Dry rot and timber decay: Don’t panic and poison yourself

Author's Biography

Jagjit Singh PhD is a building mycologist and pathologist and a director of Environmental Building Solutions Ltd (EBS). He specialises in building health problems, heritage conservation and environmental issues and has more than 33 years’ hands-on experience in surveying historic buildings. Jagjit has carried out environmental surveys for dry rot, wet rot, moisture, damp and decay, moulds, environmental health surveys and monitoring historic buildings, and provided recommendations for environmental control. EBS’s reputation in non-intrusive investigations for dry rot, wet rot, timber decay, damp, hazardous materials surveys, heritage building investigations and the development of innovative techniques — including recommendations for environmental management sympathetic to the building fabric finishes and components and the non-use of chemicals and cementitious tanking materials — is well respected by conservation and heritage authorities. Jagjit has published in excess of 250 technical papers and communications, contributed to books and lectured widely on care and conservation of collections, building pathology and building health problems, covering wide areas including fungal infestation and environmental control, timber decay in buildings, damp and decay in buildings and drying out buildings after fire and water damage, environmental monitoring and control of moisture, mould and biological contaminants, Indoor air quality and health implications in buildings. Jagjit has edited several books including Building Mycology: Management of Decay and Health in Buildings, Environmental Preservation of Timber in Buildings, Allergy Problems in Buildings and Environmental Monitoring of our Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Conservation Solutions. Jagjit is a BBC expert and has appeared twice in the Raising the Roof series. He is a former president of the International Society for the Built Environment (ISBE).