Dry rot, a species of wood-eating fungus that prefers warm, cramped, and poorly ventilated places, infests houses in Quebec every week. Possible demolition and very expensive, the owners are going through hell.
“The fungus can grow very quickly and very aggressively. Even if the structure of the buildings is affected, it poses a major challenge for the owners, since decontamination is very costly and in some cases complete demolition occurs,” explains Marie-Hélène Cauchon, Managing Director of Mérule pleureuse Québec.
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The fungus is also called “building canker” and occurs when the spore is present in the soil, the means by which the fungus reproduces. In the vicinity of a focus of infection, the fungus produces billions of spores. “For example, 10 centimeters of the fungus’s reproductive organ can produce between 4 and 5 billion spores.
This organ is between 10 and 50 centimeters in circumference,” says Ms. Cauchon.
When there are many spores in the air, contamination of the body with clothing can occur due to factors such as wind and animals, she adds.
Sanitary windows and basements are more susceptible to dirt.
Weeping Merule’s presence is difficult to spot, as its appearance changes depending on how it evolves. “In the budding stage it’s behind the walls, you can’t see them. When the fungus multiplies, it tolerates light so that it can be seen. At the reproductive stage we can see it very well, but we’ve already gone too far with the problem,” says the director of Mulule pleureuse Quebec.
The fungus can be harmful to health if there is a lot of mold on the property. “All owners who were affected said they had symptoms,” adds Ms Cauchon.
Insurance does not cover victims of Quebec dry rot.
In the event of water damage, however, the director asks for drying to take place as quickly as possible. “For good air quality in the building, it has to be dry,” she says.
According to Ms. Cauchon, the current range of problems offered by the Société d’Habitation du Québec does not adequately meet the needs of the victims.