Wet Rot?, I hope not ... advice please (pics enclosed)

[111mart111]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for taking time reading my 1st post.

I have moved into a 1880 Victorian House, and have just managed to sort through enough things to get into the loft.

The good news is that the loft has NO lining on the underside of the slates meaning ventilation is really good (you can see the cobwebs swing to and fro in the breeze!). However, I suspect a leak maybe the cause for the following:

Do any readers have any suggestions on what these spores could be? The wood is really solid and the spores can just dust off, but I am worried that they may be Dry Rot.

The following pic, suggest staining by a leak in the roof, but it is bone dry to the touch, so it could be historical. Indeed, as I took these pictures it was belting down but I could not see any evidence of water ingress:

Another example of the spores. Could it be salt from the slates leeching down to the timbers? A lot of cobwebs and almost like the insulation material I layed down a few months ago. I have a wood treatment guarantee from the previous vendor (a developer), could these spores / staining be a result of the treatment (there seems to be a lot of dead bugs up there ...)

I took a cheapy 'damp detector' and pressed into the wood / bricks. Unsurprising it went off the scale on both ... I know these devices aren't too reliable, but still.

Whilst we are in the loft, any idea why these joist holes (see left and right of the picture) aren't being used? A change in the beam layout?

Finally, do you think this is the original pointing from 1880? I'm interested in looking what lime plaster looks like:

Either way, I am getting a roofer to look over the roof as there is clear daylight coming some areas (but not near where the above pics were taken, althoug I know water can travel ...) Hopefully he can patch up the slates and along with the good ventilation make these spores go away!

Many thanks for reading the post. Regards Maarten.

 

[NT]

Damp meters are effective & useful when used on wood. Its what they were designed for. Plaster, masonry etc, is a lot less suitable for them.

NT

 

[Penners]

I'm no expert, but your "spores" don't look like dry rot to me. Judging from your description of the conditions in your loft, it doesn't sound like classic dry rot territory - too much ventilation (dry rot tends to like damp, unventilated areas).

This, and your damp meter reading (NT is right), suggest that it could be wet rot. So, in order to stop its development, you need to get that wood dried out. If the timber is as damp as you say, then - whether or not you can detect rain ingress, that dampness is coming from somewhere.

Have you checked all other possibilities, like dodgy flashing, porrly made valleys, and so on? And don't dismiss the possibility of some straightforward leaks. Remember that water can trickle along beams, etc. for some distance before it finds somewhere to sttle and soak in.

 

[Mark]

can you stick a screwdriver into the wood in question or is it solid ?

Could it be some sort of fall out from the spraying.


On the plus side it should soon be raining enough for you to pop up and see where the water comes from

 

[Gervase]

Those white growths look like common or garden mould to me - a surface affliction which can be dealt with fairly simply, and which shouldn't come back once the wood is dry.
Getting it dry is important, though!

 

[111mart111]

Thanks for all your replies so far - a relief really!

The wood is solid enough for me not to be able to push a screwdriver ino it, so I guess the integrity of the wood is okay, just need to stop that water coming in .....

Maarten

 

[Nemesis]

Looks like mould to me too.

Yes, that's the original mortar with which the walls were constructed.

 

[David Q]

certainly doesn't look like wet rot and its not dry. Lucky old you just has the sort of surface mould that will wipe off. In both the nasty cases look for long threads (mycelia), these indicate something to be scared of.

 

[mark_j_k]

It looks like what appeared on the valley boards in our loft once we had the leak repaired and they dried out.

 

[111mart111]

Mould, eh? I would have thought mould would be a by-product of condensation, but that can't be as I have nil roof lining and plenty of ventilation.

After getting the leak fixed, do you think it's okay to wipe off the mould using a mould killer / bleached based cleaner onto the timbers to get rid of the spores?

Thanks,
Maarten

 

[Lime]

Mould, eh? I would have thought mould would be a by-product of condensation, but that can't be as I have nil roof lining and plenty of ventilation.

After getting the leak fixed, do you think it's okay to wipe off the mould using a mould killer / bleached based cleaner onto the timbers to get rid of the spores?

Thanks,
Maarten

I think it looks like mould too but agree with your comment about condensation.

There are times in the loft of a slate roof when the underside of the slates can become covered in condensation. All the wood and brick can become wet too but that is rarer.
This is caused by weather change and a high level of humidity.
It can also be caused by escaping warm, damp air from the house into the loft.

Also I have noticed that wood, when sprayed with certain chemicals, gets covered in mould quite readily.
Presumably this is because the chemical becomes "food" and harbours moisture for the fungus.
I'm thinking of furniture sprayed with "pledge" or similar polish in particular.

Perhaps a chemical that is a mould food source may have been sprayed?
An odd idea but might explain the mould.

 

[111mart111]

So presumably the mould would have a finite amount of 'food' (once any leaks are fixed) and die off naturally when the wood drys out. Hopefully a anti-mould cleaner onto the timbers would accelarate the killing off of the spores.

Thanks to everyone for their contributions,
Maarten