Dry Rot...or Not?

[OllieCR0]

I just moved into a Victorian Semi in a conservation area in Nottingham.

I've discovered what looks like fungus growing on/in the brick outbuilding wall.

Is this dry rot, wet rot... or something else?

I'm thinking to put an extra freezer in here but don't want to risk treading spores into the house if it can be avoided!

Thank you!

Background
-> Outbuilding is perhaps 80+ years old and does have some rot and old woodworm in the timber/tile roof
-> This wall is also the retaining wall for about 1.5m tall earth. The ground above is a vegetable patch, so this wall has lots of wet soil the other side
-> This side of the room was covered when viewing / doing surveys

 

[Matt Green]

Evening,
Good work with the pictures, always appreciated.

I just moved into a Victorian Semi in a conservation area in Nottingham.

I've discovered what looks like fungus growing on/in the brick outbuilding wall.

Is this dry rot, wet rot... or something else?

I'm thinking to put an extra freezer in here but don't want to risk treading spores into the house if it can be avoided!

No, that's Mine Rot (Antrodia (or fibroporia) vaillantii), it's 'too white' for dry rot and dry rot is not cold tolerant enough for an outhouse. Mine rot likes cold, very wet timber and is a rather slow decay fungus despite using the same brown rot decay mechanism as dry rot.

More here (download):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226812363_Characteristics_and_identification_of_indoor_wood-decaying_basidiomycetes

I wouldn't worry about treading spores into the house, dry rot or otherwise- the trick is in not giving them anywhere to germinate. It takes about 28% moisture content in timber for a dry rot spore to germinate, which requires something untoward to happen before it becomes a problem. your outhouse roof is likely not doing a very good job, or there is some wringing wet timber in there.


M.

 

[Cherryburn]

Evening,
Good work with the pictures, always appreciated.



No, that's Mine Rot (Antrodia (or fibroporia) vaillantii), it's 'too white' for dry rot and dry rot is not cold tolerant enough for an outhouse. Mine rot likes cold, very wet timber and is a rather slow decay fungus despite using the same brown rot decay mechanism as dry rot.

More here (download):
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226812363_Characteristics_and_identification_of_indoor_wood-decaying_basidiomycetes

I wouldn't worry about treading spores into the house, dry rot or otherwise- the trick is in not giving them anywhere to germinate. It takes about 28% moisture content in timber for a dry rot spore to germinate, which requires something untoward to happen before it becomes a problem. your outhouse roof is likely not doing a very good job, or there is some wringing wet timber in there.


M.

I don't know if it's just my end but the link appears to be dead? Not the OP but interested in figuring out what's going on underneath my shower before I really dig into it. Must have been a bit of a cowboy install that's been leaking for a while.

 

[Matt Green]

https://www.researchgate.net/public...cation_of_indoor_wood-decaying_basidiomycetes

That should work? Googling the paper's title will get you there in a roundabout way.

--


The underside of your shower seems to be suffering from a Poria-type fungus based on the growth pattern and fruiting body. There are a few different species and they are tough to tell apart.


M.

 

[larry]

https://www.researchgate.net/public...cation_of_indoor_wood-decaying_basidiomycetes

That should work? Googling the paper's title will get you there in a roundabout way.

--


The underside of your shower seems to be suffering from a Poria-type fungus based on the growth pattern and fruiting body. There are a few different species and they are tough to tell apart.


M.

Matt can I just say that your knowledge of home destroying fungi is absolutely incredible.

 

[Matt Green]

Matt can I just say that your knowledge of home destroying fungi is absolutely incredible.

I am dangerously boring if provoked, it's true. You should hear me talk about wood-boring beetles.

It's not that hard, really, it just requires a bit of motivation, a few textbooks and a desire to track down papers and collect pictures. Having a job that paid me to be motivated in an industry can be both litigious and badly informed in my mid-20s helped a lot.

Re: above. This is a better and slightly more accessible guide:

https://www.davidmoore.org.uk/21st_...lection/Huckfeldt_Schmidt_house_rot_fungi.pdf


M

 

[OllieCR0]

Thanks so much Matt! Really appreciate it

 

[larry]

I am dangerously boring if provoked, it's true. You should hear me talk about wood-boring beetles.

It's not that hard, really, it just requires a bit of motivation, a few textbooks and a desire to track down papers and collect pictures. Having a job that paid me to be motivated in an industry can be both litigious and badly informed in my mid-20s helped a lot.

Re: above. This is a better and slightly more accessible guide:

https://www.davidmoore.org.uk/21st_...lection/Huckfeldt_Schmidt_house_rot_fungi.pdf


M

I genuinely meant it as a compliment. I think when you know a lot about something you can sometimes find it hard to know what you know that other people don't know (if that makes sense). It is really wonderful that you can put that knowledge to good use in a forum helping others so directly.