Wet Rot Treatment

Wet and dry rot can affect any building, regardless of how long ago it was built. If deterioration is identified which may be linked to these rot issues the problem should be investigated and treated as soon as possible. Untreated timber which has been subject to water ingress over a lengthy time period is susceptible to fungal decay.

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Dry and wet rot outbreaks begin in very similar ways. During an attack from wood destroying fungi, millions of microscopic spores are created which will then be evident in the atmosphere of the property. If any of these spore’s land on wood which is not treated and has a moisture content above 20%, they can start to germinate and break down the wood as a source of food.

What Causes Wet Rot?

Wet rot is a fungus which impacts timber which is particularly moist and can cause timber to decay. When timbers have a moisture content between 20 and 60% wet rot will thrive. Wet rot can start to develop when damp penetrates your property due to a defective masonry, roof damage or defective plumbing. You need to identify the source of the moisture in order to establish the cause of the wet rot attack. To put it simply – if there is no damp, there is no rot.

Wet Rot Survey

If you have concerns that your property may be suffering from wet rot, you should seek the assistance of professionals who are qualified to survey your property. Richardson & Starling’s specialist surveyors have years of experience and are fully qualified meaning that you can rely on them to accurately diagnose your wet rot issue. Once the source of the attack has been identified, our specialists will then provide the most efficient treatment plan for your property. The surveying process from our timber specialists will include:

• Identifying the source of the moisture.
• Identifying the scale of the wet rot outbreak.
• Providing a scope of works to eradicate the problem.

Richardson & Starling’s timber specialists have considerable experience of undertaking wet rot repairs throughout the United Kingdom. With over 8 decades of experience, our specialists have the acquired knowledge and techniques to handle any type of timber rot issues encountered by property owners.

Wet Rot Treatment

The treatment of wet rot or any timber decay should be done as soon as possible, as this will prevent the spread of the decay to other areas of timber.
The four main actions with regards to treating wet rot successfully are;

• Identifying the source of the moisture, which is causing the wet rot, and rectifying the issue.
• Evaluating the full extent of the damage which has been caused by the decay
• Discarding all timbers which have been structurally damaged as a result of the wet rot
• Replacing the affected timbers with new pre-treated timber and rectifying any damage which has been caused to adjacent timbers and fabric in conjunction with the application of a fungicide treatment to preserve the timbers during the drying out process.

The treatments specified will depend on the severity of the attack. Where an attack has been identified quickly, it may be the case that minimum amounts of timber need to be cut out and replaced with treated timber and the surrounding areas treated with a preservative fluid.

The longer a wet rot attack is left without being treated, the worse the problem will become. If wet rot is identified in its early stages, it is likely that the problem will be localised to a small area. However, if wet rot is left to develop then a greater area will become decayed and the cost of remedial works will increase.

30 Year Wet Rot Treatment Guarantee

After 85 years of successful property repairs and surveys, we can offer you a thirty-year wet rot Guarantee which is transferable to any future owners of the property for the 30-year period.

Richardson & Starling are members of the Property Care Association and are also members of the Guarantee Protection Insurance Scheme. This shows our capability to meet financial and technical requirements in order to provide you with an insurance backed guarantee alongside our own if you would like this.

What to Do Next?

It is important that any wet rot problem is dealt with as soon as it has been identified. If these early signs are not identified this can result in the wet rot attack spreading rapidly. It is important to remember that in addition to the replacement of decayed timber the source of moisture must be rectified to prevent future attacks.

Richardson & Starling’s specialist surveyors will provide the most cost-effective treatments to eradicate wet rot or fungal decay attack from your property.

Concerned about Wet Rot growth in your home? Contact your local branch for advice or a property survey.