Despite its name, dry rot is generally caused by water entering a property. With the Latin name of Serpula lacrymans, it is the cause of major decay in buildings and can cause extensive damage. Often referred to as a brown rot, it most often occurs in timber which is in contact with, or embedded in, wet brickwork or masonry. The fungus is very sensitive to temperatures of over 25 degrees centigrade especially in drying conditions. Exposed timbers and timbers where there is good ventilation are rarely affected. Damaged timber takes on a very dull brown colour, mostly developing deep cracks along and across the grain (known as cubing). The timber loses weight as it loses moisture and will crumble between the fingers. Unlike some wet rots, there is no hardened surface to disguise this drying out as the whole section of timber is affected. Dry rot is a fungus, developing a fruiting body at the source of its damp home. The fruiting body is normally found on timber attached or at least in contact with masonry, where damp conditions can prevail. The fruit body is quite tough and fleshy to feel, and develops a pancake like shape. The centre is a yellow ochre when it is young and this develops to a deep rust colour when it is allowed to grow. The deepening in colour is a result of the fine, brown spores it produces which are generally gathered in a dust below the body. The edges of the fruit body will be white or grey...This fruit body may be the first sign of dry rot. Named "dry rot" because of its apparent ability to grow in dry areas, this fungus has developed the ability to soak up moisture from timber, totally drying it out, and then develop strands which can travel across walls and through mortar to other timbers in unventilated conditions. It cannot feed on the masonry but carries the moisture it needs in the strands, thus allowing it to spread throughout a property.

The treatment of dry rot is generally tackled in two parts. Unless already done so, the cause of the water ingress must be stopped. If this is a leaking gutter or cracked render, this needs to be addressed. The extent of the internal remedial repairs will be determined by the distance travelled by the dry rot spores. It is commonly known that treatment of dry rot needs to extend one metre beyond the last sign of the spores. If structural timbers such as floor joists or timber lintels have been affected, the remedial works will be intrusive and involve the removal of internal wall linings and plaster. Stone or brick walls will usually have to be drilled and irrigated with chemicals to kill of the fungus. While it is not necessary for the occupants of the property to move out during the works, they will have restricted access to the areas being treated. We will seal up the area being worked in to allow the remaining rooms of the property that are unaffected, to be used as normal. We use the latest, and safest, chemicals on the market to treat dry rot and the re-entry time for the occupants of the property is greatly reduced compared to the old chemicals.

The care taken with the reinstatement of the property after treatment is crucial. We have our own plastering division which allows us to programme the works with the aim of getting the property back to rights as soon as possible. As part of the service, we have our own in-house joiners who can machine skirting boards, door architraves, etc. to match the existing finishing timbers.

All dry rot works are covered by our own company guarantee for 30 years. We can also provided a 30 year protected guarantee from our chemical supplier, Biokil-Crown. This protected guarantee is highly recommended for dry rot works and gives the property owner additional peace of mind.

If you suspect you have dry rot, contact us today and we will arrange to carry out an initial diagnosis survey. If dry rot is confirmed, this will normally be followed up with a full investigative survey to determine the full extent of the treatment required. This survey will also allow us to give you a more accurate cost for the treatment and remedial works.

There are three types of woodworm in the UK. The common Furniture Beetle, the House Longhorn Beetle and Death Watch Beetle. The last two are normally only found in the south of England leaving the common Furniture Beetle as the main cause of woodworm destruction in Scotland. Other less common wood boring insects can also make an appearance and you should seek our professional advice if you are unsure. Damage by the furniture beetle is identifiable by a peppering of tiny holes in the surface of the wood. These holes are in fact emergence holes meaning that the adult beetle has emerged from and left the timber after spending its time tunneling through it as a grub. The furniture beetle attacks softwoods leaving 1-2mm exit holes. It prefers damp rather than dry wood and the grubs will head for, and stay in, plywood for longer than any other timber. Damp floorboards, damp loft timbers and old furniture, were the polished finish has worn off, (the furniture beetle prefers unfinished wood like old floorboards and loft rafters) are good targets for the beetle. The beetle lays its eggs on the timber and the grubs do the burrowing and tunnel about in the timber. With active woodworm there is a scattering of tiny dust piles on the timber. These are called frass. Structural weakening is rare with the furniture beetle except in timbers whose cross section is small and there is a lot of damp. In older houses for example, where the floor joists are near the ground and ventilation may have been blocked, floorboards may suffer structural damage. Once the grubs leaves the timber, the outbreak will be classed as inactive. However, they will often return and lay fresh eggs, ready to start the cycle again. Biokil-Crown recommend that any sign of woodworm activity, whether active or inactive, treatment is carried out. If treatment has been carried out previously, within the last 30 years, retreatment is not required.

