Dry Rot in School Buildings

Background

• In the last few years we have had several outbreaks of dry rot in schools
• Dry rot if left untreated can lead to parts of the school becoming unsafe.  These areas then have to be closed off until the damage caused by the infestation can be repaired.  In extreme cases temporary classrooms may be  needed
• Repair and treatment costs are dependent  on how early the fungus is identified but for serious cases of infestation costs can be significant (hundreds of thousands of pounds)

What you can do

• Regularly check wood especially structural wood when cleaning and carrying out maintenance
• Clean out rainwater gutters, rainwater pipes on a regular basis (check at least twice a year)
• Keep all rainwater gullies free form debris
• Maintain and repair all roof areas to prevent water ingress
• Keep all valley gutters/box gutters free from debris (check at least twice a year)
• Make cleaning and maintenance staff aware of the signs
• Enable reporting of early warning signs
• Look out for the signs of dry rot

For further information please click on Dry Rot