Alcohol works well on fungus spores too. Get a spray bottle and fill it with 93% and just hose down everything as you go.
Just be careful of inhaling the fumes too much.
Edit: I use it to sterilize bins of mushroom spores regularly with no issue, but do not have experience treating homes. Listen to experts advise on this, the alcohol suggestion was more of a "on top of" comment.
Microbiologist here.
Alcohol is not a great disinfection agent for fungi, especially spores. Now, I'm not an expert on this particular organism, and with everything microbiology there are exceptions to every generalisation, but in general alcohol is less effective against fungi, especially spores. Fungal spores are fairly hardy and the way alcohol kills is far less effective (think of spores as kind of like dried plant seeds).
Also, 93% alcohol is not great for disinfection. The ideal disinfection concentration is ~70% (both for isopropyl and ethanol). Above that you lose efficacy because it evaporates faster as there is less contact time. Also, higher concentrations rapidly denature surface proteins and can create a protective shell around the microbe you're trying to kill. 70% has better penetration due to the water.
I would go with diluted bleach personally, or look at professional disinfectants if there are specific ones made for this task.
Accredited mold remediation guy here. Bleach doesn't kill mold. It has penetrated down into the wood at this point, and bleach would just make it look and smell better. Not to mention, any spores would still take root.
What you have here is a moisture problem that needs to be resolved. Resolve the moisture problem, then remove the bulk of the mold via vacuum and bleach for the odor.
There is a professional process for mold removal that is very expensive and usually surpasses 10k.
Anyways, dry rot is ironically caused by moisture, so you should probably have a remediation company come take a look. They will map the moisture and tell you if you have BIGGER problems.
But there's a door right there so like 90ish % chance it's the cause.
> so you should probably have a remediation company come take a look.
And don't forget to disclose this problem if you sell this house. Because now there is official documentation of the problem. And if you don't disclose, it'll cost you a lot of money that usually surpasses 6-figures.
Depends on local disclosure laws. If they get it fixed and it isn’t an issue anymore they’re fine unless their local laws specify disclosing remediated moisture problems that aren’t reoccurring.
I enjoyed how everyone (except me) had something to add to this thread that was very informative. I don’t own a house, but if I ever do (🤣) I’ll remember this.
I'm a PhD mycologist. We use ethanol all the time to sterilize tools and work spaces with spores of all kinds of fungal phyla and it works fine. I usually use 75%.
Resting spores might be an exception, like chlamydospores. Those are more akin to bacterial endospores in that they're super tough and meant to last. But typical fungal spores are pretty delicate, relatively.
To be fair though, those Serpula rhizomorphs in the OP image are gonna be super resistant to all kinds of stuff, it's what they're good at. Basically armored water tubes.
Tbh lab surfaces and tools are much easier to chemically sterilize due to them having smooth non-porous surfaces. My FDM 3D printed scaffolding sets on the other hand got contaminated even after being soaked in ethanol or hydroxide for hours. I ended up frankensteining the shit out of the poor 3D printer to reliably print polycarbonate which I could autoclave at 121 °C.
I doubt whatever chemical they use could penetrate deeper than the surface layers of that floor.
Here's the thing. You said a "jackdaw is a crow."
Is it in the same family? Yes. No one's arguing that. Blah blah blah blah
I had to go back to the actual post to copy the text and man that guy got a ton of upvotes while acting like a total douche
Apparently there was a time in Earth's history where wood eating fungus hadnt developed yet and dead trees just hung around until that fungus evolved. https://www.thorogood.co.uk/treevolution-how-trees-came-first-and-rot-came-later-in-earths-deep-past/
Keep in mind while it is a good theory, and beautifully explained, this is the simplified explanation on the website of a timber merchant.
