Bought an old village hall last year (built 1907) and, at last, had time do some work on it this summer to convert into a recording studio / office! Not a pro rec.studio yet, just basic set up to get out of the house! The hall has two rooms, a hall (obviously!) 10 x 17m and a kitchen / diner leading to small toilet, 6 x 4m both divided by entrance hallway.

2 problems so far:

1. In the hall, I've come across some alien looking brown (fan shaped) fungus near one of the A.frames, as I took it away, I noticed more fungus under the picture frame, removed that... o no! The fungus is everywhere! It looks as if it's feeding off the A.frame post. I got a builder round - he told me to carefully hack away the rot and all evidence of fungus, then spray it with a fungicide spray. Done that. But, as I hacked away, I noticed the fungus is growing through the concrete! As I investigated more, I noticed a bit of fungus in the nearby window lintel. I sawed off the plaster board..... o my word! Clouds of cotton wool type fungus, with thick white veins on the rocks above. What is this? What do I do?

2. As I was hacking away the smaller room, I came across more white fungus, between the bricks and concrete. It's source comes from bits of wood in the brick work.

Apparently, the smaller room had a major water burst during a cold winter, the water flooded the place from ceiling and it poured for a week!

So, any help appreciated on this matter, also please advice me on safety issues. I have been wearing a mask while doing the work... should I be more careful?

Thanks, Gareth

Post photos of the fungus and I might be able to tell you what it is. That will at least let you know your enemy.

These fungi feed off the wood, breaking it down as they do so. Often the wood loses its integrity as they eat some of the structure, but leave non digestible material in place, so the result is that the wood is still there but it has no strength. One bracket might be evidence that the fungus has spread throughout the host. The fungus you see is no more than a fruiting body whose role is to spread spores. The main body of the fungus will be in the wood.

As you probably know, the common fungi in homes are wet rot and dry rot. Google Serpula lacrymans and see if the images match.

Thanks Leif, had no camera with me. And have no time today to take pics. But after doing research on web it looks like Dry Rot - Serpula lacrymans!

On Wikipedia it states that antifreeze is a good killer! But, I've been using Fungicidal Wash to do the job so far.

Current thinking:

1. I understand that I need to find source of fungus, destroy or treat damaged wood / masonry + hack away concrete at least metre in radius of any fungal evidence.

2. Find source of moisture / leakage. I think it's probably from damaged facia / slate.

3. I've heard that, once you start disturbing the fungus, it grows quicker. True? False?

4. Is this a DIY job? Or should I get the pro's in? Trouble is, I'm very short on budget!

5. Not sure on health issues with this. Inhaling spores / fungicidal spray etc. (on container it doesn't say much on this, just 'keep protected'!)

6. I'm going away for a week, have to leave everything as it is. Should I be worried?

Will post pics of damage, when I get a chance.

Further guidance will be greatly appreciated.

anything like this scratch, its hard to say without seeing pics, but a fruiting fungi body with what looks like cobwebs, could be a form or dry rot called mycelia (i think).

Thanks JME, cant really tell the difference between Mycelia and Serpula Lycramans, look the same to me.

Anyway, got chance to take some pics, here goes...

After hacking away concrete, I find that the white vein/root like fungus is everywhere!

PS. I've posted them in order, but the site has published in the opposite order. Please view bottom up, thanks.

Scratch, get a professional damp surveyor in to assess that. I don't mean a guy who does damp,courses a damp surveyor. I do damp courses but call upon q company to assess stuff like that to make sure but that is all the symptoms of rot. I use a firm called sovereign chemical on basis that the guy I work for is accredited to them. The sovereign rep we have really knows his stuff. But my advice is to get it professionally assessed.

I agree with JMEPLASTERING, you need a professional who knows about Dry Rot and other fungi. It is not a health hazard to you, unless the building is so rotten that it falls on you. By the way, mycelium is the name for the white root like growth that is the main body of the fungus. The brackets you see are the fruiting bodies, which produce spores. Spores are rather like seeds, so the bracket is the way the fungus propagates itself.

Anyway, you need the place fully treated with fungicide, as soon as possible. I'm not sure damp is the problem. Dry rot is so called because it can create its own water by breaking down wood cells. So once it spreads, you need to use chemicals. But get a professional. I'm an amateur mycologist, not a rot specialist.