LIVE ATTACK

WOOD ROT

AND

INSECT DAMAGE IN BUILDINGS

DRY ROT

• Latin Name: Serpula lacrymans

• Common Name: Dry Rot Fungus

• Habitat Mostly softwood

• Damage Characteristics:

DRY ROT TYPICAL DAMAGE

FUNGAL

CHARACTERISTICS

–Mycelium

–Strands

–Fruit Body - See Slide

–Spores

DRY ROT-FRUIT BODY IN CORNER OF

CEILING

DRY ROTSHEETS OF MYCELIUM EXPOSED BY REMOVAL OF TIMBER

WALL PANNELLING

TYPICAL WHITE ROT

DAMAGE TO TIMBER

TYPICAL BROWN ROT

DAMAGE TO TIMBER

TYPICAL SOFT ROT

DAMAGE TO TIMBER

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

FRESHLY COLONISED WOOD

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

LONGER TERM DAMAGE

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

STRANDS

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

FRUIT BODIES

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

MYCELIUM ON THE WOOD

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

FRUIT BODY (FIBROPORIA VAILLANTII)

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

FRUIT BODY (PORIA PLACENTA)

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

FRUIT BODY (AMYLOPORIA XANTHA)

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)

FRUIT BODY AND DAMAGED WOOD

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)DAMAGED WOOD WITH BROWN MYCELIUM

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)

FRUIT BODY (SEPARATED

FROM WOOD)

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)

FRUIT BODIES (PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS)

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)

STRANDS ON DAMAGED WOOD

WET ROT (WHITE ROT)

FRUIT BODY (ASTEROSTROMA SP)

WET ROT (BROWN ROT)

MYCELIUM AND STRANDS ON DAMAGED WOOD

FRUIT BODIES SHOWN DETACHED

REMEDIAL TREATMENT OF

WET ROT:

• Establish size and significance of attack:

• Locate and eliminate sources of moisture:

• Promote rapid drying of the structure:

• Remove rotted wood:

• Apply localised preservative treatment:

• Replacement work use preservative treated

timbers:

• Introduce support measures:

NON WOOD ROTTING FUNGI

• Moulds

• Blue stain in service

• Plaster Fungi (Coprinus spp. Peziza spp)

• Slime Moulds

MOULDS

• Habitat - Surface of damp wood, plaster,

wallpaper or paint.

• Characteristics: Surface growths usually

downy and produce masses of powdery

spores.

• Remedial Treatment: Ventilation, Removal

of surface spores, heating, cleaning

MOULD GROWTH

BLUE STAIN IN SERVICE

• Habitat - Sapwood cells of moist wood but

mainly ray cells. Cannot grow below 20%

moisture content.

• Characteristics: Disfigurement of the wood

Black blue or grey streaks and patches on

the wood

• Remedial Treatment Exterior timbers only.

BLUE STAIN IN SERVICE

CAUSING DAMAGE TO PAINT

BLUE STAIN IN SERVICECAUSING DAMAGE TO NATURAL FINISH

PLASTER FUNGI

• Habitat: Damp brickwork or plaster. Feeds

on surface detritus or on organic material

included in walls

• Characteristics: Produce large fruit-bodies

or mycelial growths which may be mistaken

for those of wood-rotting fungi.

• Remedial treatment: Locate and remove

source of dampness.

PLASTER FUNGI

FRUIT BODIES (COPRINUS SP)

PLASTER FUNGI

FRUIT BODIES (PEZIZA SP)

PLASTER FUNGI

FRUIT BODY(C4 TIMES NATURAL SIZE)

GROWING ON FLAKES OF WHITE PAINT

SLIME MOULDSSPORE DUST FROM RUPTURED FRUIT BODIES

ON WOOD

ALGAL GROWTHRESULTING FROM OVERFLOWING HOPPER

CHEMICAL DAMAGE TO WOOD

COMMON FURNITURE BEETLE

COMMON FURNITURE BEETLEDAMAGE TO WOOD

COMMON FURNITURE BEETLEBORE DUST (x 10)

LYCTUS POWDERPOST BEETLE

LYCTUS POWDERPOST BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

LYCTUS POWDERPOST BEETLEBORE DUST (x 10)

HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE

HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE BORE DUST (x10)

HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE DAMAGE

EMERGENCE HOLES

HOUSE LONGHORN BEETLE DAMAGECROSS-SECTION SHOWING EXTENT OF DAMAGE TO

SAPWOOD AND SURFACE SKIN OF SOUND WOOD

DEATHWATCH BEETLE

DEATHWATCH BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

DEATHWATCH BEE3TLEBORE DUST (x10)

PTILINUS BEETLE

PTILINUS BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

WOOD-BORING BEETLE

WOOD-BORING WEEVILDAMAGED WOOD

WHARF BORER BEETLE

WHARF BORER BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

BARK BORER BEETLE

BARK BORER BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

BARK BORER BEETLEBORE DUST (x10)

MOTHDAMAGED WOOD

SAWFLYDAMAGED WOOD

FOREST LONGHORN BEETLE

FOREST LONGHORN BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

DERMESTID BEETLE

DERMESTID BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

WOOD WASPDAMAGED WOOD

BOSTRYCHID POWDERPOST BEETLE

BOSTRYCHID

POWDERPOST BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

JEWEL BEETLE

JEWEL BEETLEDAMAGED WOOD

PINHOLE BORER BEETLE

DAMAGED WOOD

MARINE BORERDAMAGED WOOD

FINALLY

• Know the preservatives and methods of

application for pretreatment of wood.

• Know remedial treatments for eradicating

fungi and insects

• ALWAYS be aware of Health & Safety

aspects of remedial treatments.