Hello, I need help and reassurance from you kind and knowledgeable people. We have just found dry rot in the kitchen of our 1890 mid terrace. I’m pretty sure its dry rot- long brownish tentacles, dried looking wood breaking into cubes, rust coloured spores. We are trying not to panic and need some advice as to whether we can handle this ourselves. So far it seems to be limited to the skirting boards and the lower 2 foot of the door frames (but unfortunately not the horrible mdf cupboards). The kitchen is a solid concrete floor so we don’t have to worry about the joists and boards in that room at least (although I suspect that it is the concrete which is at least responsible for part of the damp problem, the other being condensation on the mains water riser dribbling down behind one of the skirting boards. We will check the other rooms tonight as best as we can. Do we need to get a specialist/ surveyor in to see the extent of the damage or can we presume that if it looks okay and feels sound then it probably is okay (although the skirting boards in the kitchen looked okay from the front but the backs were completely rotten). I don’t want to destroy the place myself whilst trying to prevent the fungus from doing the same.
If it hasn't spread from the kitchen will removing all the rotten wood from the kitchen stop it? We have damp in other areas of the house too which we have been struggling to get dry for 2 years but haven’t really succeeded, and I’m worried that it will spread to those areas too. To try and prevent the damp we have so far removed the concrete from the yard, fitted two extra airbricks and installed two fans under the floor in the dining room and in the hall. We also run a dehumidifier in the kitchen most nights. We were intending to remove the kitchen floor and replace with limecrete next year, and although I would love to be able to do it now we just don’t have the money. If anyone can suggest what we can try next, and how aggressive we need to be in inspecting and removing damaged wood it will be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the long rambling post and thanks in advance for your help
If it hasn't spread from the kitchen will removing all the rotten wood from the kitchen stop it? We have damp in other areas of the house too which we have been struggling to get dry for 2 years but haven’t really succeeded, and I’m worried that it will spread to those areas too. To try and prevent the damp we have so far removed the concrete from the yard, fitted two extra airbricks and installed two fans under the floor in the dining room and in the hall. We also run a dehumidifier in the kitchen most nights. We were intending to remove the kitchen floor and replace with limecrete next year, and although I would love to be able to do it now we just don’t have the money. If anyone can suggest what we can try next, and how aggressive we need to be in inspecting and removing damaged wood it will be greatly appreciated.
Sorry for the long rambling post and thanks in advance for your help