What is this?

[Hishap]

Sorry I posted a few days ago about suspected dry rot- general consensus was it wasn’t likely. Weve now peeled back the paper and this is what the skirting boards look like. I’m more convinced it is but I am a worrier! Have someone coming out to check but not til September. Do you think it is? The red stuff is dusty, and there is a smell in the room but could be the old stinky wallpaper.

It's difficult to say without seeing it up close and smelling it but it looks more like a damp problem.

Do have a damp meter or could you borrow one?

I bought one and it was invaluable to me when I was house-hunting. This is mine but you can get cheaper ones.

www.merlinlazer.com/Mini-Moisture-Meter-2?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxf3By9fd-QIVBu3tCh0G-AgUEAQYByABEgKz8PD_BwE

Hello, thanks for your reply. We had a full structural survey and they took damp readings and said they were all low. I’ll see if I can source one and check, the radiator has definitely leaked at some point but that’s on the next skirting board along.

I said this on your other thread but brick dust from when those boxes were installed? Is the house red brick?

Are those skirting boards sound? Any sign of crumbling if you prod them?

I know, I know I’m a total worrier but since someone mentioned the smell thing I’ve noticed it and it’s giving me a lot of stress that it could be. The outside bricks are yes, think it might be breeze block behind the actual plaster though if the hall was anything to go by. The red dust runs all the way along another skirting board where there are no cables or bits where things have been drilled

No, no crumbling. There has been a leak by a pipe from a radiator on another one and it looks a bit manky but not crumbling no. The line in them is from where the old owners have painted round an electrical cable

I’m no expert but from having had possible dry rot investigated, the builder pressed the wood with a screwdriver and it was fine, didn’t crumble or give way.

still a strange mould on the wood, but not dry rot at least.

We had dry rot in a house once, and the skirting crumbled into weird cubic shapes. Behind it was a webbing that covered all the brickwork, which was the fungus seeking more timber. It was really unmistakeable