Poria is known as The House Eating Fungus. As sensational as this label may sound, it is practically true. The full name of this fungus is Meruliporia incrassata and it is a wood-decaying organism that genuinely has the potential to bring a house down. Admittedly, it’s not the only fungus with this stunning capacity. Other members of the brown rot family are also capable of destroying huge areas of wood, but unlike them, Meruliporia incrassata doesn’t depend on other sources of water. It provides its own water needed to decay the wood.
How does Poria incrassata operate?
Poria lives in the soil and its purpose in nature is to process the cellulose in dead wood so as to fertilize the soil. Unfortunately, we mostly build our homes out of this dead wood. When poria gets to the foundation of a home, it will advance into the walls through hardly visible openings and colonize the structure.
The crucial mechanism, distinctively characteristic of poria, is that it will use its root-like structures called rhizomorphs to transport water from the soil to the wood it wants to devour. That’s why poria is sometimes referred to as “water-conducting fungus”. Other fungi in the brown rot family wait for their meal – wood – to be externally dampened before they feast on it. However, poria will get the necessary moisture from the soil and transport it to the spot where it needs it. Not only that – poria doesn’t like moisture it cannot control. This curious fungus will only colonize wood where it is in control of the moisture level. For this reason, poria will not inhabit a structure wetted by leaks.
Is Poria incrassata toxic?
There hasn’t been enough research done on Meruliaporia incrassata health consequences, nor has its potential to cause allergies been explored. A smell can be felt, but mostly when the fruiting body of the fungus is broken open. However, even if it is not particularly toxic, it is quite dangerous.
Why is Poria incrassata dangerous?
There is a host of reasons why poria is one of the most devastating wood-decaying fungi out there when homeowners are concerned. Poria is able to gobble up to 2 inches of wood a day. It moves very quickly and by the time you see it, it has already wreaked havoc – still, remediation is possible, especially in the early stages.
Not only does it attack wooden structures in a flash, but it also does so unnoticed and therefore, untreated. Since it lives in the soil and eats the structure from the inside, it can go unchecked for quite some time, usually until the decayed wood starts showing signs of damage.
Poria incrassata is able to eat away at wood that is typically immune to fungus and decay, such as redwood trees. It could be said that it is particularly fond of pines and coniferous trees. Unfortunately, California is in the red zone with regard to the number of incidences of poria damage, considering the fact that coniferous trees such as Douglas fir, white fir and southern yellow pine are most frequent in construction.
What poria leaves behind is a mushy, porous remnant of once-solid wood. The walls, floors and ceilings of a house ravaged by poria become unsafe and hazard-prone. There have been cases of households who had to put up an additional wall to keep the roof from caving in, since the original wall was ruined.
If your house has been infested with poria and you live in the San Diego area, KIC Restoration is at your service. A fully licensed contractor with years of experience in the field, loved and trusted by the local residents, KIC Restoration completes the job with utmost professionalism and dedication to excellence. Call us 24/7 at 858-257-1348 or toll-free at 866-265-5245 and find out why we are a leading local contractor.