Coniophora puteana and Antrodia Sinuosa–affects wood constructions
in basements, joint structures and roof structures.
Corticiaceae –affects windows, doors and wood outdoors.
Dacrymyces stillatus–affects the wooden surface under tight surface
covers.
They do not decompose the wood, but can aid in establishment of fungi
that damage the wood works.
Grows on the surfaces without causing any damages to the material. The most obvious damage is the smell of mould.
Grows initially on the surface. Fungus threads –the mycelia- grows into the the wood to get to the nutrients. The wood's cell walls collapse and that the wood looses its structure.
Serpula Lacrymans is the most sever of the wood destroying fungi. It
supplies the construction with damp and creates the environment it needs
to expand.
Serpula Lacrymans grows fast under the right conditions –up to
6 mm/day when the moisture content in the wood is 30% and the temperature
is + 20° C.
The fungus decomposes the house's wood constructions by devour the cellulose.
When the cellulose disappears the wood falls apart – as wooden
cubes. The wood becomes brittle since it has lost its internal structure.
During the decomposition, oxalic acid is formed.
To survive, the fungus neutralizes the acid with chalk or other basic
substances. Initially the Serpula Lacrymans forms a white flocky mycelia,
on both the surface and inside the wood.
In a damp atmosphere the mycelia secretes clears drops of clear water,
which has given the fungus its unique Latin name Serpula Lacrymans –"The
crier".
The mycelia forms after a while yellow-grey layer, in which it is forms
3 –4 mm thick strands.
The fungus uses these threads to spread over a large area, even across
materials it can not get nutrition from.
Removing Serpula Lacrymans is complicated and labour intense. All affected
materials plus a section around it -fresh wood -must be removed and
all damp areas must be dried out.
All other materials and the ground around the outbreak must be treated
with Bensaltenside.