Timber only decays when it is wet enough to support fungal growth or sustained insect attack. Understand the moisture, and you understand the decay.
What we assess
Our timber surveys examine structural and joinery timber for fungal decay (dry rot and the wet rots) and for insect attack including deathwatch beetle and furniture beetle. Crucially, we distinguish active decay and infestation from historic, inactive damage that needs no treatment at all.
Investigating without destruction
The most vulnerable areas, such as bearing ends built into damp masonry, wall plates and joists beneath chimney breasts, are usually concealed. Rather than opening up extensively, we use timber moisture measurement and resistance micro-drilling to assess internal condition with minimal intervention. At Bodmin Jail, this approach demonstrated that the principal roof timbers of the Governor's Hall were generally sound, allowing repairs to be targeted only where decay actually existed.
Treatment is rarely the answer
Fungal decay dies when the moisture sustaining it is removed, and most beetle infestations are controlled the same way. Our recommendations therefore concentrate on eliminating moisture sources, improving ventilation and making targeted repairs, retaining sound historic timber and avoiding blanket chemical treatment.
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