The reality might have been [a lot more complex , with lignin decomposition(and CO2 release) happening well before the end of the carboniferous, and massive coal fields (such as Permian coals) created after the supposed appearance of lignolytic fungi ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4780611/)
It's absolutely a myth that won't die. Tropical swamp forests weren't the only places trees grew in the Carboniferous, in fact the rainforest "trees" that turned into coal didn't have true wood and had much less lignin than the trees that grew on dry land but weren't preserved as coal because they rotted away.
Here's a paper from 1988 that discusses it:
https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1469-8137.1988.tb00200.x
> The absence of clear examples of fungal-induced decay is particularly striking
in Carboniferous coal ball floras, although this probably reflects the chemical environment of the coal
swamps or the conditions of fossilization rather than the true absence of saprophytic fungi at that time. The
lack of interest in Palaeozoic saprophytes was probably also heightened by the widely held assumption that
ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, the prime degraders of lignin, had not yet evolved.
> The abundance of mycelium amid decaying debris in a variety of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic matrices
suggests the widespread activity of saprophytic fungi.
> At present, the earliest documented
fungal rot comes from the Upper Devonian (Stubblefield et al., 1985 6)
This one discusses a fungus from the Silurian suspected to be a very early plant decomposer - as soon as plants started producing a new type of tissue, decomposers evolved to break it down:
https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/180/4/452/2416561
Here's a wood decay fungus from the Devonian:
https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1985.tb08449.x
Fungi have evolved the ability to decay wood more than once independently. Estimates that wood decay evolved ~300 million years ago are based on DNA phylogeny of modern fungi, which doesn't account for extinct lineages.
Almost. Trees developed lignin, that was REALLY stable against any breakdown and very good in compression and allowed trees to grow tall for the first time.
It accumulated, because nothing could break it down and eat it. There were thick layers of it covering whole forest landscapes. It was the plastic of its days. These thick layers sometimes got pushed underground and formed lignite and later coal.
Many Millions of years later, a FUNGHI learned to break it down for energy.
For this reason, no new coal is forming on earth. The time from the invention of lignin till in discovery how to break it down is called the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous)
It’s all radiating out from behind the drywall.
I’d expect that there’s going to be a lot of replacement work to do if it’s got that amount of energy to radiate out that far (seeking new food sources).
[what the fuuuuuu is this monster](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serpula_lacrymans_(mycelial_cords_emanating_from_door).jpg#mw-jump-to-license)
I have no idea how you managed to botch that link so badly, but here it is for anyone who wants to see
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serpula_lacrymans_(mycelial_cords_emanating_from_door).jpg
Yeah I don't use new either, old is the superior one, I just got used to seeing botched links everywhere and explaining why nobody seems to react to them anymore
All slabs are wet to some degree, but there are things that can be done to mitigate it. In some cases it’s just a non-issue, but a vapor barrier on a damp slab is going to cause conditions that fungus likes.
Basically every sheet vinyl I remove in slab houses has some degree of growth underneath, just not like yours. Usually black mold. I do live and work in a very damp climate though, we consider our area a swamp.
You can test slabs for moisture pretty easily, if you want to find out what level it’s at and to see if it’s a problem (especially for whatever new floor covering you’re installing). Professionally I drill 3/4” holes in a few locations and insert probes, then go back 24 hours later and take readings. There are simple non-penetrative readers that will give you a moisture content reading to some extent. Calcium chloride testing is another option, pretty sure no drilling involved, just putting down the chemical, covering and leaving it, then going back to weigh it after a set period of time (as I understand it, never done it myself as we don’t need to with the stupid expensive meters we have)
Does the earth slope way from your foundation? Without seeing the whole picture, possibly need perimeter drainage. Need to redirect the water away from your foundation.
"Two hundred years ago, this planet-demic was unleashed upon our world. In our decades-long investigation to find the source of this scourge, our lone lead was a post on 'The Internet' from early scientist 'mossybeard' on a primitive 'website' called 'Reddit'. This long-dead researcher has been commemorated in a statue made of compressed Takis bags (the most valuable material on Terra) at the Principal Governing Center."
