"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...

"Mark" wrote in message

The reasons for my opinion a
a superficial hard outer skin about 0.5 to 1.0 mm thick
the absence of obvious hypal strands
the absence of visible mycelial strands
the confined location

It was fine up to here

the characteristics of the location (in a roof timber without the
necessary lime mortar for dry rot)

But that's rubbish, the presence of lime mortar or not
has no relevance as to whether Dry Rot could form in the above
case.




Except indirectly - lime mortar tends to imply an older building which
may not have the advantage of modern understandings of the need for
sub floor or roof ventilation hence more suceptable to dry rot if
moisture makes its way into the structure, which the very age of the
building increases the likelyhood.


No lime mortar or render is completely irrelevant to an infestation of dry
rot, it can if conditions are suitable aid the spread to other adjacent
timbers that would not initially been able to support the Fungi spoor
germinating.

Serpula lacrymans is a naturally occurring woodland Fungi it survives well
enough outdoors so ventilation alone is clearly not sufficient to stop it's
occurrence, but the inside of a house can if the timber is able to support
germination act as a wonderful petri dish regardless of age.



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