What Causes Dry Rot and How Does It Spread?

Dry rot is a problem for many different applications in which wood is used. Here are the basics of what causes dry rot and how it spreads.

What Is Dry Rot?

Dry rot is a condition that can affect any type of wood. It is a fungus that can spread throughout the wood. When the fungus spreads, the wood rots, becoming very brittle. At this point, the wood is likely to break and crumble into little pieces. Dry rot often happens in buildings and can cause catastrophic damage to the structure.

How Dry Rot Spreads

Dry rot needs moisture in order to grow inside wood; therefore, it needs continued moisture to spread. When dry rot affects a piece of wood, the rotting part will often fall off. At this point, more of the wood is exposed, which allows dry rot to continue to spread.

Dry rot needs moisture content in the wood of about 28% to 30% in order to continue growing. If you can effectively eliminate the source of the moisture, you will be able to stop the dry rot. You can also use antifreeze or other commercial products to eliminate the dry rot.