like an orange dust on white surfaces