Wood Decay

WOOD-DECAY FUNGUS
WOOD DECAY CAUSED BY SERPULA LACRYMANS (CALLED TRUE DRY ROT)

A WOOD-DECAY FUNGUS IS A VARIETY OF FUNGUS THAT DIGESTS MOIST
WOOD, CAUSING IT TO ROT. SOME WOOD-DECAY FUNGI ATTACK DEAD WOOD,
SUCH AS BROWN ROT, AND SOME, SUCH AS ARMILLARIA (HONEY FUNGUS), ARE
PARASITIC AND COLONIZE LIVING TREES. FUNGI THAT NOT ONLY GROW ON
WOOD BUT ACTUALLY CAUSE IT TO DECAY, ARE CALLED LIGNICOLOUS FUNGI.
THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO DECAY LIGNIN IN THE WOOD TO BE
TERMED LIGNICOLOUS.
WOOD-DECAY FUNGI CAN BE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE TYPE OF DECAY
THAT THEY CAUSE: BROWN ROT, SOFT ROT, AND WHITE ROT.
BROWN ROT
CUBICAL BROWN ROT ON OAK

BROWN-ROT FUNGI BREAK DOWN HEMICELLULOSE AND CELLULOSE.
CELLULOSE IS BROKEN DOWN BY HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (H2O2) THAT IS
PRODUCED DURING THE BREAK-DOWN OF HEMICELLULOSE. BECAUSE
HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IS A SMALL MOLECULE, IT CAN DIFFUSE RAPIDLY
THROUGH THE WOOD, LEADING TO A DECAY THAT IS NOT CONFINED TO THE
DIRECT SURROUNDINGS OF THE FUNGAL HYPHAE. AS A RESULT OF THIS TYPE
OF DECAY, THE WOOD SHRINKS, SHOWS A BROWN DISCOLORATION, AND
CRACKS INTO ROUGHLY CUBICAL PIECES; HENCE THE NAME BROWN ROT OR
CUBICAL BROWN ROT.
DRY ROT IS ACTUALLY A GENERIC NAME FOR CERTAIN SPECIES OF BROWN-ROT
FUNGUS THAT HAVE WATER-CONDUCTING STRANDS CAPABLE OF CARRYING
WATER (USUALLY FROM SOIL) THAT ENABLE IT TO DECAY NORMALLY DRY
WOOD. IT IS ALSO CALLED TRUE DRY ROT.
BROWN-ROT FUNGI OF PARTICULAR ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE INCLUDE SERPULA
LACRYMANS (TRUE DRY ROT), FIBROPORIA VAILLANTII (MINE FUNGUS), AND
CONIOPHORA PUTEANA (CELLAR FUNGUS), WHICH MAY ATTACK TIMBER IN
BUILDINGS. OTHER BROWN-ROT FUNGI INCLUDE THE SULFUR SHELF, PHAEOLUS
SCHWEINITZII, AND FOMITOPSIS PINICOLA.
SOFT ROT
SOFT ROT IS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
TYPES OF WOOD DECAY. CHAINS OF
CAVITIES ARE PRODUCED INSIDE THE
CELL WALL. THIS MICROGRAPH TAKEN OF
A SECTION FROM SOFT-ROTTED WOOD
AND VIEWED WITH A LIGHT MICROSCOPE
SHOWS CAVITIES WITHIN THE CELL
WALLS.
SOFT ROT IN WOOD OFTEN APPEARS

BROWN AND CAN BE CONFUSED WITH
DECAY CAUSED BY BROWN ROT FUNGI.
SOFT-ROT FUNGI SECRETE CELLULASE FROM THEIR HYPHAE, AN ENZYME THAT

BREAKS DOWN CELLULOSE IN THE WOOD. THIS LEADS TO THE FORMATION OF
MICROSCOPIC CAVITIES INSIDE THE WOOD, AND SOMETIMES TO A
DISCOLORATION AND CRACKING PATTERN SIMILAR TO BROWN ROT. SOFT-ROT
FUNGI NEED FIXED NITROGEN IN ORDER TO SYNTHESIZE ENZYMES, WHICH

THEY OBTAIN EITHER FROM THE WOOD OR FROM THE ENVIRONMENT.
EXAMPLES OF SOFT-ROT-CAUSING FUNGI ARE CHAETOMIUM, CERATOCYSTIS,
AND KRETZSCHMARIA DEUSTA.
WHITE ROT
WHITE ROT ON BIRCH

