Timber decay and woodworm
A fruiting body is on a skirting that has already been taken off. Does removing that skirting remove decay that may still be in the wall?
No skirting that has already been taken off, fruiting body and all, removes decay that may still be in the wall. The body was the part there to see, and it has gone with the timber it grew on. What may remain is growth in the masonry, in the ends of the boards, or behind the plaster, and none of that is lifted by removing a skirting. The survey records the body that was found. It does not map a cleared wall, and it does not certify the faces still hidden.
Last reviewed 24 October 2026. Written for buyers in England and Wales unless this answer says otherwise. No named surveyor has signed this page. It is general guidance, not a report on your house, and not legal advice.
What is the fuller explanation?
A fruiting body is how some fungi show at the surface. Taking the skirting away removes that evidence and the piece of wood it used. It does not follow strands, if any exist, into a joint or into the wall. Read the missing skirting as a disturbed area, not as a finished repair. The wall behind it was not proved free of growth, and it was not proved dry, on this visit.
A timber specialist can say what further opening is justified once they have seen the body, or a clear photograph of it, and the wall it came from. Do not let the removal become a reason to stop. Do not let it become a reason to treat every room. The finding sits with that skirting and with whatever the wall may still hold, which has not been fully seen. Ask them to start there.
What should you ask your surveyor?
- Where was the fruiting body, and is any of it still there to be seen?
- What of the wall behind that skirting did you actually inspect?
- Are you reporting a skirting already removed, or a wall cleared of decay?
What are the typical next steps?
- Keep any photograph of the fruiting body with the survey note.
- Tell a timber specialist the skirting is off and the wall behind is unconfirmed.
- Do not treat removal of the skirting as removal of decay from the wall.
Costs vary with the building and with who you instruct. Where this page does not cite a published figure, ask the surveyor, a relevant specialist, or your solicitor for a written quote. Do not treat a forum average as the price.
Also asked about this
If the fruiting body has been thrown away, has the outbreak gone?
No. The body was on the skirting. Growth that may remain in the wall, the board ends or the plaster was not taken away with that piece of timber.
Does one fruiting body mean every floor in the house needs treatment?
No. The finding is where that body was seen. Spreading the note to every floor would go beyond the timber the survey could actually view.