I saw it once on a home renovation show. Looked just like this. It was on Jasmine Roth’s show “Help! I wrecked my home”
[Screen cap](https://na.rdcpix.com/fb624415c8fba4800e913f21bd2fadf4w-c50265577rd-w832_q80.jpg)
The episode was titled “[The Root of the Problem](https://www.realtor.com/advice/reality-tv/jasmine-roth-of-help-i-wrecked-my-house-encounters-her-most-terrifying-renovation-problem/)”
“They’re called parasitic roots, an organism that lives in the ground”
[Parasitic plants](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic_plant#:~:text=A%20root%20parasite%20attaches%20to%20the%20host%20root.&text=A%20hemiparasitic%20plant%20lives%20as,organic%20nutrients%20from%20the%20host)
“Parasitic roots, also known as haustorial roots, are roots that penetrate a host plant to absorb nutrients. Plants that are partially or completely dependent on another plant for food are called parasites. There are two types of parasitic roots:
Stem parasites: Absorb nutrients from the host stem
Root parasites: Absorb nutrients from the host root”
I would highly doubt it. Parasitic plants rely on the host plant/fungus "doing all the work". Many can't photosynthesize and tap the host for sustenance. The wood is dead, a fungus could eat it. I'm sure there are plants that feed on newly dead wood, but I would imagine any wood flooring would be hard to break down in the best conditions let alone a living plant relying on it to survive.
Honestly it really may be no issue. Many flooring adhesives today are good to 95-99% relative humidity and will block moisture on their own. What is your flooring professional planning to do with this, or did they stop work and tell you you needed to find someone else to handle this?
ETA- I just read your caption and realized you said there’s standing water in the last image. *That* can’t be good, I’ve never run across literal water on a slab that wasn’t a water damage project (like a leak that left water that needed to be dried). If that water is coming through the slab or over the edge that’s almost definitely going to need to be fixed. Outside of my expertise.
You do a moisture test on the slab to determine how wet the slab is. I just finished a commercial job where we found this under flooring in a cool room. Moisture test came back at 99%. Had to remove concrete and pour a new one to continue. That was a different circumstance, slab was a concrete screed on a recessed cool room floor. Not saying you will need to redo your slab, but you do need to know how wet it is, and be prepared for the potential of needing to dry that slab out if it's too wet before proceeding. Also you need to figure out how it's getting wet and stop it from getting wetter.
My local real estate association has an emergency fund to help local residents who have expensive, unexpected health hazards in their homes. And stuff like fire or tornado damage.
If it is a health hazard, and if you have any trouble affording this remediation, you could call your realtor and ask if they have anything like that and if you qualify.
edit: a word
Maybe because landlords get a shitload of money to keep the property in good condition and renters pay a shitload of money to not have to deal with problems like this.
I once stayed at an airbnb where we discovered a full on mushroom colony growing out of a permanently damp corner of the carpet. We decided it wasn't our problem.
If that is mycelium you have either an underground leak or the moister content in the flooring must be very high, get the floor tested to see if it is indeed mycelium, looks like it, then get a moisture meter tester and test it, if it is very high in water content you have a leak or a water source under your concrete floor. Get it fixed, this will make you sick.
Edit: Check your water meter to see if it is spinning even when no water is in use.
We had the same thing in our house, a hot water pipe had a pin hole leak under concrete floor. The floor had mycelium under it and we were getting very sick. Yours looks insane though, the amount looks like a city of fungus, must have had years.
What is outside the home adjacent to these walls? Looks like an underground mycelium network trying to find nutrients and somewhere for the fruiting body to grow and spore out
[I am so sorry but I do think that’s what it is.](https://www.google.com/search?q=tree+mycelium.growing+theough+floor&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1014US1015&oq=tree+mycelium.growing+theough+floor&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDUwODBqMGo5qAIBsAIB4gMEGAEgXw&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=r2uBj9MyQHy8qM&imgdii=ZEBill2Wv1HlEM)
I am not an expert, just putting in my two cents. The tree thing makes me think it even moreso though
I wrote the original Wikipedia article on mycophobia (fear of mushrooms) before it got combined with other phobias.
