SOLIGNUM

Fungi
and
Timber
Fungi and Timber

The fungi are a vast group of lower plants everywhere active in Nature, but which are, in the main,
unfamiliar to the average man. He knows of the edible mushroom, and sees, with considerable
suspicion, various toadstools growing in the countryside. He is aware of the moulds and mildews
that grow on jam and damp leather.

While the higher green plants, with which everyone is on familiar terms, are able to build themselves
up by combining the carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil, the fungi cannot do this, and
must feed directly on organic matter such as animal manure, wood or dead leaves. The fungi are in
fact Nature’s scavengers, consuming unwanted, sometimes harmful, waste material. In the case of
the wood-destroying fungi, they cannot, unfortunately, discriminate between a dead log in a forest
and an equally dead piece of timber built into a house or used as a fence post.

It is for this reason that we are faced with the problems of decay and that the question of wood
preservation is of the first economic importance.

THE PROPAGATI ON OF THE FUNGI

The fungi reproduce themselves by means of minute spores.
These are discharged in amazing numbers by the fruiting body
(Sporophore), a specialised portion of the fungus. For instance,
an edible mushroom three inches across the cap, will produce
1,800,000,000 spores. Since they are so small, the spores are
easily carried on the wind, and in the case of the wood
destroying fungi it can be taken as a certainty that some
spores will encounter every damp piece of timber. When a
spore germinates, a fungus plant will establish itself in the
wood, ultimately destroying it.

THE GROWTH OF A FUNGUS PLANT

The fungus spore having fallen on a piece of damp wood
proceeds to throw out a hollow tube known as a hypha. This
pushes its way through the wood and branches and branches
again. The mass of these hyphae is called the mycelium, which is
in fact the fungus plant. It often happens in cases of wood decay
that in early stages there is no outward sign of the fungus to be
seen. The hyphae are in the wood feeding upon it. They can only
be detected by microscopic examination and even then, it is hard
to determine the species of fungus until a fruit body develops, by
which time the wood is usually well decayed.

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 HOW THE WOOD IS DESTROYED
Wood consists of approximately two-thirds cellulose and one third lignin. It is upon the cellulose that
the fungi usually found in house feed. (Certain fungi, the “white rots”, which attack forest trees,
consume the lignin as well.) The strands, or hyphae, threading their way through the wood, contains
enzymes that are able to convert the cellulose into sugar, which nourish the fungus, giving it the
necessary material for further growth and the ultimate production of the fruit bodies, enabling the
spread of fungal infection. The dry, brown and brittle substance – it can hardly be called wood –
remaining in cases of True Dry Rot, consists of lignin, the cellulose having been consumed by the
fungus.

WET AND DRY ROT

MERULIUS LACRYMANS

These terms have no precise scientific significance. It is often asked why the term “dry rot” should be
used in connection with a fungus which depends for its existence on wood being wet. The term “dry
rot” is often used for all decay caused by Merulius Lacrymans; to avoid confusion, this is usually
referred to as True Dry Rot. However, anyone who has handled wood which has been attacked by
True Dry Rot will realise that in its final stage the wood is sufficiently dry and brittle to justify the
name. Wet rot properly refers to decay caused by fungi which flourish in damper places, such as
Coniophora cerebella and Pori asp.

TRUE DRY ROT

MERULIUS

This fungus is well known for its destruction of timber in

buildings, but unlike other fungi which occur in houses, etc. it
is not found outside.

True Dry Rot is much more highly specialised for, and much
more efficient at, destroying wood than any other fungus.
Once established it can spread to wood which, while damp,
would be too dry to be attacked by other fungi. It appears to
be able to attack timber with a moisture content as low as
about 20%, although it flourishes better at about 25%
moisture.

