There is nothing quite as upsetting for a home owner than to find a piece of their home rotting away. Finding rot in a home can mean costly repair bills and a fair amount of time and money spent seeking out other possible areas where rot may have taken hold. Typically dry rot is found in places where there have been water or moisture leaks during the rainy winter months and then during the dry summers, these spots have dried out. Once this happens you are essentially dealing with a spreading fungus that feeds on wood and can work it's way through quite a bit of healthy wood in a short amount of time.

Dry rot is usually easier to catch before it actually dries out. when still in the mold/fungus stage it is simpler to catch as you can smell the musty odor and see the moisture on the affected area (if it is in fact visible). If you think that your home may be subject to leaks and rot then it's a good idea to check the home from top to bottom, paying special attention to areas around the roof and foundations. These are good areas to watch because if rot is going to start anywhere it is likely to be in one of these areas, unless you are dealing with a leaky pipes situation. Leaky pipes are a whole different ball of wax as damage can go unchecked for some time as the affected areas are behind walls or inside ceilings and under floors.

The main way to ensure that your home is protected from problems with rot is to make sure that you home is properly weatherproofed. The next best thing to do is to keep a close eye on things and to take note of areas that may be affected. Catching things early on can be the biggest money-saver in this kind of situation as if left unchecked dry rot and mold rot can quickly spread and the more it spreads, the higher the cost to repair. As anyone knows who has had to deal with this kind of thing, it can become a huge cost to fix. If foundations are affected by dry rot for long enough it can be necessary to replace the entire foundation of the home.

Rot of all kinds is anathema to any home. This is definitely something that should be looked for before purchasing any property by a professional home inspector.