Bringing Mother Nature indoors.
Wood, or Timber, becomes prone to fungal attack when put under specific environmental conditions, e.g., moisture contents above 20%, oxygen availability and temperatures between 15 and 45 °C.Excessive moisture ingress into any property will give nature the green light to start the decay process and break it down.
If you are not creating this type of environment in or around your property, you should be safe from wood decay and insect attack. If you are, be on the lookout for the indicators. On the left is the water loving Peziza doing what it does best in its natural habitat…feasting!
A property struggling with excessive water ingress that creates a damp environment will produce life. Mushrooms, Woodworm, and Timber Decay, in general, are caused by unknown water leaks, high humidity, and flaws in the property’s external defences.
The root source causing the decay is top priority. Stop the water, dry out and you will stop the decay process. On the right is Peziza again, but in someone’s bathroom. A red flag that caused someone to call us in and investigate. The cause, a defective shower mixer leaking.
Water + Wood = Decay
I could give you the scientific rundown on all the types of wood decay and it’s special dietary requirements, but that would not be a ‘A Quick Guide to Wood-Decaying Fungus.’ Water will always be the primary cause for decay. Any genus of wood fungus cannot survive without water.
Water is the fuel for the decay process to ignite and to flourish. Remove the water, and you kill the decay. It really is that simple. Spray treatments are counterintuitive and a toxic waste of money. The dry rot outbreak on the left died once the downpipe above was fixed.
If the damp defects are left and the water allowed to continually flow into the property, any organic-based material will absorb the water and the decay process will initiate. Once the decay has taken hold, it will flourish as humidity levels will increase and the environment becomes like that of the forest floor. Damp and humid.
If you want to stop a piece of wood from decaying, you remove the source of water, initiate rapid drying of the area, and all will be dry before you know it. In other words, take it off the forest floor! Dry rot on the right being caused by poor sealant around the shower tray.
Don’t ignore the symptoms.
The symptoms and indicators of dampness are what you should pay attention to. These are the clues that tell you something more pressing is going on. Simply eradicating the symptoms with a spray treatment is not addressing the root cause. It also delays the real problem and makes it worse.
The root source should be relentlessly sort out and stopped. Sometimes it is more obvious than you think! Like this downpipe on the left.
The downpipe above was ignored for so many years and left to discharge the stormwater at the base of this property. By the time the owner called us in to help, they had been quoted for rising damp treatments, woodworm treatments, concrete floors, etc.
Nobody noticed or even cared about the downpipe, which was so obvious. The misinformation, hard selling and passage of time stalled the owner and in doing so, the whole floor succumbed to the fungal outbreak, and it collapsed as a result. Thousands of pounds could have been saved.
To Quickly Round Things Up:
- Both wet rot and dry rot are types of fungal decay and the symptoms of an escape of water or high humidity in that area. For us, the first important task is to identify which type of rot your building has sprouted and where the water’s coming from.
- The visible fruiting body of the fungus is acting like a flare for you to see and act. Don’t simply remove the fungus and ignore it. Not every fruiting body is Dry Rot, contrary to belief.
- Different funguses survive on different levels of moisture content. Wet rot needs a high level to grow (50% and above), whereas dry rot germinates at a lower level (around 20%-30%).
- Both types of fungus feed on the timber they infest, weakening the structure and, ultimately, if left too long, causing it to collapse
- Wet rot decay is often a result of defective plumbing, gutters, downpipes, or damp abutting masonry. Fortunately, it doesn’t spread through masonry and its growth stops when the source of moisture is shut off and decayed timbers removed.
- The dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans, is regarded as the ‘cancer’ of buildings. It is a bit dramatic, but left unchecked it can do some serious damage.
- Like all fungi, Dry Rot needs water as an essential growth requirement, and it is this requirement that limits, or excels the extent of its spread and that damage that dry rot fungus can cause.