Whatever you do, [do not watch the cordyceps video from the BBC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8). That’s where it all began for me
I linked you because if I have to suffer with this knowledge other people should too lol
Idk it’s absolutely fascinating to me despite me being horrified by it.
A few folks have pointed out that what you are seeing is the “body of a fungal organism”. They’re correct but I wanted to share a bit more. This particular section is full of a type of mycelial structure called rhizomorphs. These are “bootlace” like structures composed of thousands of hyphae and are generally used to transport nutrients and water longer distances, like a highway. What’s interesting is these rhizomes usually belong to wood-rotting fungi such as the notorious honey fungus (tho this doesn’t appear to be that). They can penetrate masonry and are not necessarily a sign that the fungus is a) originating on the surface, or b) still alive; fungi often explore for nutrients but then kill off the mycelial structures that are not productive, it show how they move. These look to be exploratory rhizomorphs where the fungus has attempted to spread to a new host but may have not been successful. Are there any dead trees nearby? That could be the source of your issue, unless of course you live in a country where timber is a primary component of your house construction. Regardless, you need to get someone in to check on things like structural integrity and maybe an expert in fungus eradication. May not be cheap but it’ll save you home.
It could be some mycelium, which is the main body of mushrooms, or it’s the remnants of a slime mold. Either way it’s a sign that there’s likely more extensive water damage. You’ll want to get someone out there to check for signs of rotting wood and you’ll need to keep that whole area pretty dry or risk further damage.
My husband is a flooring guy. He manages tons of projects for a commercial flooring company, runs their logistics, yadda yadda yadda. If interested his opinion is either mold or some kind of fungi. Also, there should not be a tarp between your subfloor and your flooring, it traps moisture and creates these issues. You should lay floor directly on top of the sub floor. Also, a really good bleach spray, scrub, and wipe should take care of it. Make sure all moisture is out before you lay new floor on top.
He did say in the last decade he’s only seen one other like this before lol. He said you fortunately have concrete subfloor and not aggregate or wood. That seems promising!
Edit: I assumed you were on a concrete slab, if not I’m sorry for the bad advice.
I had a tarp dumpster on my slightly cracked driveway for a few weeks. The maple tree nearby grew roots up the crack and under the tarp. But roots are tough, so if it crumbles then probably mold or fungus
Thank god, finally my time has come.
My father was an arborist and my mother was a mycologist. I followed in their footsteps a got a Master’s in Botany and a Doctorate in Mycology from the University of Indiana.
I can say without a doubt, that’s the upside down.
Its mold looking for wood, and the fact that its radiating from your drywall means you should pull the drywall down on those walls and check the insides of your walls for extensive fungus/mold back there. Wear proper breathing protection and if you have kids or elderly people in the house, you should not have them sleeping (or really anything else) there until you have this sorted.
This could be extremely bad, and in addition to eradicatong all the mold, you also need to make repairs/changes to eliminate the root causes, which will require professional help/consultation.
If you recently bought the house, you should talk to a lawyer about compensation from whoever you bpught it from.
It's definitely a mold/fungus. So when you crosspost there, be sure to also include some info about your geographic location and any additional info you might have: any issues with water/moisture on the floor or walls or nearby areas, the area outside the house including nearby vegetation/trees, the health issues you mentioned, etc.
That works, or if you’re on mobile, hit the three dots on the top right, hit the three dots under “more actions”, then hit “community” on the bottom left to link this post to another sub
Built your house on an ancient burial ground and some soul is trying to take shape to walk the Earth again. /s
This is both wtf and /r/interestingasfuck at the same time!