To treat woodworm, affected and surrounding timbers are sprayed with an anti-insecticide solution. Applied by pressure spray for maximum effect and coverage by our skilled staff. If woodworm is found in roof timbers, these need to be cleaned down of all dust and cobwebs to ensure that no areas are left untreated. Any insulation within the loft space must be lifted prior to treatment. It may be necessary to lift floorboards in affected rooms to give access to joists and underside of floorboards. It is not sufficient to treat woodworm in isolation. For instance, if woodworm is found to be infecting the floorboards in a small corner of a room, all the floorboards and bare softwood timbers in the room will require to be treated. The returning beetle will affect other timbers (by laying eggs) if repelled from the treated timbers by the applied chemical. Using the latest Biokil chemicals, re-entry time to the property can be as little as one hour. All woodworm treatments are covered by our own company guarantee for 30 years. We can also provided a 30 year protected guarantee from our chemical supplier, Biokil-Crown.

If you suspect you have woodworm, or it is highlighted in a home report, contact us and we will arrange to carry out a survey. If woodworm is confirmed, we will supply you with an estimate to carry out the treatment works. Should any structural damage be found, we will allow for the replacement of the structural timbers in our estimate.

Rising damp or penetrating damp. No matter what type of damp you have, this is not good for your property or your health. Damp is probably the biggest minefield for remedial contractors and has led to bad publicity for the industry, mainly due to misdiagnosis with expensive 'solutions'. We can offer a full survey of your property together with laboratory testing (if necessary) leading to a cost effective solution to eradicate the problem.

In order to cure dampness in buildings, it is essential to make the correct diagnosis during the survey, to determine the cause of the dampness. We use both industry standard damp meters and infra-red thermal camera technology from FLIR to produce detailed and accurate reports. Thermal imaging ensures we get to the heart of the problem and eliminates 'wrong diagnosis'. In the case of penetrating damp, thermal imaging can pinpoint the source of the problem. We can also use the same technology to follow up on treatment works to ensure that the problem has been solved.

Our preferred chemical for treatment of Rising Damp is Dryzone. Click the image on the left to go to the Dryzone web site for full details on the 21st century way to eliminate rising damp. Please note that not all properties can benefit from the easy installation of Dryzone and will require treatment by pressure injection. Call for advice on the best system for your property.   

A damp proof course will be drilled and injected as close to the internal floor level as possible. If the plaster has been affected by rising damp, mineral salts will be contained in the plaster which will damage decoration. The plaster will normally have to be removed to a height of one metre and replaster with renovating plaster. If the affected walls are below the external ground level, it may be necessary to tank the wall with a water-proof membrane to prevent water ingress below the damp proof course line.

If you have penetrating damp, this is water ingress to a property from above ground, i.e. poor pointing, cracked render, roof leaks, gutter leaks, etc. Penetrating damp will affect the decoration in a property and can increase the levels of condensation within the building. If left unattended it can also lead to dry rot, which is much more expensive to repair. Treatment of penetrating damp will depend on the actual source of the water ingress and the amount of internal damage done.

We are often asked, 'What are the health implications of damp?' This is a difficult question to give a general answer to. Suffice to say, living in a damp environment is not ideal for anyone. People who suffer with breathing problems, such as asthma, can react badly to damp conditions. Our advice would be, if you suspect you have a damp problem, act fast and call in the experts.

An example of a wet room installed by us along with our trusted sub-contractors

• We can plan from start to finished job
• A comprehensive choice of wall panels, flooring, etc.
• Quality products

New fascia boards fitted at Kelso Swimming pool for SBC

• Reactive works
• Planned projects
• Joiner contractors

New windows and door installed in a clients porch.

• We can supply all types of replacement windows and doors.
• uPVC, Composite doors, timber windows and timber doors.
• Full Supply and install
• Competitive prices