WHITE-ROT FUNGI BREAK DOWN THE LIGNIN IN WOOD, LEAVING THE LIGHTERCOLORED CELLULOSE BEHIND; SOME OF THEM BREAK DOWN BOTH LIGNIN AND
CELLULOSE. BECAUSE WHITE-ROT FUNGI ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE ENZYMES,
SUCH AS LACCASE, NEEDED TO BREAK DOWN LIGNIN AND OTHER COMPLEX
ORGANIC MOLECULES, THEY HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATED FOR USE IN
MYCOREMEDIATION APPLICATIONS.
HONEY MUSHROOM (ARMILLARIA SSP.) IS A WHITE-ROT FUNGUS NOTORIOUS FOR
ATTACKING LIVING TREES. PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS AND OTHER OYSTER
MUSHROOMS ARE COMMONLY CULTIVATED WHITE-ROT FUNGI, BUT P.
OSTREATUS IS NOT PARASITIC AND WON'T GROW ON A LIVING TREE UNLESS IT IS
ALREADY DYING FROM OTHER CAUSES. OTHER WHITE-ROT FUNGI INCLUDE THE
TURKEY TAIL, ARTIST'S CONK, AND TINDER FUNGUS.
HOW TO DEAL WITH WOOD DECAY

There are many fungi which can infect timber, but the only two you have to worry about
are dry rot and wet rot. In both cases air-borne spores infect the wood and wood-rotting strands
(hyphae) spread outwards. This initial attack only takes place if the wood is damp or wet and has
been so for some time. There are no cures, so prevention is extremely important. Protect your
home against damp and use preservative-treated wood in high-risk areas.
The only insect likely to trouble you is woodworm the grub (larval) stage of a number of
beetle species. Once again prevention is much better than cure.
Most softwoods have little or no natural resistance to attack by rots or woodworm, so a

preservative is needed to bestow chemical protection. New softwood timber which is to be
placed in an exposed or damp situation should be pressure-treated with a proven preservative.
The purpose of a paint-on stain/ preservative is to provide colour and top-up protection.
Wet rot
Wet rot attacks wet (at least 30 per cent moisture) and not moist timber. Unlike dry rot it will not
spread to moist timber, and it is active outdoors as well as inside. The effect is often localised,
but windowsills, window and doorframes, doors and fenceposts can be destroyed. Rafters and
joists in leaking roofs are sometimes attacked. Detection of wet rot on visible timber is usually
quite straightforward. Paintwork bubbles up and the timber below is soft. Rotten wood is dark
brown with cracks along the grain.
Keep dampness out of the house in order to prevent the problem make sure wood is allowed
to dry out properly after a leak. Outdoor rot-susceptible timber should be properly maintained
with paint or with a stain/preservative.
To get rid of wet rot you will have to cut out the rotten timber and replace it with preservativetreated wood. For small areas of rot you can use a wood repair system. This saves you having to
insert a new piece of wood all you have to do is cut away the rotten area and paint with
hardener. The original level is restored with filler preservative tablets are inserted into the
surrounding sound wood.
Woodworm
The presence of woodworm is all too obvious a peppering of small round holes on the
surface. These are the exit holes through which the adult beetles departed after spending several
years as grubs tunnelling through the wood. Below the surface there will be a network of tunnels
on the surface there will be tiny piles of dust (frass) if the pest is still active. The most usual
type of woodworm is the furniture beetle 6 mm long with exit holes 1 2 mm in diameter.
Other woodworms include the death-watch beetle on old hardwoods. The grubs of the furniture
beetle prefer damp rather than dry wood, softwood rather than hardwood and are especially fond
of plywood and glue.
The problem may start with a female beetle flying into your home and laying its eggs
unfinished wood is preferred and painted or polished wood is avoided. It is much more likely to
have begun with the introduction of infested wood.
You can treat an infestation in furniture with an aerosol containing woodworm insecticide. After
injecting the liquid into the holes, spray the surface thoroughly and apply a repeat spray a few
months later. Call in a specialist company if structural timber has been affected.

Wood Decay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wood Decay

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Wood Decay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

WOOD-DECAY FUNGUS

WOOD DECAY CAUSED BY SERPULA LACRYMANS (CALLED TRUE DRY ROT)

CUBICAL BROWN ROT ON OAK

SOFT ROT IN WOOD OFTEN APPEARS

SOFT-ROT FUNGI SECRETE CELLULASE FROM THEIR HYPHAE, AN ENZYME THAT

FUNGI NEED FIXED NITROGEN IN ORDER TO SYNTHESIZE ENZYMES, WHICH

WHITE ROT ON BIRCH

HOW TO DEAL WITH WOOD DECAY

Most softwoods have little or no natural resistance to attack by rots or woodworm, so a

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.