The early growth of Merulius, i.e. when the spores first germinate, or at the extremities of the
spreading organism, is a fluffy white growth, at first sparse, but then plentiful enough to resemble
cotton wool. Later on, the wood appears coated with a dirty grey plate of matted strands. Behind
the advancing thin strands, Merulius forms thick strands capable of conducting moisture. This
capability for conducting water from one part of the timber to another enables Merulius
automatically to adjust the moisture content of wood on which it has gained a foot-hold towards the
optimum for rapid decay. Mainly this means wetting wood which is on the dry side, but it is believed
that it can also dry wood which is somewhat too wet.

In destroying the wood cellulose, water and carbon dioxide are formed; this water will further assist
attack.

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The strands of this fungus will penetrate through brickwork or along steel joists in search of further
timber, the advancing hyphae being supported via the conducting strands. These strands are
particularly dangerous because, even when cut off from the remainder of the fungus, and isolated
from timber, as in the centre of a brick wall, they can remain dormant for three or more years under
suitable conditions. If new, untreated timber, which is inadequately seasoned and dry, is installed
near such strands, they will soon attack it, and the fresh out-break spread.

When the fungus has reached a certain stage of maturity, the fruit bodies are produced. These are
generally in the form of flat pancakes, growing on the wood or on brickwork and plaster near it. The
fruit bodies have brick-red centres with white edges tinged with lilac. They are sometimes several
square feet in area and give off prodigious numbers of spores-2,000,000 a minute from each square
foot for several days. It can generally be assumed that where fruit bodies are present, the attack is of
long standing.

True Dry Rot-Merulius lacrymans-is therefore the wood-destroying fungus par excellence, and
outbreaks of this fungus are more serious and difficult to eradicate than of any other fungus. This is
due to a combination of factors.
(i) Because of its conducting strands, it will spread very rapidly to suitable nearby wood;
(ii) It will attack wood which is less damp than is necessary for other fungi;
(iii) Destruction of attacked wood is very rapid;
(iv) Dormant strands in damp walls, etc., make eradication more difficult.

THE CELLAR FUNGUS

CONIOPHORA CEREBELLA

This is one of the most common wood-destroying fungi. It is

found in buildings, and occurs very much more frequently
than dry rot, although the extent of each outbreak is usually
much less. It is also one of the fungi responsible for the
decay of outdoor timber such as fence posts, wooden sheds,
etc. It is often present in houses where linoleum has been
laid over damp floorboards or where the wood is extremely
wet near leaking pipes, leaking roofs, etc.

Coniophora, as all other wet rots, requires substantially

wetter wood for attack to progress than does Merulius. It
does not produce well-developed conducting strands, and so
will not penetrate brick walls in the Merulius manner.

It is therefore a less serious menace than True Dry Rot, and when the source of damp, which is
always associated with an outbreak, is eliminated, the attack is unlikely to start again.

It sometimes happens that where an attack of True Dry Rot is in progress, certain parts of the
building will be too wet for this fungus, and in such places Coniophora will be found growing. Oddly
enough, although the Cellar Fungus is so widespread, it is rare to find its fruit bodies in buildings.

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 THE MINE FUNGUS
PORIA VAPORARIA

As its name implies, this fungus is frequently found in damp

mines. It is encountered from time to time in buildings but
cannot be said to be common. It resembles the Cellar Fungus
in the following respects:
• It attacks wood having a high moisture content; it is
found under linoleum and similar floor coverings
• it is sometimes found growing with True Dry Rot
• it does not moisten the wood in the course of its
growth
• once conditions of damp are corrected, fresh attacks
are unlikely to occur.

This fungus is easily recognized by pure white branching strands, though spectacular growths are
rare. The strands, as thick as twine, are tough when dry. True Dry Rot, Merulius, in its early stages,
produces white strands, but they may be distinguished from Poria by the fact that they are slight and
feathery.

OTHER FUNGI FOUND IN BUILDINGS

Paxillus Panuoides and Lentinus Lepideus (these fungi have no popular names). They are very
occasionally found in buildings, often at the same time as True Dry Rot. They only flourish where the
timber is exceptionally damp and when the building is dried out they will disappear.

