DRY ROT TIMBER DECAY & SURVEY EXPERTS
Don’t Let Dry Rot Destroy Your Property
Dry rot is one of the most destructive timber decay fungi affecting UK buildings. Left untreated, it spreads rapidly and silently, causing serious structural damage. At AMS Surveys, we provide expert dry rot surveys carried out by RICS Chartered Building Surveyors, with a focus on accurate diagnosis, clear reporting, and long-term solutions.
Serving Liverpool, Merseyside, and the wider North West and Wales, we help homeowners, landlords, housing associations and commercial clients detect and stop dry rot in its tracks.
OUR GLOWING CLIENT REVIEWS
WHAT IS DRY ROT AND WHY IS IT SO SERIOUS?
Understanding Dry Rot (Serpula lacrymans)
Unlike wet rot, dry rot spreads aggressively, often travelling behind walls, under floors, and through masonry. It thrives in damp, poorly ventilated conditions and can affect the structural integrity of timber elements such as floor joists, rafters, skirting boards, and lintels.
TYPICAL SIGNS OF DRY ROT
-
Cracking, shrunken or brittle timber
-
Orange or rust-coloured spore dust
-
White or grey cotton wool-like growths (mycelium)
-
Mushroom-like fruiting bodies
-
Musty, damp odour even in seemingly dry areas
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF DRY ROT?
Dry rot occurs when airborne spores come into contact with damp timber that has a moisture content of over 20%. These spores then germinate and sprout grey root hyphae strands. The hyphae grow into mycelium which covers the timber in a thick cotton-wool like substance. The fungus eats the wood and sucks the moisture from it, leaving it weakened.
The fungus then advances into a fruiting body known as sporophore which sprouts more spores to continue the life cycle.
Dry rot spores develop into the wood-destroying fungus as a result of damp timber and the fungus thrives in moist, damp, poorly ventilated conditions. There are many reasons why timber could be damp in the home, including penetrating damp, condensation, leaking pipes, faulty drainage, broken roof tiles, or a leaking washing machine, thus creating the ideal environment for fungi growth.
WORKING WITH HERITAGE BUILDINGS
Our expertise extends to historic and listed buildings, where dry rot is often concealed and repairs must be sensitive to original materials and construction methods. AMS SURVEYS ensures a balance between modern repair techniques and conservation best practice.
REGULATED AND PARTNERED WITH
THE SPECIALIST TEAM FOR COMPLEX SURVEYING
Promote the future health of your home or commercial property. Arrange a timber survey with AMS Surveys.