The Problems

Dampness in houses can have many causes. Rising damp is caused by moisture travelling up through permeable walls. Water may also be brought in through soil-retaining walls, or it may come through faulty roofs, gutters or downpipes. It may come through the floor if there is no adequate damp-proof membrane, it may come from condensation due to inadequate ventilation or heating, it may even come from a hidden pipe which has burst. The vital first step is therefore to find the cause of the damp.

Wet and dry rot are both caused by wood-destroying fungi. Serpula Lacrymans is commonly known as dry rot, though the name might be thought inappropriate since, like all wood-destroying fungi, it needs water for germination, growth and survival. The fungus involved in wet rot is Coniophora Puteana, and it requires decidedly wet conditions.

Woodworm is the most common house infestation. The holes on the surface of the wood, known as exit holes, are made by the burrowing larvae of the furniture beetle and are the only visible signs that the wood has been attacked.