OUTDOOR FUNGI
PAXILLUS PANUOIDES & LENTINUS LEPIDEUS

Fences, gate posts and timber out-buildings are all open to attack. Decay usually starts at ground
level, where the wood is always damp, even in the summer. Hardwood, such as Oak gate posts, will
rot in time.

There are numbers of fungi which attack timber used out of doors. Lentinus lepideus, mentioned
above as being occasionally found in houses, causes much destruction to outdoor softwood timber.

Polystictus versicolor attacks hardwoods, and the fruit bodies must be familiar to most people. They
consist of a number of semi-circular brackets, growing horizontally on old tree trunks and logs, one
above the other like tiles on a roof, the upper side being attractively coloured with bands of brown
and grey.

SAPSTAINING FUNGI

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Stains in timber can be caused by either fungi or chemicals. Of those which are due to fungi, there
are two main types-a superficial discolouration due to growth and sporulation of moulds on the
surface, and penetrating stains due to growth through the wood of fungi which are themselves
coloured, or which otherwise cause apparent colouring of the timber.

Stains due to sapstaining fungi are confined to the sapwood incipient decay may be in both
heartwood and sapwood.

The commonest stains are blue stains; these are due to a variety of fungi; a typical example being
Cerastostomella pilifera, which affects Scots Pine. They spread both along and across the grain and
may eventually permeate the whole sapwood. There may be little or no surface mycelium apparent.
Hyphae grow within the wood, they penetrate the cell walls, but holes are very small.

Sapstaining fungi probably draw nourishment from the cell contents (not the cell wall material, as do
decay fungi) and will only develop if the cell cavity contains both air and water, i.e. the timber must
be above the fibre saturation point but must not be saturated-this last condition is why living wood
is not attacked. The minimum moisture content for growth is about 27%, Sapstaining fungi are
resistant to cold and are not killed by severe frost.

The fruit bodies individually are very small-typically 1/10 – 1/4 mm diameter and appear as a matt on
the surface. Sapstain has no significant effect on the compression and bending strength of wood, but
the toughness (resistance to shock) is lowered in severe attack up to 30%. Sapstained timber can
therefore be used for most purposes, but not where exceptional toughness is required, e.g. in
aircraft.

Stained wood absorbs water and oil-borne preservatives much more readily than unstained.

SOFT ROT
Soft rot is caused by micro-fungi differing from the true timber rots.

Wood attacked by soft rots usually retains its shape, and when dry, may appear normal, although if
splintered with a knife will break through with brash fracture. When moist, attacked wood is very
soft and usually discoloured.

Decay may penetrate deeply, although since much soft rot occurs when timber is very wet, decay
tends to be on the surface only, presumably due to lack of oxygen at depth.
Soft rots are very widespread, but under normal conditions their action is very slow, so that where
attack by wet or dry rot can occur, they are of minor importance.

Soft rots can, however, tolerate a wider range of conditions than wet or dry rot, and will attack
wood that is too wet or too dry for other wood-rotting fungi. They are a very serious hazard in
cooling towers.

Soft rots are often responsible for the eventual decay of woods durable to Basidiomycetes, and also
account for much of the eventual preservative failure.
The presence of soft rots also has an important bearing on the establishment of wood borers, most
especially marine borers.

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 HOW TO RECOGNISE DRY ROT
It frequently happens that the presence of Dry Rot in a building is not suspected until a floorboard or
other timber collapses. Sometimes the sudden appearance of a growing fruit body makes the fact
obvious.

Attacks usually start at or below ground-floor level and may continue up the whole height of the
building.

Where an attack is suspected, these indications should be looked for:

• A damp, musty smell, which at times becomes offensive.
• Warping of skirting and floorboards, usually curving outwards.
• The development of deep surface cracks, particularly across the grain.
• The presence of a fine rusty red powder-the spores of the fungus.

