Common Timber Problems In Buildings

Dry rot refers a particular form of wood decay caused by the fungus Serpula lacrymans. The successful remedial treatment of dry rot may require more complex and specialist control measures and outbreaks need to be correctly identified.

All types of dry rot can be difficult to detect in their early stages; dry rot develops out of sight, often spreading unseen behind panelling and plaster or beneath floorboards. Some indications of its presence are the softening and shrinking of the affected wood together with a distinctive odour.

Adc-Ltd will eliminate source of moisture ingress, cut out affected timbers and renew with pretreated timbers beyond the extremities of the outbreak. Masonry sterilisation will be carried out together with necessary replastering/rendering.

Other types of rot found in timber on buildings are commonly called wet rot. Wet rot requires higher moisture content to dry rot in order to survive, and there is a large number of organisms responsible for causing the rot.

Adc-Ltd will where practical eliminate the source of moisture ingress which is allowing the wet rot fungus to thrive, cut out and renew heavily decayed timbers where required and carry out a precautionary pressure treatment.

Most of insects responsible for timber damage are beetles, the most common being the woodworm and the deathwatch beetle. The adults lay eggs on the wood surface, the hatching larvae eat their way into the wood, creating tunnels thereby weakening the timber. The presence of bore dust together with flight holes for the emerging adults is the indication of an infestation.

We will identify the nature of the infestation and establish whether it is active or historic. Very heavily infested timbers will be renewed where required and pressure treated with environmentally sound products.