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Brian G

wrote:
On 23 Dec, 15:33, " wrote:
We have a cellar that holds water in our 180yr old house. I've
recently had to replace the bottom 3 stairs and the pantry floor
because the timber had rotted due to the water vapour when the cellar
fills up with water(approx 3 inch of water). Cellar is 7 foot deep
and until recently had no air bricks at all and the timber that
rotted had no doubt been there years so it lasted quite long.

I have installed 2 air bricks and replaced the floor and stairs with
treated(tanalised) timber. I used bitumen paint on the ends of the
timber where they came in contact with the damp masonry. This was
maybe 3 months ago and today I went down in the cellar and was rather
shocked to see that the areas of the timber that had bitumen on are
dripping with water and also there is white mould on certain parts on
the timbers?

Dear Mark
Are you sure it is mould and not fungus (not mould)or
efflorescence(salt crystals? If so take a picture and I will have a
look
To get a fungus after 3 months is not likely

Chris
PS
IF itis tanalised and has not been cut it is impervious to decay
c

-----------------------------------------

"To get a fungus after 3 months is not likely"

It is possible for timber to be infected with the dry rot fungus well within
three months - although unlikely with tanalised timber.

I have actuall seen new skirtings and window frames re-infected within that
time because a proper dry-rod eradication program had not been carried out
before their renewal.

"IF itis tanalised and has not been cut it is impervious to decay"

That is factually incorrect - tanalising only delays the onset of decay
(albeit for a long period and dependent upon local conditions) whether cut
or not.

Brian G