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A visual inspection for dry rot, wet rot and wood-boring insects. Record why the inspection was done, the moisture sources seen and the meter used. Then add each room or area: the timbers checked, the signs seen, the meter reading, the suspected cause to be confirmed by a specialist, the access and photos. Dry rot suspected shows a red warning that it can spread through masonry, and suspected woodworm explains how to read signs of activity. Record the limits of the inspection and a recommendation. An optional Walk Cam route films the room and moisture source, the joinery, the floor void through an existing opening and any exit holes. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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The Property Care Association says timber with dry rot may darken and shrink, developing square cracks, and in still, humid conditions it can produce a cotton wool-like growth on the surface. Dry rot can grow through masonry and very small cracks, away from the timber it is feeding on. It can only grow because the wood is wet, so the moisture source is found first. Where dry rot is suspected, the PCA says a specialist should survey the property, and opening up is often needed.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 17 October 2026 against Property Care Association: dry rot advice for homeowners, Property Care Association: wet rot advice for homeowners and Property Care Association: woodworm advice for homeowners.
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Walk Cam route · four guided clips
Find the moisture first, then film the timber around it: skirting, joinery, the floor void and any woodworm holes.
Record the property, room, date and what was opened. Start with the likely source of damp, then show affected timber without lifting boards or cutting into anything for the camera. The four AI-generated clips illustrate one route, not a real property.
Show the room and any likely moisture source, such as a damp wall, a leak or blocked ventilation, before the timber.
A ground floor room with damp staining low on an external wall is shown.
Film skirting boards, door linings and other joinery near the damp area; stop on cracking, softness or distortion.
A skirting board shows cracking and darkened, shrunken timber.
Where a hatch or lifted board is already open, film the joists from above. Do not lift boards just for the clip.
Floor joists below an open hatch show darkened timber near the wall.
Film small round holes and any fresh dust (frass) on timber; fresh dust suggests activity but needs confirming.
Small round exit holes are visible in an old timber beam.
A fictional six-page example with the four points, twelve stills from the clips, observations, follow-up actions and the limits of a visual record.
View the visual evidence (PDF) ↗ · Download the full sample report
Video records visible signs. It cannot identify dry rot, wet rot or woodworm species, measure moisture content or show how far decay has spread; that needs a specialist survey. Example footage was generated in Google Flow and the observations are scripted; no real site is shown. Walk Cam works inside any form in the app. How Walk Cam works · All visual inspections
A dry rot and timber decay inspection: moisture sources, each room or area with the timbers checked, signs of rot or wood-boring insects, meter readings, access limits, photos, and whether a specialist survey is needed. 3 sections and 45 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
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On the meter's timber scale. Many surveyors use about 20%: timber kept below about 20% moisture content is generally too dry for fungal decay. Enter the figure you work to; readings at or above it are flagged.
Record estimated current conditions and add what you observe on site.
The extent you can see, for example along a skirting or across a floor. Measure from a photo with a door or a rule in the same plane, or use a tape. Measuring from a photo gives an estimate. Hidden decay often runs further.
Optional. Film the four guided points on the SiteSurvey app; each clip keeps its spoken note.
Set when the moisture source is fixed. Timber needs time to dry before a recheck means anything.
This is a visual inspection record, not a specialist timber survey, a species identification or a treatment specification.
Signs seen and suspected cause
Describe the signs and the moisture source; leave identification of the fungus or insect to a specialist. Say what could not be seen.
Front room skirting darkened with square cracking and a musty smell, gutter leak above. Dry rot suspected; specialist timber survey booked.
Fictional example of record wording. Use the actual evidence and approved arrangements for your job; this is not a completed report or an instruction to carry out the work.
A completed dry rot inspection report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
The Property Care Association says wet rot usually stays where the timber is in contact with excessive water, often joist or beam ends and posts at wet walls or the ground. Dry rot can spread away from the wet timber, through masonry and small cracks, to find new timber.
No. The form records what you see and a suspected cause to be confirmed by a specialist. Identifying the fungus or insect needs a specialist inspection, and the PCA says opening up is often required to find the extent.
The PCA says the common furniture beetle leaves small round exit holes about 1 to 2 mm across, and small piles of bore dust (frass) can suggest activity, though this can be misleading. A qualified professional should establish whether it is active or historic before any treatment.
Moisture. The PCA lists leaking pipes, rising and penetrating damp, poor ventilation and poor weather protection as causes of wet rot. The form records the moisture sources first, then each room.
Not for this inspection. Use existing hatches or openings, record what could not be seen in the limits of the inspection, and recommend a specialist survey where opening up is needed.
Housing associations and councils, surveyors, letting agents, damp and timber contractors and property managers.
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