In Britain, dry rot refers to a wood fungus that thrives in nonaerobic
conditions. Unlike the more familiar wet rot, dry rot can probe through
masonry and other materials to find sources of moisture remote from the
growth, and can therefore live and grow under "dry" conditions. It is also
present in the USA. However, it is rather uncommon. Treatment calls for
removal of infected timber for up to 3 or more feet of any visible evidence
of the fungus, blowtorching masonry or cement and/or fungicidal treatments.
The fungus leaves the wood in a porous, checkerboard type appearance with no
residual strength. British engineers on this list may wish to elaborate.
James Cohen Consulting, P.C.
PO Box 130
Pennington, NJ 08534
Tel: (609) 730-0510
Fax: (609) 730-0511