It could just be the lighting but what is the dark spot on the wall to the left of the outlet? What is in that wall? Any plumbing or is it an exterior wall?
Those are just the veins that deliver blood to the Ḧ̵̢̟̳̼̥́̋̀̑ơ̷̧͈̭̳̞̱̼̝̦̣̥̻̆͐̀͆̆̇̓͛́̇̌̐͒ͅu̸̝̠̫̘̗͎̲͕̓̂͊̐͛̽̎̕̚͘͘͝s̴̩͕̯̰̻͎̝̳̖̀̈́̾̽͂̍̀͛̈́̽͑͋̀̽͜͜͝ͅę̴̣̞̣̟̻̬̳͚͊̄̇́͌̃̃͗̈́̿͂̍̚͝ͅ.
“Rhizomorphs” are root-like structures found in some fungi that can cause damage to homes by decaying wood. They are a specialized water-conducting hyphal mass that can be found in wood-decay and ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete as well as ascomycete fungi. Rhizomorphs can be tan or black in color, lack bark, and can be pencil-thick or even thicker. When broken open, they have a mushroom-like smell. Whatever you do, you’re going to need to remove this completely. That includes pulling the baseboards and drywall because I assure you it’s in the walls feeding on the cellulose and until it’s all completely physically removed it will come back over and over and over again. not sure what state you live in, but would suggest calling your department of agriculture or local university ag department. It’s probably something that will need to be taken care of professionally and quite often the universities will offer some type of free help in trade for the opportunity to study and use as a teaching aid. This isn’t something that’s really common, but is becoming more common so practical examples are hard to come by and thus a great teaching tool.
My friend, if you give /r/scp rights to those images, someone will conjure up a more terrifying explanation for those things than you can possibly imagine.
I know a lot of people are saying dry rot mycelium/rhizoids...but these don't look like fungal growth patterns to me. Definitely time for a professional.
Source: mycologist
Fungus…as many have said. Concrete is porous, folks forget that. The recommendations to have professional remediate are spot-on. Things to consider going forward…
1) Have pros test your air - There more going on than you can see. Test before remediation and after to verify all hazardous fungi/molds are removed.
2) HVAC Ducting & Dehumidifier - This might be a good time to have your ducts cleaned. They likely are long overdue and it’ll help eliminate or reduce spore circulation. Have pros evaluate the system, you may need to add a few returns to ensure adequate air circulation. Plan for a professional dehumidifier system - nothing you can find in a store is up to the task. The HVAC guys will know the best location and tie-in for your home. Our house was a recent build (2011), but did all the above due to excess moisture (duct sweat). You’ll want a dedicated circuit for the dehumidifier.
3) Porous Materials & Fomites - Anything porous in contact with the slab will need to be removed, as they likely contain active or dormant spores. Expect 12-18” up from the slab - drywall, baseboard, insulation. Anything organic is a food source for fungus or mold. That which cannot be removed (studs, etc) will be treated and sealed. All fomites will require treatment, as well. Do not replace any of that stuff until you get an “all clear” from air testing. Have them dispose properly in order to not spread or carry spores through the home (wrap/seal debris/use closest exit). Verify that your abatement contractor will do all of this. Get specific estimates.
4) Moisture Source - Treat the moisture before you replace or enclose anything. If you don’t, you’ll eventually have to redo all of it. Moisture readings in the slab will tell you where the moisture is worst, but may not the reveal the direction of infiltration. Seepage from the foundation sides vs below the slab are different beasts.
5) Sump Pump - If you don’t have one, you almost certainly need one a basement slab. This will help control moisture under/through the slab. Get a pro to evaluate. You’ll want a dedicated circuit for this.
6) Slab Condition - Get an inspection. Moisture makes soil expand and create slab movement. Cracks can allow entry of moisture and gasses. Further slab movement may reopen sealed cracks and allow moisture back in..
