>Do any of you geniuses out there have any information on how quickly rot forms?  

Thanks.

Ralph<

Not enough information Ralphy ol’ boy, or as my drafting instructor would have written on my drawing “MMPG” which meant “More mashed potatoes & gravy!”

Under the right conditions fungal attack begins immediately. That is why sawmills “dip” their product if it is the kind of wood prone to fungal staining. White oak heartwood for instance is very rot resistant due to the fact that the longitudinal cells are plugged up with tyloses, but the sapwood, which still has cells that are open for conducting water, will begin to fungal stain overnight due to capillary action and become dodie in less than a year if left outdoors.

You need to know: species, sapwood content, density, temperature, moisture content of the wood and ambient moisture content in the roof and whether there is an active source of fungal spores, which there usually is.

Understanding Wood by R. Bruce Hoadley/ ISBN 0-918804-05-1

He knows even more than my uncle Tree Wood Man

Rudy