- Dry rot can travel through and along the wall surface behind plaster or render. Water is its life blood – without it, it’ll simply die, and if the source is fixed and the area stays dry, it’ll never appear again.
Here’s what some of our customers have to say…
k ellis2024-03-24Sussex Heritage Damp Restoration are fantastic to deal with from start to finish. Their knowledge and work is outstanding and I would not hesitate to recommend them.
A Taylor2024-03-24I'm so glad I stumbled across the SHDR website when looking for a solution to condensation problems. Aaron got straight in touch, and came around to assess the situation. Since then he and his team (thanks Matilda and the crew!) have sorted out the condensation issue with humidity-sensitive fans and a french drain. Grateful to them for their expertise and hard work. Can highly recommend.
Toby Herst and Amber Ashley2024-03-08Very prompt and efficient service. I met Max today who is professional and informative. We have had an ongoing issue in our flat in Brighton for sometime now, SHDR has identified the issue and offered solutions in record time! Thank you MAX!!
Madeleine Spencer2024-02-25After ages of battling mould and damp in our flat, Aaron came round and did a thorough inspection of the property. He was so knowledgeable and took the time to properly explain to us what the issue was, why it was happening and advise on how to fix it. He was so friendly and enthusiastic about how it could be solved, we were left feeling so positive, optimistic and aware about what was a very concerning issue for us. Aaron even gave us quick tips on little things we could do straight away to avoid making it worse until a proper solution could be sorted out. Thanks to Aaron we actually understand some of the problems and causes and things to look out for - to the point where I’m regurgitating it to friends to seem like an expert myself! We were so impressed with his service and would highly recommend him to anyone.
Michael Nussbaum2024-02-25I've been consulting with Aaron from SHDR on a first home with damp and mould issues and the experience has been over and above the standard. Not only personable - clearly caring about our livelihood - it has been very reassuring. Plenty of people (including some specialists) have given the impression that there is basically not much that can be done as old buildings have problems. Aaron has been able to give clear explanation of causes of issues along with quick-win suggestions and proper long-term solution recommendations which actually make a difference. The knowledge displayed is incredible - nobody has the same level of passion and expertise on the subject - and matched with a pragmatic approach to give us real options that will help us. On top of this Aaron is unbelievably nice! I have been raving about the service already because it's beyond what anyone would expect
Michael Edmonds2024-02-11Over the last year, Aaron has been exceptionally helpful and friendly in helping us understand our Victorian terrace house in Brighton. He explained the issues we were experiencing in a reassuring and accessible way, and has enabled us to address them in a way that is appropriate to the property. This has improved ventilation, brought relative humidity down to ideal levels and created better air quality. Aaron has given us a much better understanding of our home and continues to check in to make sure all is well. He and his team have been great to work with and we’d definitely recommend them.
Marti Reading2024-02-05Aaron took time to sort out our condensation problem and recommended we install a Nuaire Drimaster PIV System which is working exactly as it should. Our condensation has cleared up completely and no more damp patches or smells in the house. We cannot recommend this company highly enough. They go above and beyond for their customers.
Sophie Benton2024-01-31Aaron has been absolutely brilliant from start to finish. He found the cause of a damp issue I’ve had with my flat for years and has provided some really straightforward solutions.
Brian Fudge2024-01-31Aaron saved us from buying an overpriced money pit. But more importantly, he enabled our house sale to complete at the offer price when his report convinced the buyers’ bank to remove all concerns and lend on the full amount. For both properties (our home and the target purchase) Aaron quickly and comprehensively outlined all the issues. He reported the real state of the structures and straightforward uncomplicated solutions that were sympathetic to the listed heritage requirements and unbelievably affordable.
Christopher Swallow2024-01-20Aaron is the first person to give me real actionable, professional and unbiased advice on how to maintain and upgrade our period property. I now have the confidence to work with contractors in a more informed way. Aaron is always there to give advice and help. I will be using him again!!