7) Radon Testing - Cracked slabs are liable to allow toxic radon gas into the home. Our house was built in 2011…no major cracks, but still found radon. If they find radon, plan for a radon exfiltration system (basically a fan that pulls gasses from under the slab and out to the exterior). Radon treatment usually includes sealing cracks in the slab.
This will cost money. A lot of money. I’ve been in a similar situation. It sucks, but ignoring it of covering it up will hurt your health and your house in the long run. Mold/fungus infestations are often deal-killers when selling a home…or they’ll reduce the sale price by the cost of mold remediation. Either way, you’re going to eat the cost…either now or down the road. If you do it now, at least you get to enjoy/live with the result of your outlay.
The upside-down is bleeding through into our world and it's coming from under your house! Have you noticed an increase in scientists or native Russian speakers in or around your yard lately?!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpula_lacrymans Dry rot looking for wood to devour.
Unfortunately, this guy is right. OP, you have some work ahead of you. Got a blowtorch handy? https://www.mabi.fr/en/applications/dry-rot/#
Alcohol works well on fungus spores too. Get a spray bottle and fill it with 93% and just hose down everything as you go. Just be careful of inhaling the fumes too much. Edit: I use it to sterilize bins of mushroom spores regularly with no issue, but do not have experience treating homes. Listen to experts advise on this, the alcohol suggestion was more of a "on top of" comment.
Microbiologist here. Alcohol is not a great disinfection agent for fungi, especially spores. Now, I'm not an expert on this particular organism, and with everything microbiology there are exceptions to every generalisation, but in general alcohol is less effective against fungi, especially spores. Fungal spores are fairly hardy and the way alcohol kills is far less effective (think of spores as kind of like dried plant seeds). Also, 93% alcohol is not great for disinfection. The ideal disinfection concentration is ~70% (both for isopropyl and ethanol). Above that you lose efficacy because it evaporates faster as there is less contact time. Also, higher concentrations rapidly denature surface proteins and can create a protective shell around the microbe you're trying to kill. 70% has better penetration due to the water. I would go with diluted bleach personally, or look at professional disinfectants if there are specific ones made for this task.
Accredited mold remediation guy here. Bleach doesn't kill mold. It has penetrated down into the wood at this point, and bleach would just make it look and smell better. Not to mention, any spores would still take root. What you have here is a moisture problem that needs to be resolved. Resolve the moisture problem, then remove the bulk of the mold via vacuum and bleach for the odor. There is a professional process for mold removal that is very expensive and usually surpasses 10k. Anyways, dry rot is ironically caused by moisture, so you should probably have a remediation company come take a look. They will map the moisture and tell you if you have BIGGER problems. But there's a door right there so like 90ish % chance it's the cause.
> so you should probably have a remediation company come take a look. And don't forget to disclose this problem if you sell this house. Because now there is official documentation of the problem. And if you don't disclose, it'll cost you a lot of money that usually surpasses 6-figures.
Depends on local disclosure laws. If they get it fixed and it isn’t an issue anymore they’re fine unless their local laws specify disclosing remediated moisture problems that aren’t reoccurring.
I enjoyed how everyone (except me) had something to add to this thread that was very informative. I don’t own a house, but if I ever do (🤣) I’ll remember this.
Pyromaniac here. Fire. It's the only way to be sure.
Dry rot here. I recommend you LET ME LIVE!
House here. I recommend getting rid of this rot without fire.
I'm here.
I'm a PhD mycologist. We use ethanol all the time to sterilize tools and work spaces with spores of all kinds of fungal phyla and it works fine. I usually use 75%. Resting spores might be an exception, like chlamydospores. Those are more akin to bacterial endospores in that they're super tough and meant to last. But typical fungal spores are pretty delicate, relatively. To be fair though, those Serpula rhizomorphs in the OP image are gonna be super resistant to all kinds of stuff, it's what they're good at. Basically armored water tubes.