Timber which has been attacked can easily be penetrated by a knife or sharp tool; when struck it
does not ring like sound timber.

Where, as sometimes happens, only a fruit body is visible, it must always be remembered that a
considerable amount of wood must have already been consumed before it could have been
produced. Fruit bodies often appear on brickwork some distance away from the seat of the attack,
and in such cases the building must be opened up until this and the full extent of attack is traced.
In searching for the source of an attack of Dry Rot, two essential points must always be
remembered-where does the moisture come from, and where is the wood that has been feeding the
fungus?

Special attention should be paid to external walls, which may be admitting damp. Defects in
rainwater pipes and gullies should be looked for and airbricks examined in case they may have been
stopped up. Inside the house, sinks, bathrooms, and lavatories and any places where there might be
plumbing defects, are possible causes of the trouble. If it is found that Dry Rot is present, it is
essential to trace the source of damp that has been responsible for the outbreak, and everything
possible should be done to make the building dry. Unless this is done, there will always be the risk of
a renewed outbreak occurring. Always open up woodwork freely, since the fungus may have spread
behind plaster and through walls into rooms beyond that in which the attack originated. It is
essential that the extreme limits of the attack should be determined. This can only be done with
even tolerable certainty if all wood is laid bare, and brickwork behind plaster examined for some
three feet in all directions from the known extremities of attack.

Specification for Eradicating Dry Rot

Before commencing any form of treatment open up all timbers and examine behind plaster until the
full extent of attack has been ascertained.
1. Locate and cure the cause of damp; defective gulleys and drains, broken roof tiles,
bridged or defective damp-proof courses, blocked airbricks, leaking gutters,
radiators, rainwater pipes and defective plumbing may be the cause and should be
rectified.
2. Cut away and burn all infected timber and some 18 inches (0·5 metres) of apparently
sound timber since this may have fungus strands in it.
3. Remove all dust, dirt, old shavings and sawdust, acoustic or thermal insulating
material which may contain strands of the fungus.

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 4. Ensure ventilation to hollow floors, clear airbricks and ventilators which have been
stopped up. Ensure that these are sufficient in size, number and properly placed to
allow adequate ventilation. Install new airbricks if necessary. Sleeper walls should be
honeycombed to allow through passage of air.
5. Earth and rubbish which has risen above the damp course on the outer walls or
sleepers should be removed. (Building Research Station Digest No. 18 recommends
airbricks with a minimum open area of I½ square inches per foot run (30 square
centimetres per metre) of wall and a clear depth of 6 inches (0· 15 metres) between
the bottom of the floor joists and the site covering.)
6. Strip off any plaster which contains fungal strands or behind which fungus is growing
to at least 2 feet (60 cm) beyond the observed limit of growth. Clean down all
brickwork or masonry which is near infected timber or which has fungus strands
growing on it.

Bore holes sloping downwards into the walls at 9 inch (25 cm) centres I foot (30 cm) above and
around the periphery of the infected area to within 2 inches (5 cm) of the far side of the wall (for
walls over 9 inches (25 cm) thick, bore from both sides). Needs to be treated with a Dry Rot Killer for
Brickwork and Masonry into these holes so as to thoroughly irrigate the wall. Within the infected
area apply the treatment to both sides of the wall with a brush or spray. With severe outbreaks drill
holes at 2-3 foot (60-90 cm) centres over the whole of the infected area and irrigate thoroughly with
A Dry Rot Killer for Brickwork and Masonry treatment. Spray solid concrete floors, grounds and
subsoil freely with Dry Rot Killer for Brickwork and Masonry treatment.

7. All sound timber, skirtings and panelling in the vicinity must be treated with three
flowing brush or spray coats of a Wood Preserver on all surfaces. Paint, varnish or
other surface coatings must be removed before applying the Wood Preserver. If any
of the sound wood was affected by damp, then it must be allowed to dry before
applying the Wood Preserver.
8. All new wood used for replacement must be well seasoned and must be treated with
a Wood Preserver. Treatment must be with three flowing brush or spray coats to all
surfaces and with the end grain dipped in a bucket or by total immersion for 10
minutes. In brush or spray application second and third coats must be applied before
the previous coat is dry, or by immersion for 10 minutes.

