Dry rot is a fungus that can ruin even the most beautiful and well-built of structures—and knowing how it thrives is important in preventing its growth and spread! While most fungi thrive in acidic conditions, dry rot is more resilient and will live even in alkaline environments. This means that it can keep growing everywhere and get around surfaces like plaster, masonry, and mortar in order to destroy other areas of a building with wood. 

However, there is still a way to stop its spread—depriving dry rot of its food source and disrupting its life cycle can help you get rid of it before you rebuild and reinforce your structures with concrete and plaster walls. Here are the four stages of dry rot that can affect your building:

1. Spores

Spores are part of the life cycle of many plants, algae, and fungi. Individually invisible to the naked eye, spores tend to collect together in brown or orange patches resembling dust. 

When you see these collecting around your property, it’s best to prepare for the possible development of dry rot. Its growth begins with the presence of spores that come into contact with wood in just the right environments. Once it settles on the timber, the spores will germinate and reproduce. 

2. Hyphae

Once the spores have spread enough, it produces what is known as hyphae—or the root of the rot. It grows in fine strands to penetrate the wood and timber, feeding on the sugar molecules—called cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin—found in the wood. 

When this process happens, cross-grain cuboidal cracking occurs, which renders the wood unstable, as the dry rot reverses the formation of the wood, leaving the lignin behind. When the hyphae have multiplied and colonized enough, mycelium begins to grow, which looks like a fluffy white material. 

3. Mycelium

Mycelium is the main way that rot can spread to different building materials. This can be considered the most destructive part of the dry rot. It will continue to spread quickly across different surfaces and feed on any timber found throughout the property. 

If you’re rebuilding from a rundown and dried-out building, it’s best to beware of dry rot since it can lay dormant for years and thrive in the right conditions. Getting rid of any rotten wood that has shown signs of spores, hyphae, and mycelium is necessary to prevent further spread. 

4. Sporophore

Fortunately, killing dry rot is possible by depriving it of its food source, water, and air. However, it is extremely resilient, in that it produces a self-reproducing organ called sporophores when it senses a lack in its vital resources. These essentially shed spores to find another piece of timber for it to settle on and continue the germination process until its full development. 

Conclusion

Even if your property has fallen victim to dry rot, rebuilding and repairing it can be done with the right materials. Beware, however, as while wood has a beautiful finish and can create stylish facades and structures, the risk of rot is a much greater threat to this expensive building material! Instead, investing in quality interior plaster and stucco can strengthen your building and prevent the speedy spread of dry rot. It’s possible to prevent its growth by using building materials that are not susceptible to this fungus—making your home or establishment much stronger for years to come.  

Here at One Stop Plastering, we provide both interior and exterior plaster and stucco solutions for residences and commercial buildings in the Bay Area. With over sixty years of experience on our belt, we provide only the very best services! Bid your job for one of our services today!