What is dry rot and how is it caused?
Dry rot (also known as fungal decay) is a wood destroying-fungus which feeds on moisture in timbers. Dry rot spores, which are always present in the atmosphere, land on timber, and in the correct environmental conditions will germinate and produce hyphae (fine strands of fungal growth). These hyphae strands join together to form a mass called Mycelium which can vary in colour from grey to pure white, and these strands grow into and across the damp wood. It can also grow into materials such as plaster, mortars, bricks etc. When the growth is advanced a fruiting body (Sporophore) may develop. This fruiting body takes the form of a “fleshy pancake”, the surface of which is orange/ochre coloured. A large numbers of spores generate from the centre of the fruiting body, under still conditions, and form the red “dust” often visible where there is a significant attack of dry rot.
