AIBU to want the council to do something about my giant bathroom mushrooms?

[fluffyduffydoo]

Around 3 months ago 2 giants mushrooms suddenly started growing out a wall at skirting board level in the bathroom

Ripped right through the wallpaper and were as big as my palm after one week

I'm a council tenant in a block of flats so called the council and they came and stuck a prod in the wall and advised the wall was sodden so they would have to get work men in as there was likely a leak in the communal pipes behind the wall

Someone came and opened up the panels on the walls, then a plumber came and said yes there is a leak somewhere, leave it with us

Then they came and replaced the panel and signed off on the job and said the source of the problem had been found and rectified and I should have no more problems.

However I have two new mushrooms again

Do I complain again? Surely a batroom should not have mushrooms growing out the wall? (how the jeff does a wall even grow and cultivate a damn mushroom)

[PeterandJane]

Assuming you can't eat them, I would definitely complain BIG TIME. It's a sure sign of damp. They obviously haven't fixed the leak....

[LiveAndLetDie]

YANBU. The damp must be horrific if mushrooms are growing! Is there any mould? I was say in my non-expert opinion that it was a health hazard (but that may be bull). Definitely get back on to them and insist on them rectifying it.

[Mrsjayy]

That is minging poor you yes ring them again also contact eviromental health for advice thing with council flats they have no proper cavity and were thrown up not built to last also if you have kids under5 contact your hv if the council refuse to treat it,

[Drumsticks99]

Definitely get on to them.

Could be wet rot. If so needs treating professionally

[fluffyduffydoo]

I bought a book about mushrooms yesterday and these giant loo mushrooms are not even in it so I doubt they are edible!

Giant ailen wallpaper ruining mushrooms


Can you get wet rot 4 floors up , it's a plaster wall?

[fluffyduffydoo]

No mould just two giant mushrooms who stare at me whilst shitting on the toilet

[fluffyduffydoo]

oh my god sorry

so sorry

Sitting on the toilet not the other thing my ipad said

[ArabellaTarantella]

It will keep on growing mushrooms until the wall has thoroughly dried out. Has it had time to dry out yet (could take weeks and weeks)?

[fluffyduffydoo]

Well they removed the panels to expose the pipes and left it off for 3 weeks

Should I ask them to take the panels off again to help the wall dry off more?

[rainbowinmyroom]

Take lots of photos, preferably daily with time stamps and complain in writing to them and if they don't get back to you, send it all to your city councillor or mayor's office.

[Chillyevenings]

I work for a housing association. Have you rung and asked for a surveyor to visit? I would advise you book a surveyor's inspection as soon as possible, so they can get some follow up works sorted.

[fluffyduffydoo]

Thank you

The initial appointment was with a surveyor, but was a council surveyor

It was that person who put the prod in the wall and organised the panels being taken off but then he signed off on the job a month later to say everythng was fixed , however it's not as the mushrooms have grown back again?

[Oakmaiden]

do you have a photo of the mushrooms? It just sounds a bit like dry rot, which I had in my bathroom...

[phantomnamechanger]

it sounds like DRY rot to me (daft name as you need some moisture!)

had this in student bathroom and it was amazing how quickly the fungi grew and how big. does not sound like it has been properly diagnosed/treated at all!

we had to have the room sealed off and treated with something nasty and could not use it for a few days afterwards. LL saw to it immediately due to fear of it getting much worse very quickly.

complain complain complain!

[phantomnamechanger]

x-posts with oakmaiden, def sounds like dry rot

[Mrsjayy]

I remember a young mum I visited her bathroom was horrendous we endec up going to the local mp about the council s refusal to do something. Keep at them

[fluffyduffydoo]

It's a plaster wall though not wood ? I thought dry rot only happened in wood?

@EatShitDerek well they are magic , they grow out of a WALL


I keep bleaching were they grow with domestos that kills 99.9% of all germs but they just keep growing back!

[phantomnamechanger]

NOT ONLY IN WOOD

Identification of Dry Rot

It is important to identify whether timber decay has been caused by dry rot or another wood-destroying fungus such as one of the wet rots. This is because dry rot has the ability to travel through building materials other than timber, giving outbreaks the potential to spread quickly through a building. For this reason additional measures (e.g. masonry sterilisation) often have to be taken when treating dry rot outbreaks over and above those necessary when dealing with outbreaks of other wood-rotting fungi.

Typical indications of dry rot include:
•Wood shrinks, darkens and cracks in a 'cuboidal' manner (see picture)
•A silky grey to mushroom coloured skin frequently tinged with patches of lilac and yellow often develops under less humid conditions. This 'skin' can be peeled like a mushroom.
•White, fluffy 'cottonwool' mycelium develops under humid conditions. 'Teardrops' may develop on the growth.
•Strands develop in the mycelium; these are brittle and when dry and crack when bent.
•Fruiting bodies are a soft, fleshy pancake or bracket with an orange-ochre surface. The surface has wide pores.
•Rust red coloured spore dust frequentky seen around fruiting bodies.
•Active decay produces a musty, damp odour.

Important Note: Dry rot can cause widespread structural damage. We recommend that a professional timber treatment company is called in to carry out a survey if dry rot is suspected.

[Chillyevenings]

I would get onto the surveyor first thing in the morning. You need work done to get this fixed as it obviously wasn't fixed last time properly.

[hoobypickypicky]

I can't get past the shitting on the toilet. I'm crying with laughter here!

Sorry, fluffy, that's no use to you.



Yes, complain. It's a potential health hazard, particularly if you've got small DC or anyone in the home suffers from asthma or any other condition of that type.

It should be a priority but you know the thing. The council's busy, they have other people to deal with, so you have to be the one who shouts loudest to get results fast. Phone every day if need be!

A year or so back there was someone in our local paper who had a similar problem and an under-interested council. The press interest resulted in workmen turning up and sorting it out within a couple of days.

[hoobypickypicky]

If you have small DC or someone with a breathing condition make sure you mention it to the council. It should make you a priority.

I'd hazard a guess that if you emailed the council as well as phoned the very fact that you've created a paper trail which could be used against them if they don't act quickly enough may make them pull their finger out.

[QuintessentiallyQS]

Can you draw blue eyes on them? Might help lift the mood.

[QuintessentiallyQS]

like this

But yes, I would get back onto the council to fix this.

[MissPenelopeLumawoo]

We've had dry rot and it is more strands of fluffy looking whiteish/grey stuff. Not mushrooms, that is more wet rot. Phantomnamechanger we has mushrooms growing in our student house bathroom too- where you one of my house mates by any chance? We were all quite fascinated by how much it grew each day!