Guide to treating wet rot

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 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.

Throughout the wet rot 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 rot 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.

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 wet rot treatment is that unless you can identify and remove the fault in the building that is creating a damp environment, the rot 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.

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 rot 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.

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.