How to Treat Dry Rot

Dry rot is a severe timber decaying condition that requires professional expertise and treating dry rot should only be ever be undertaken by professionals. If you are worried about dry rot in your home or business? You’re not alone; our experienced team of dry rot specialists are here to help.

With over 60 years of experience in providing thousands of properties across the UK with our expertise and treatment solutions, our specialist property care team are on the case.

To arrange a dry rot survey with a member of our experienced team, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our dry rot specialists. Contact Rentokil Property Care on 0800 0121 437 or click the button below to book a survey.

When it comes to rot, any property with timber can be affected regardless of age or use. The only thing required for rot to occur is moisture. Untreated timber with a moisture content above 20% is at high risk of dry rot.

There are many ways to tackle a dry rot problem and it is important to understand exactly what is needed. This is why Rentokil Property Care will always perform a thorough survey before removing all dry rot fruiting bodies and visible spores and then applying the treatment methods below.

Timbers infected with dry rot need to be treated or replaced.  When timber is removed it should be replaced with pre-treated timber so as to prevent a reoccurrence of dry rot. Any timber that is strong enough to remain should then be generously treated with a specific dry rot fungicide. These specially formulated dry rot treatments will destroy any lingering dry rot spores and also stop further infestations.

When people talk about dry rot remediation, timber treatment often dominates the conversation but it is just as vital to treat any masonry or brickwork that has come into contact with dry rot fungus.

Any masonry or brickwork that has been in contact with dry rot will have to be sprayed or injected with fungicide. This treatment will have to seep deep into the substrate to ensure the spread of the dry rot fungus stops.

Dry rot is a serious property problem and it can easily return if it is not treated properly and the correct preventative measures are put in place. For this reason we would always recommend professional treatment.

The most common mistakes made by people lacking the correct training and experience include:

• Incomplete dry rot removal
• Leaving timber untreated
• Not fixing the moisture problem that led to the rot

Any of the above mistakes will likely lead to another dry rot outbreak. Professional dry rot treatment will tie up all the loose ends and offer a long-term guarantee for complete peace of mind.

Before professional dry rot treatment can be carried out on your property, we provide a thorough inspection of your property to assess the extent of your dry rot problem. Conducted by one of our qualified surveyors, this may require removing some plaster, skirting or panelling to evaluate the full extent of the dry rot and its causes.

During our dry rot survey, our surveyor will:

• Perform a detailed inspection of your property
• Check for associated problems such as other types of rot or signs of damp
• Inspect other areas of your property that may be at risk
• Provide a cost-effective solution to your problem
• Provide you with a full report outlining findings in each specific area of your property.

Once our dry rot survey has been completed, a solution has been agreed upon and our surveyor has arranged a suitable date with you; our technicians will arrive and start our dry rot treatment process. Our technicians will go through the following steps to treat dry rot in your home.

Sadly, this is a “how long is piece of string” type of question as there are several costs associated with dry rot treatment that will vary depending on how much damage has been caused.

Treating the dry rot fungus is fairly straight forward and will involve using chemicals, however the true cost of dry rot treatment will only become apparent after the amount of timber that needs repaired and replaced is established. If a large amount of timber needs replaced this can significantly alter the price of treatment.

A professional survey will give you an idea of how much a repair is likely to cost.

Dry rot will only occur on surfaces with a higher than ideal moisture content. If your property has normal or low relative humidity, dry rot spores will remain dormant. For this reason it is important to keep your property free from damp. There are many sources of damp and the most common is condensation, which can often be remedied simply by using extractor fans appropriately, opening windows where possible and heating your property evenly.

Other sources of damp that can result in dry rot include rising damp, damaged pipes, broken gutters, or leaking appliances like washing machines or showers. 

Simply put - the key to preventing dry rot is to stop excess moisture from building up in your property.

As long term members of the Property Care Association and Trust Mark, we guarantee our specialist technicians have the skills, qualifications, craftsmanship and rot treatments to offer an effective solution to your dry rot problem.

As part of our treatment programme, all our dry rot treatments carry a 30-year guarantee on any work carried out by our elite team of property care technicians. Our guarantee can also be transferred over to any future owners protecting your property for years to come.