How to treat wet rot

Wet rot refers to timber eating fungus found in timber with a high moisture content. Our wet rot treatment specialists are equipped with the right experience and fungicidal products to ensure that your home is wood rot free. Our guide to treating wet rot will explain how we identify and eradicate rot and fungal growth in structural and decorative timbers.

Dealing with wet rot problems is important because without timber treatment it can continue to grow and damage structural timbers or floorboards. Meanwhile, fixing the damp issue that enabled the rot to grow will prevent more serious fungal decay like a dry rot outbreak. For professional help and advice about repairing wet rot problems, call or reserve a no obligation wet rot survey by clicking the button below.

Wet rot in timber is caused by the timber being exposed to a source of moisture. Damp causes the moisture content of timber to increase, allowing wet rot spores to germinate and thereby increases the risk of the timber being infected with wet rot. Signs of rot are often concealed and therefore an outbreak of rot can occur without detection. Damp problems such as rising damp and penetrating damp can lead to water penetrating timber and causing wet rot. Keep a close eye out for leaks in gutters or pipes, water ingress through walls and roof defects. Unlike dry rot, it tends to be localised to the damp timber and the fungus won't spread to other timber in your home.

Spotting the signs of wet rot can be difficult as like dry rot, it often develops in concealed locations such as in attics or beneath floorboards. We would recommend that wet rot is identified by a wet rot specialist who will be able to distinguish it from dry rot. The common signs of wet rot include:

• Damp and musty smell
• Timber lightens or darkens in colour
• Cracked appearance that may crumble to touch when dry
• Localised timber decay

White rot - When the fungus attacks certain types of timber, the decay can appear white in colour. This occurs when the fungus breaks down the lignin and cellulose in the timber. This strips away the dark colour, resulting in white rot. White rot is soft and spongy to touch.    

Brown rot - Brown rot is similar to the colour of the affected timber. Brown rot only digests the cellulose in the timber and is unable to digest the lignin. This reuslts in the affected wood having a brown appearance.

Many small wet rot problems found in decorative timbers or wooden surfaces like window ledges can be treated yourself using some wood rot treatment products found in hardware stores. The rotten timber should be stripped back and treated with a fungicide to protect against future rot and a wood preservative and hardener to maintain strength.

Treating wet rot yourself becomes a lot more difficult if it has made its way into structural timber or if the timber needs to be replaced. Without industry qualifications, we would always recommend contacting a specialist in such cases.

The other issue with DIY treatment is that unless you can identify and remove the fault in the building that is creating a damp environment, the fungus is more than likely to return. In some cases, this will be obvious, like a leaking washing machine or appliance. If, however, you cannot identify the cause of the rot, or it is growing in unusual places like cellar fungus, then a wood rot expert may be required.

• Removing the source of moisture - The first step in the treatment is to eliminate the unwanted sources of moisture that have caused wet rot spores and fungus to germinate and make sure the timber is dried out. Common sources of moisture that lead to wet rot include problems with roofing, gutters, pipes, leaking cellars or basements, and poor sub-floor ventilation
• Timber treatment - The next step will be to identify the extent of any wet rot damage to the structural and decorative timber. Any affected areas will need to be removed and replaced with pre-treated epoxy resin or wooden sections of timber by a Peter Cox timber repair specialist.
• Wet rot fungicidal treatments - Any timber that is deemed safe enough to be retained will be treated with a fungicidal treatment to ensure no further growth of wet rot fungus. If wooden beams or sections of flooring etc need to be replaced then we will utilize timbers that have been pre-treated with our anti fungicide solution. Any timber that is retained will be treated with our fungicidal solution and completely dried out to guarantee that it will be safe, dry and free of any musty smells that previously contaminated the wood.

Throughout the treatment process, Peter Cox will also give you any advice on additional steps that may be required to ensure your property is left free from fungal decay, hyphae and mycelium, and safe from future outbreaks of fungus spores.

For example, waterproofing services may be necessary if the wet rot has manifested in a basement or cellar underneath your property, to make this space watertight.

The problem with estimating how much it costs to treat a wet rot problem is that every situation is unique to each property.

Without knowing the size, scale and extent of the infestation, or if it has led to any related problems like woodworm or dry rot, then it is difficult to determine the cost.

The issue with wet rot is that unless something is done to rectify it, the rot tends to grow and timber will deteriorate over time, so we would recommend looking into a professional wood rot survey to accurately determine these factors and provide a report with an itemised breakdown of costs to repair the rot.

To determine the cause and extent of the wet or dry rot problem we will send a qualified fungus and decay specialist to the property to conduct a full damp, masonry and rot survey. To ensure that all spore traces and mushroom-like fruiting bodies are identified and removed, our damp proofing and timber surveyor may have to lift some floorboards and remove skirting, masonry, or panelling to inspect potential wet rot decay and arrive at the correct diagnosis.

In addition to this, our surveyor will also:

• Ascertain if the problem is indeed wet rot, or any other fungus or structural decay issue.
• Identify any associated problems like dry rot, damp or woodworm caused by moisture content in timber.
• Create a treatment plan to repair the moisture source and remove and replace any rot affected timbers.
• Provide you with a full report outlining findings in each specific area of your property.

At Peter Cox, our history treating wet and dry rot fungus means we are confident we eliminate wet rot for good. That is why our wet rot treatments carry a 20 year wet rot guarantee as standard.

We also offer wet rot property insurance. This insurance offers protection against any future outbreaks of wet rot within any part of the house including untreated areas that most major insurance providers will not, and it covers a full range of properties from flats and houses to mansions and other non-standard homes.

These additional features are designed to offer Peter Cox customers complete peace of mind for the future.

While our surveyors are inspecting your property for wet rot they may need to access your loft. While our experts are there they will let you know if they spot any missing or inadequate levels of insulation in your property. If our surveyor thinks you could save on your energy bills and reduce the carbon footprint of your property with a loft insulation top-up they will offer this as a no obligation extra. To find out more about our insulation service visit our insulation webpage.

Our CSRT qualified surveyors and specialised technicians are directly employed by us, meaning we can ensure all our work is carried out to the highest possible standard.

If you suspect your property is suffering from either wet or dry rot, and you need a professional wet rot specialist then get in touch with your local qualified and accredited team at Peter Cox or book a survey using the button below.