West Midlands Total Preservation is fully experienced in all aspects of fungal and timber decay.
From identifying the fungal decay through to the correct treatment,
you can rely on WMTP to correctly identify and treat the problem.
Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) together with Wet Rot (Coniophora puteana) causes structural defects in all types buildings, these fungi are destructive to the fabric of the property and can create health problems, these fungi if left un-treated can cause rapid deterioration to take place under the right conditions. These problems are usually caused by dampness, running water, poor ventilation and bad maintenance or a variance or combination of these conditions.
Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) is by far most destructive of all wood rotting fungi for the Dry Rot fungal decay to take hold and spread it requires a constant source of water to infiltrate the timbers which then allows the bacteria and micro fungi generated to amalgamate resulting in the partial breakdown of the cell structure, the host timbers will then become further affected becoming porous and if the moisture content is sustained above 21.5% then Dry Rot can continue to germinate and expand which creates further timber degradation.
When the in-situ Dry Rot spores have achieved an airborne status this creates an ongoing set of circumstances where all parts of the property together with any adjacent properties are liable to attack, this takes place if the correct conditions are in place, when the infestation is established the fungi can increase at a rapid rate of timber and masonry decay if the fungi remains un-treated, the fungi can penetrate brickwork and concrete floors, in search of the timber food source, widespread and extensive damage will occur if the infestation is not correctly treated when it is firstly identified, failure to do so can result in extreme instances with the total loss of the affected building.
Click on below for more details:
The present day reference is now referred to as Dry Rot(Serpula Lacrymans) which is traceable to the 16th century, the modern terminology changed in the 19th century to Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) which is in itself a contradiction in terms as the fungi needs a constant source of moisture to continue its search for its food source, the modern identification is as a result of the snake like growth of the hyphae which eventually come together to form mycelium growth, at the ends of the hyphae, which appears to resemble tears or appear to resemble droplets of water this is for description purposes with the correct interpretation being this is the Dry Rot’s method of controlling the moisture present in the affected areas, hence the term Lacrymans meaning tears.
The Accepted views within the remedial industry is that Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) needs three elements to continue its growth within the in-situ timbers of the property affected, these are as follows, a constant water supply, restricted air flow, and a food source, which in all instances the food source is the in-situ affected timbers, the fungus obtains its food from the timber by breaking down the cell molecule’s within the timbers walls, which inevitably results in the complete loss of strength in the affected timbers and will result in the complete collapse of the timbers, for the purposes of this example we will assume that the timber has a moisture content of between 21.5% and 30% for optimum germination and growth of the fungus, the infestation procedure originates with a spore depositing itself on the timber within the previously described conditions, the spores are constantly present within all properties and within our living environment, they are present and deposited in the atmosphere all the time.
If you were to take a sample of the air in the room that you are in and micro filtered it down then we would more than likely see that dry rot spores were evident in the filters. As the spores land on the timber they germinate and produce hyphee growth. As by way of an example the procedure of scattering any type of seed within a conducive and conductive environment is the same as that of discharging seeds in the vicinity of a garden compost disposal area, the result will be a hyphee growth is at the root of the spores. The hyphee growth then mass and colonize together to produce mycelium growth – this is white, and almost “fluffy” in appearance. After a period of time the Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) becomes activated this occurs when one of the three necessary elements for growth (water, air or food) is removed or if the dry rot is in the vicinity of light, when activated through this process it produces sporophores or a mushroom type of fruiting body which itself is a type of a continuation procedure, this then allows the spore bearing surface of the sporophores to escape into the environment allowing new spores to continue their search for the correct conditions and environment to carry on germinating and extending the growth of the Dry Rot.
Dry Rot (Serpula Lacrymans) is usually discovered within buildings that have been neglected and allowed through lack of maintenance to fall into a state of disrepair, through this neglect then allowing moisture ingress to take place, this occurs through broken rainwater goods such as leaking gutters and downpipes, broken sanitary ware or for example, a leaking gutter or a cracked down pipe broken drainage or secreted salt glazed underground pipes, usually if the buildings are correctly serviced and maintained and are water tight then this under correct maintenance would prevent the occurrence of a Dry Rot infestation, find below the library photography of a typical infestation.
You will also have the peace of mind from a 20 year guarantee for the work carried out.
West Midlands Total Preservation:
- Identify the nature, type, and extent of the decay
- Establish the cause, finding the source of moisture
- Provide a Specialist report of our findings for the eradication of the identified problems that are taking place, with full specification and method statement for the Removal and Dry Rot treatments
- Advise what additional steps are required to safeguard the property
Dry Rot, (Serpula Lacrymans) Wet Rot and All associated Fungal Decay in Timbers. The discovery of fungal decay within the property will of course strike fear in the minds of the property owners. Be it rot with its fruiting bodies and spore dust or wet rot with its cotton wool like mycelium WMTP can effectively treat and remove dry rot, wet rot and other forms of fungal decay and all Timber Pests, WMTP have extensive long term experience in the correct identification of fungal decay the treatment of all types of fungal and beetle decay, our range of treatments will solve your problem with the minimum of fuss. With the benefit of a long term guarantee you can be sure that your fungal decay problem will be taken care of with the best advice and treatments of the infestation that’s taking place within the property.