TDT Preservation Identification of Dry Rot

1.	The appearance of the affected wood, which warps, shrinks and cracks both longitudinally and vertically to form cubing of wood. The wood can be crushed in the fingers.
2.	The presence of rust-red spore dust. If the fungus is an advanced growth and has produced a sporophore, the surrounding area may be covered with a fine red dust consisting of millions os spores.
3.	The appearance of the sporophore, which varies in shape and is dependant largely on the position in which this fruiting body develops. If the sporophore is fully developed the characteristic rust-red spores will easily identify it. This generally appears as a pancake-like plate or a thick, broad backet. When very young it may look like a white grey rubbery ball or beading along the edge of the skirting boards, picture rails etc. As it grows, usually it becomes tinged with a lilac coloration, but when it is ripe the hymenal surface becomes reddish-brown with spores. Sporophores vary in size from a few centimetres to a metre or more in length and width. The texture of the sporophores is soft, leathery, cold and rather clammy. It is not pleasant to handle and feels like something dead. When old, the texture becomes harder and tougher and the colour darkens until it is almost black.
4.	Smell - The odour of active Dry Rot is quite characteristic and once identified will not be forgotten. It is a 'mushroomy' smell. If fruiting bodies are old and decaying the odour is decidedly unpleasant.
5.	Mycelium - If the wood is decayed and no sporophores have appeared on the surface then the mycelium growing on the hidden side of panelling, skirting boards, door and window linings, flooring etc. over joists, rafters, plates or any hidden wood and over contacting brickwork, masonry, site concrete or soil, will not identify dry rot.

Under very moist conditions and where the fungus is very fresh, dry rot mycellium looks like soft white cushions of cotton wool with glistening drops of water clinging to the surface, thus giving it the scientific name Lacrymans (weeping). This will show patches of yellow and lilac soon after it is exposed to the light. As it grows older or the conditions become drier, the mycelium adheres to the timber in mouse-grey silky skin with strands or rhizomorphs at the edges. These strands, when dry, are invariably brittle, unlike those of other strand forming fungi such as Fibroporia vailatii. This is a useful distinguishing feature.