Fungi and wood harming moulds can be the cause of financial and material damage to wooden floors in houses and other buildings. This is caused by badly ventilated crawl spaces and basements that are also continuously moist. Not only do fungi infestations cause a lot of damage, they are also detrimental for our health.
Humidity problem
Wood harming fungi are often the result of a humidity problem. Humidity problems in buildings can have different causes:
Mould grows in wood at a continuous moisture content of 22%. When the moisture content drops below this level, the mould stops growing. It is possible for the moulds to survive a certain time in this condition. When the moisture content then rises to 22% or higher, the mould starts to grow again. That is why it is important to tackle the cause of the moisture.
Health hazards
Fungi and moulds are a health hazard. This is an important reason that this kind of wood deterioration must be tackled. Health risks include breathing problems and irritations to the airways. Asthmatics and lung patients are affected by moulds. Furthermore, small children can be extra sensitive to them. Besides these health hazards, the wood harming moulds come with other dangers. Especially the Serpula lacrymans comes with a danger of collapsing floors. This must not be underestimated.
Fungi
Fighting wood harming fungi and moulds is specialized work that can be carried out by certified staff of EWS. We use our broad knowledge, experience and the newest techniques to combat moulds and fungi. The main wood harming moulds are:
The Serpula lacrymans is an example of brown rot conceiving mould and is also called dry rot. Brown rot demolishes cellulose in wood, which causes the wooden parts to become seriously weak. The Serpula lacrymans looks like white to grey tissue on the surface of the wood. Threads of fungi are mostly visible (mycelium). Besides that, the fruiting body contains brown/red traces (layers of dust). The Serpula lacrymans is a fast growing kind of fungus and is very destroying.
The cellar fungus is also an example of brown rot conceiving mould. The mould threads are mostly dark brown or black. The fruiting body is rarely occurring. The cellar fungus affects the wood seriously and weakens the floors is a fast pace. At the surface, sometimes only a brown tissue is visible.
The white pore fungus expresses itself like white, cotton-like tissue. This is also a brown rot conceiving mould. The white pore fungus mostly affects deciduous and coniferous wood. The fungus thrives on very damp, badly ventilated spaces with bad lighting.
Brown rot is a deterioration in wood which is caused by wood harming moulds. The wood harming mould is dependent on the moisture content and the soil. Not every deterioration comes with fungus formation. As soon as the climate is suitable for brown rot conceiving moulds, fungi can easily arise. Characteristic for brown rot is a cubic/block shape.
Steps for fungus clean-up
Are you bothered by wood harming fungi in your building? Contact us and we will plan an appointment for inspection. Based on that we will advise about the activities that have to be carried out.
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