It is important to see that every side of the timber is thoroughly treated. It is useless to apply a
preservative to one face only; this will not protect the wood from attack. It is for this reason that
immersion is preferred, where possible, since this auto-matically ensures that every part of the
wood receives complete treatment. Wherever possible, treatment should be of fully worked
timbers; if this is not possible, any fresh surfaces exposed by cutting, drilling, etc., must be brush
treated with Preserver before final installation.

Several fungi, with different characteristics, cause wet rot; identification, as a group, depends on the
absence of any of the characteristics of the True Dry Rot Merulius lacrymans, i.e. no massive white
or grey surface mycelial growth and no flat pancake-like fruiting bodies with white edges and a brick-
red centre.

The characteristics of the individual fungi causing Wet Rot are shown in the table on page 8.
The majority of wet rot is, however, caused by the Cellar Fungus-Coniophora cerebella. This fungus
darkens the wood considerably and cracks it along the grain. Cracks across the grain are usually fine
or absent, and only rarely are as deep as those in the case of True Dry Rot. Cellar Fungus may be
distinguished from Dry Rot in that surface growth is often totally absent, and when present consists

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of thin dark brown, almost black strands, not in any way resembling the thick grey strands or matt of
Dry Rot. Attack may often be internal with little signs of it on the surface. The fruiting body is an
irregular thin olive-green skin, turning a dull olive-brown when old.

TREATMENT OF WET ROT

If it is quite certain that decay has been caused by a wet rot, it is unnecessary to sterilize brickwork
as for Dry Rot.

The source of dampness must be located and eliminated. When this has been done and the site
dried out, the fungus will cease activity, although all decayed and infected wood should be cut out
and all replacement and surrounding, in situ, sound timbers treated with Wood Preservers.

Occasionally a rot outbreak is discovered in its early stages, before the timber is seriously penetrated
or weakened. It is then often possible to stamp it out by freely applying Wood Preservers to the
timber. After such a treatment, a careful watch should be kept in case eradication was not complete.
Where wood is used in the open, the question of the eradication of the fungus hardly arises, as in
the case of rot outbreaks in buildings. Fences and out-buildings are seldom kept under close
observation. In consequence, the wood usually becomes completely rotten before the attack is
noticed. It is essential therefore that all wood used in the open should be adequately protected by a
wood preservative before it is used.

RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF SAPSTAIN

The presence of sapstain is readily recognized by the blue dis-coloration in the timber. Sapstain
cannot be eradicated once it is in timber, but all spread and activity within a piece of timber will
cease when it becomes seasoned.
Sapstain can be prevented by dipping unseasoned wood in a suitable grade of Treatment.

BACTERIA
Bacteria seldom, if ever, cause failure of wood but when wood is used in damp situations, such as in
ground contact, it is soon colonized by bacteria. The precise effect of this colonization is not yet
understood but may well form part of the cycle of events-attack of cell contents by micro-fungi and
of cell walls by staining and soft rot fungi which if it is now recognized precedes the ultimate
destruction by wood-rotting Basidio-mycete fungi in such situations.

When green wood is kept damp for a Jong period, as is com-mon practice in some timber-producing
countries where felling and extraction is seasonable and green wood must be stored prior to
conversion and seasoning, bacteria will also colonize the wood and cause breakdown of parts of the
wood structure, particularly in the rays.

While such attack has no visible effect on the wood and does not affect its strength, it does increase
substantially the ease with which it absorbs liquid-either water or preservative. Wood so attacked
will therefore require a much longer drying period after treatment with preservative.

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Contact Info
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Protim Solignum Ltd
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SL7 1LS
Tel: +44(0)1628 486 644

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