What Do I Do If There's Fungus On My House Or In My Crawl Space?

5/11/2020

Fungus may seem harmless in nature as it breaks down dead trees, but you don’t want it on your house. If you find fungus on your house, you need to take action to prevent damage to your home and health.

What Does Fungus Look Like And How Is It Caused?

Fungus develops under the right conditions when wood and moisture come together.

Billions of dollars in wood are damaged by fungi every year. That’s why as a homeowner, it’s better to be proactive and search for fungus before it has a chance to wreak too much havoc.

There are different kinds of fungus. You may notice white patches on wood, which is a type of fungus created when the wood is consistently wet. Another type of fungus is a brown fungus and it thrives in humid environments. If you are unsure if you have found fungus on your home, you can have a moisture control expert come out and inspect your home to confirm.

Houses can serve as excellent breeding grounds for fungi, especially near bathrooms and kitchens. Another area to check for fungus is under your house, in your crawl space. Fungus can be growing under your Hampton Roads home, compromising your home and health, and you may not even know it unless you have it inspected.

Why You Need To Get Rid Of Fungus:

Fungus is not harmless, and you need to get rid of it to protect yourself and your home. Fungus affects: 

  • Your health – breathing in fungus spores is bad for your health and can make you sick.
  • The structural integrity of your home – Fungus develops from dry rot and compromises the structural integrity of your home. The wood becomes weak and can bend or break.
  • It can cost you a significant amount of money if left untreated – If the structural components of your home are compromised, you will need very costly repairs. The only way to prevent it is to take care of the problem before it causes too much damage.

How Can I Treat Fungus On My House?

  • Fungus is caused by moisture and so the first step in treating fungus is to remove moisture. A moisture inspection, performed by a moisture control professional, will help you find the source of the moisture, whether it’s from leaky pipes, flooding, sitting water, humidity, etc.
  • There are fungus treatments that will rid your house of fungus. Borate chemicals can be soaked into the affected wood to help prevent fungus from returning.
  • Treatments that strengthen and repair wood can be applied to help wood recover from fungi damage.
  • If the damage from fungus is bad enough, the wood may be beyond repair, and in this case the wood will need to be replaced.
    Call a moisture control expert to get rid of fungus, once and for all.

PESTOUT provides moisture services including fungus treatment and wood repair and replacement. Visit our moisture control page for a list of our moisture control services in Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg and other Hampton Roads cities. Call for an inspection (757) 814-2923

Tags: moisture control | fungus | fungus in crawl space |