Dry rot treatment gets rid of a fungus called Serpula lacrymans that decays, mostly, timber. It leaves it dry and cracked. You also find dry rot in rubber and some crops. However, when you hear the term dry rot treatment it usually refers to the treatment of this fungus in timber.
Types of Dry Rot Treatment
There are several types of dry rot treatment available. Years ago the only treatment available was to strip the infected treatment out of the building, followed by saturating the remaining wood with fungicides. This approach has now been revised and less drastic solutions are also available.
To grow the fungus needs the right environmental conditions. Some treatments take the approach of controlling the environment to make it impossible for the fungus to grow. This means eliminating damp and providing ventilation.
In many cases the best approach is a combination of the two approaches. So the infected timber, plasterwork and other materials are stripped back and replaced with timber and plasterwork that has been treated to be resistant to dry rot. Ventilation is then improved in the area to make re-growth of the dry rot fungus and many other funguses impossible.
Some people do not like this approach because it is not particularly environmentally friendly. This means that more green approaches have been developed by some treatment firms. Their approach involves drying out the timber first then assessing how much has to be stripped out. In some cases infected timber is not hacked out it is simply encased and isolated from the rest of the building. The fungus dies off due to a lack of food. Improved ventilation and regular checks are used to ensure that the dry rot does not come back.
Getting Dry Rot Treatment Carried Out
Treating dry rot is a complicated process. Every case is different and has to be properly assessed. It is important to use a firm that specialises in dry rot treatment. You need to look for a well established firm that offers a full guarantee that they will still be around in 10 years or so to honour that guarantee.
London & Home Counties have been offering dry rot treatment for many years now. Their experience means that you get the job done right first time.