Dry Rot - What's the real advice?

[Jon Maine]

Ok so now I'm confused?! :shock:

There seems to be brown / black/ grey tendils emanating from one area in the corner which is the outside wall, I did take a bit more of the ceiling down and there are grey whitish tendils also but not as many as there is the brown and this seems to be at the far ends of the tendril reach - if that makes sense?

Of course not all brown rot is dry rot, there are very many types of wet rot, they have different characteristics so the difference in colour may be that you have either dead or dying dry rot mycelium or mycelium from another type of rot.Coniophora Puteana has brown mycelium so maybe its that one? It is very common and leaves a veneer of almost untouched wood entirely rotted behind

Interestingly enough Matt suggests that dry rot does not relocate water, I had always been led to believe that it did and after seeing mycelium grow as big as a little finger in girth I could well believe that was possible. I did think that was why it was called dry rot as it had the ability to take its water supply with it to infest other dry wood.

I have to say out of half a dozen dry rot incidences dealt with only one around 15 years ago was subject to the use of chemicals. I am a great believer in not using them unless a reasoned argument suggests you should. None of those have recurred.

When I mortgaged the Merchants House to fund work here the surveyor could see the old beetle holes both Anobium Punctatum and Xestobium Rufovillosum. All gone now but either in sapwood or beam ends where the wall was wet and the end of the timber had wet rot or dry rot. We chopped the rubbish of the ends of the beams and joists spliced new sections of timber in and left well alone. He assumed we had treated the timbers with fungicide/pesticide spray. I pointed out that the timbers had lasted 330 years and had had the bad bits cut out. Essentially they should be fit for another 330 years now and that under a risk assessment I would be exposing operatives to chemicals such as cypermethrin for no gain at all so therefore could not justify doing it under health and safety laws as well as the simple fact it did not need doing.

I got the mortgage so I guess he learnt something that day!

 

[Jon Maine]

All the hob nobs have gone

There is a distinct lack of biscuits in this house, although perhaps they are just hidden from me......... :?

 

[asenath]

Thanks to everyone - the hob nobs are on me! :lol:

 

[Flyfisher]

Apply common sense, don't lose sight of the actual problem, relax, engage kettle, open biscuits.

Excellent advice, with almost universal applicability!

 

[Penners]

open biscuits.

Excellent advice, with almost universal applicability!

Except in one modest house in mid-Suffolk, where biscuits have been banished. They seem to be regarded as the main suspects in my mysterious shrinking-trouser-waistband problem.

 

[Flyfisher]

You'll just have to stop at "engage kettle" then - it'll achieve the same thing (except shrink your trousers).

 

[MdB]

My chocolate hob nobs have gone moldy

I am now very confused. I was thinking I should burn the biscuit tin or spray it with chemicals but I am now thinking the best thing to do is just cut out the bad bits and splice in new biscuits? Unfortunately, the old biscuits are plain chocolate hob nobs and I've only been able to find milk chocolate versions for repairs. Does this matter or is it considered in unsympathetic repair? The thought of not being able to pass on the wonders of chocolate hob knobs to future generations is worrying me deeply.

 

[asenath]

Just to update and thank everyone for their advice.

I have secured the services of a good old fashioned builder & joiner who essentially gave me the same info & advice as people here and told me not to worry about a "dead mushroom". The work that requires doing is at a fraction of the price the dreaded chemical companies wanted to charge me & frighten me to death with the alleged damage to my house - tho' it has been amusing to see their faces when they realised I had done my homework and got other advice as well! A woman knowing about rot - who would have thought!?

The work is still pretty extensive but I thank the lord that there are some honest professionals out there who don't trade on people's misfortunes and there are people like yourselves who are willing to share their experiences & knowledge with people like me!

THANKS!