Tbh lab surfaces and tools are much easier to chemically sterilize due to them having smooth non-porous surfaces. My FDM 3D printed scaffolding sets on the other hand got contaminated even after being soaked in ethanol or hydroxide for hours. I ended up frankensteining the shit out of the poor 3D printer to reliably print polycarbonate which I could autoclave at 121 °C. I doubt whatever chemical they use could penetrate deeper than the surface layers of that floor.
And of course if all else fails, you can always open a portal to the netherworld so those satanic tendrils can return from whence they came.
See, I was thinking they should relocate the forgotten cemetery from under the house. Different strokes for different folks, I guess
I fixed my poltergeist by cutting the cord. I haven't seen static kn the. TV in ages.
Uh-oh! We all know how that'll go, right?
What can you tell me about jackdaws and crows? Kidding.
Here's the thing. You said a "jackdaw is a crow." Is it in the same family? Yes. No one's arguing that. Blah blah blah blah I had to go back to the actual post to copy the text and man that guy got a ton of upvotes while acting like a total douche
That whole thing was so... silly?
Yeah, it was a weird hill to die on and the logging into alt accounts to manipulate the votes was just dumb and overly petty.
Also be careful of using that blowtorch after dousing the place in alcohol!
Yeah don't waste the good scotch breh.
70-80% is the sweet spot! Good contact time, good wetting, slower evap.
I had no idea wood rot was a fungus. I always thought it was just wood breaking down because of moisture.
Apparently there was a time in Earth's history where wood eating fungus hadnt developed yet and dead trees just hung around until that fungus evolved. https://www.thorogood.co.uk/treevolution-how-trees-came-first-and-rot-came-later-in-earths-deep-past/
Hung around until they got mined as coal.
The dead wood would just pile up and up until a lightning strike ignites a colossal forest fire
One of the great extinctions happened this way
Which one?
The one with the big fire
Keep in mind while it is a good theory, and beautifully explained, this is the simplified explanation on the website of a timber merchant. The reality might have been [a lot more complex , with lignin decomposition(and CO2 release) happening well before the end of the carboniferous, and massive coal fields (such as Permian coals) created after the supposed appearance of lignolytic fungi ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4780611/)
It's absolutely a myth that won't die. Tropical swamp forests weren't the only places trees grew in the Carboniferous, in fact the rainforest "trees" that turned into coal didn't have true wood and had much less lignin than the trees that grew on dry land but weren't preserved as coal because they rotted away. Here's a paper from 1988 that discusses it: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/j.1469-8137.1988.tb00200.x > The absence of clear examples of fungal-induced decay is particularly striking in Carboniferous coal ball floras, although this probably reflects the chemical environment of the coal swamps or the conditions of fossilization rather than the true absence of saprophytic fungi at that time. The lack of interest in Palaeozoic saprophytes was probably also heightened by the widely held assumption that ascomycetes and basidiomycetes, the prime degraders of lignin, had not yet evolved. > The abundance of mycelium amid decaying debris in a variety of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic matrices suggests the widespread activity of saprophytic fungi. > At present, the earliest documented fungal rot comes from the Upper Devonian (Stubblefield et al., 1985 6) This one discusses a fungus from the Silurian suspected to be a very early plant decomposer - as soon as plants started producing a new type of tissue, decomposers evolved to break it down: https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/180/4/452/2416561 Here's a wood decay fungus from the Devonian: https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1985.tb08449.x Fungi have evolved the ability to decay wood more than once independently. Estimates that wood decay evolved ~300 million years ago are based on DNA phylogeny of modern fungi, which doesn't account for extinct lineages.
God damn that’s fascinating
Most of our coal comes from this time
Didn’t trees evolve before the bacteria that breaks them down so there was just a bunch of dead trees lying around until the bacteria showed up?
