All fungi are rather specialized plants that do not have chlorophyll as the green plants do, and because of this they are unable to photosynthesize sunlight into food.  The fungi we are concerned with here live on dead trees and limbs, and also structural lumber.  Instead of sunlight, they utilize certain components of many woods for their food.  Some “eat” the starches and sugars contained within the wood, and are not considered to be a serious threat.  These are often called sapstain fungi because they cause a discoloration of the wood, staining it blue, black or grey, and occasionally even pink and yellow.  This discoloration of the wood may be cosmetically objectionable, but the wood suffers no loss of strength.

The true decay fungi however, use the lignin and cellulose that give wood its strength and rigidity, and can seriously weaken or totally destroy structural timbers.  If conditions are right, the decay can proceed rapidly.  The right conditions include the availability of food (wood), air, mild temperatures, and most importantly, moisture.  Dry wood will never decay, except in rare case where it is attacked by a water conducting fungus.  Wader conducting fungi develop root-like strands, called rhizomorphs that are capable of transporting water from a source as far away as twenty to thirty feed to the wood, wetting it and allowing the fungi to thrive.

Controlling moisture around wood controls the fungi.  Most damage in the U.S. occurs below grand in basements or poorly ventilated crawl spaces, but any part of a structure can be damaged because the fungi can thrive on wood wetted by plumbing or roof leaks.  The sue of fans, vents, de-humidifiers, water proof ground covers, vapor barriers, etc; as well as re-grading the soil outside, or replacing susceptive wooden members with treated lumber.  Consortium staff can recommend an effective treatment to threatened wood members.