Possible dry rot issue

RacingSilver

Hi

My house is 45 years old, and when we bought it (8 years ago), we built
an extension at the back of the house (a direct labour job).
My brother in law was coordinating the job but it wasn't ideal.
I was clueless at the time regarding all this kind of stuff.

Anyway, the downstairs timber floors were built on joists which were about 2 feet off the ground. There was a vent at the front and the back of the house, allowing air to flow through underneath the floors.
But, when our house was extended, we lost the vent at the back(!), so now there is only a vent at the front (which incidentally is partially covered also ).
Our existing timber floor (in the old part of the house) was built on top of the old floor.
We are a bit worried about the fact that air is no longer flowing freely under the floors.
A few months ago, one of the skirting boards in the hall (2 feet in length) started to crumble, and my wife felt that she got a fungus type smell from it.
We are worried that this was dry rot, and we are wondering what we can do to restore the air flow under the house.

It's not possible to put in another vent at the back of the house, as the extension was built on a concrete floor.

Any help much appreciated.


Thanks

dathi

you should really get someone it to check this out but in the mean time is the wall where the skirting board rotted an external wall? if it is you might have a problem with water penetration check for leaking gutters or flowerbeds/paths too high against wall. as to the floor vents if you have a gable wall you could drill new vent there

dathi

sorry forgot to say if you google dry rot images there are a few good pics of the black thread mycilium that can grow in the plaster behind the wood which spread the rot wet rot on the other hand needs damp wood to feed on and cant grow up behind plaster looking for new wood google both types wet and dry to see difference but you still need someone who knows what they are doing

RKQ

If its Dry Rot, then the sooner this is identified the better. Seek professional advice.

Large areas of affected flooring and plaster will need to be carefully removed. As dathi says it could be a leak / water ingress in the Hall.

I'd agree that a gable vent would help alot. If its a terrace house put another vent in front - not ideal but it has got to improve air movement!

RacingSilver

Thanks Daithi. No, the wall concerned is an internal wall, in the hall. Alos, no option of a vent in the gable. But thanks for your help, I obviously need to get someone professional in to have a look.
Thanks again.
RS

Charlie-Bravo

There are key differences between dry and wet rots...there are also many varieties of dry and wet rot! In any event it does sound like a dry rot issue with air vents blocked up. If you feel the area and it's not particularly damp to the touch it is most likely a dry rot... Best get a Building Surveyor to have a look and advise.

Go to the Society of Chartered Surveyors and search for Building Surveyors in your area - These are trained professionals who deal specifically in this area of defect diagnosis.

RacingSilver

Thanks a lot for that. I will get a building surveyor to look at it.