Potential dry rot.

[Tonymac01]

So as we’re coming to the second sale and second survey of our house, the second surveyor  found none of the issues the first one found, but a few of his own. 
 

First and most worrying is what he claims is dry rot, although he said it might not be, but the surveys come back now and he says he thinks it is. 
 

He never looked under the floorboards, never checked anywhere else for it. 
 

The bay window floor area has dropped a little, and it a bit ‘loose’ or ‘bouncy’ underfoot. Has laminate floor on top. 
 

we have decking outside above the vents. 
 

Can anyone help me on this one at all ? 
 

We have a section of wallpaper that has bubbled, to the right of the bay, where we had a leak upstairs a year or so ago (we never re decorated it). Which might have gone into the joists below ? 
 

There’s no cellar, just an 18”-24” void underneath the floor. 
 

The loose section of floor is where the sofa is in the pic, straight across the room. 
 

Questions are, can you (or a surveyor) diagnose dry rot from a loose floor ? Has the decking made any difference to ventilation in the void ? 
 

Could a prolonged leak from upstairs, through the floors, create it ? 
 

Thanks all. 
 

pics of inside and outside attached. 

[Thedreamer]

2 minutes ago, Tonymac01 said:

So as we’re coming to the second sale and second survey of our house, the second surveyor  found none of the issues the first one found, but a few of his own. 
 

First and most worrying is what he claims is dry rot, although he said it might not be, but the surveys come back now and he says he thinks it is. 
 

He never looked under the floorboards, never checked anywhere else for it. 
 

The bay window floor area has dropped a little, and it a bit ‘loose’ or ‘bouncy’ underfoot. Has laminate floor on top. 
 

we have decking outside above the vents. 
 

Can anyone help me on this one at all ? 
 

We have a section of wallpaper that has bubbled, to the right of the bay, where we had a leak upstairs a year or so ago (we never re decorated it). Which might have gone into the joists below ? 
 

There’s no cellar, just an 18”-24” void underneath the floor. 
 

The loose section of floor is where the sofa is in the pic, straight across the room. 
 

Questions are, can you (or a surveyor) diagnose dry rot from a loose floor ? Has the decking made any difference to ventilation in the void ? 
 

Could a prolonged leak from upstairs, through the floors, create it ? 
 

Thanks all. 
 

pics of inside and outside attached. 

 

A few pictures of the side of the deck might be useful, can air travel through the decking? Can you see the vents/air bricks? 

 

Also is there a gap between the decking and the wall? 

 

There are some good videos on youtube by a chap called Peter Ward, might be worth a watch.

 

[ProDave]

Nobody can tell anything without lifting floorboards or otherwise gaining access to the under floor area.  So I hope he has made it CLEAR he did not SEE dry rot, but has just made an assumption that may be one possible cause.

 

A more likely cause (and easier to fix) is wet rot.

 

Or nothing at all.  I had exactly the same in a 1930's house. Some wood had warped (as wood does) meaning the wall plate on a sleeper wall had lifted a few mm off it's wall, and as you put weight on it, it went back down.  nothing "wrong" not even wet rot.

[Tonymac01]

2 minutes ago, ProDave said:

Nobody can tell anything without lifting floorboards or otherwise gaining access to the under floor area.  So I hope he has made it CLEAR he did not SEE dry rot, but has just made an assumption that may be one possible cause.

 

A more likely cause (and easier to fix) is wet rot.

 

Or nothing at all.  I had exactly the same in a 1930's house. Some wood had warped (as wood does) meaning the wall plate on a sleeper wall had lifted a few mm off it's wall, and as you put weight on it, it went back down.  nothing "wrong" not even wet rot.

Thanks Dave, I was thinking similar. 
 

Our buyer doesn’t seem too bothered at the moment and we are proceeding, but surveyor says we need a ‘rot survey’ 

[ProDave]

If the buyer wants to be sure, you do need a look under the floor, which is not a trivial job with laminate flooring fitted.  It probably now hinges on whether the mortgage company get worried if they see the words "dry rot"

[Tonymac01]

It’s a 20% mortgage. 
 

My chippy says he can lift the floor and fit new joists in one good day. 
 

Surveyor says it’s not as simple as fitting new wood ??

wouldn't be would it !!

 

I said I’d fix it between exchange & complete

Edited December 30, 2019 by Tonymac01

[ProDave]

Just replacing the wood if you don't fix the "why" might be a short term fix, e.g if the wall the wood rests on is saturated.

[Tonymac01]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Just replacing the wood if you don't fix the "why" might be a short term fix, e.g if the wall the wood rests on is saturated.

It’s all dry Dave, but I know what you mean. 
 

lets see what’s underneath ???

[Simplysimon]

endoscopic camera would mean only a small hole and would give a definitive answer

[K78]

Surveyors can be a nightmare. They have you check everything to cover their ass even if they don’t see it. 
 

Every terrace house survey I’ve ever seen recommends checking damp and timber even if it has just had a full renovation. 
 

I sold a terrace in 2007 that I fixed up. The surveyor arrived, I knew him well (through work. I managed a local estate agency). He asked me if everything was ok, I said yes. He then said come a look at this Nappa leather in my TT. Didn’t check a thing. Survey was fine still but recommended checking damp and floor timbers. 
 

Dry rot is serious though. I once disappeared in a cloud of white dust as I fell through the hallway floor of a old house in Whaley range and ended up in the basement. 

[scottishjohn]

On 30/12/2019 at 16:04, ProDave said:

If the buyer wants to be sure, you do need a look under the floor, which is not a trivial job with laminate flooring fitted.  It probably now hinges on whether the mortgage company get worried if they see the words "dry rot"

as @Dave says 

someone has to play at being a  "potholer "with a lamp and a screwdriver to poke into beams and things and go look 

I would want to know if i was selling what the problems are -