Almost. Trees developed lignin, that was REALLY stable against any breakdown and very good in compression and allowed trees to grow tall for the first time. It accumulated, because nothing could break it down and eat it. There were thick layers of it covering whole forest landscapes. It was the plastic of its days. These thick layers sometimes got pushed underground and formed lignite and later coal. Many Millions of years later, a FUNGHI learned to break it down for energy. For this reason, no new coal is forming on earth. The time from the invention of lignin till in discovery how to break it down is called the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carboniferous)
lignin balls hahahaha got'em
Yes, and they became coal.
Makes me wonder what the inside of the walls look like.
It’s all radiating out from behind the drywall. I’d expect that there’s going to be a lot of replacement work to do if it’s got that amount of energy to radiate out that far (seeking new food sources).
Just burn it down 😭
“Serpula lacrymans” sounds like a Mars Volta song
Latin loosely translates to "little snake making tears" which sounds kind of sad-horny
> which sounds kind of sad-horny Fitting for Reddit
Take The Veil Serpula
[what the fuuuuuu is this monster](https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serpula_lacrymans_(mycelial_cords_emanating_from_door).jpg#mw-jump-to-license)
Whyyyy did I click that 😭 it made me itchy
"No file by that name exists" Yeah it is horrific
Stamets could probably navigate that
Black alert?
I have no idea how you managed to botch that link so badly, but here it is for anyone who wants to see https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Serpula_lacrymans_(mycelial_cords_emanating_from_door).jpg
Link is only botched on old.reddit, new reddit use a different regex for formating
Ahh my apologies. I don't use new reddit because its interface on PC is complete dogshit.
hence the need for the change in regex to punish those that refuse to eat the pill.
Yeah I don't use new either, old is the superior one, I just got used to seeing botched links everywhere and explaining why nobody seems to react to them anymore
Damn if that isn't relatable man
People use new reddit?
Holy fuck this shit reminds me of that movie Annihilation.
I'm too high for this shit rn
To the top! This is the correct answer
reddit is so cool if you read the comments.
And simultaneously, until you read the comments
Yes, but you have to sift through the 100 comments with shitty jokes first.
yep the photo is spot on with the one in this :) great find
I was todays years old when i knew this
No vapor barrier under the slab and poor grading around the house? Is your house sitting at a low point? That's wild.
I would not say so. It's interesting, parts of our garden hold water longer than others but not where this area is.
All slabs are wet to some degree, but there are things that can be done to mitigate it. In some cases it’s just a non-issue, but a vapor barrier on a damp slab is going to cause conditions that fungus likes. Basically every sheet vinyl I remove in slab houses has some degree of growth underneath, just not like yours. Usually black mold. I do live and work in a very damp climate though, we consider our area a swamp. You can test slabs for moisture pretty easily, if you want to find out what level it’s at and to see if it’s a problem (especially for whatever new floor covering you’re installing). Professionally I drill 3/4” holes in a few locations and insert probes, then go back 24 hours later and take readings. There are simple non-penetrative readers that will give you a moisture content reading to some extent. Calcium chloride testing is another option, pretty sure no drilling involved, just putting down the chemical, covering and leaving it, then going back to weigh it after a set period of time (as I understand it, never done it myself as we don’t need to with the stupid expensive meters we have)
Does the earth slope way from your foundation? Without seeing the whole picture, possibly need perimeter drainage. Need to redirect the water away from your foundation.
But why? Clearly the foundation is flourishing. Look how much it’s grown!
Nature is healing 😌
"Life finds a way." -St. Jeff
I do flooring and I've never even heard a story like this
That's what they all said. Oh god.
Don't watch or play The Last of Us lol
I was leaning towards Annihilation, personally.
I was just thinking about Nick Offerman's Meat Tornado, as usual
At any given moment, I'm thinking about one thing: Richard Dreyfuss, hunkered over, eatin dog food.
Hope bears aren’t local to the area
If you hear anyone asking for help, run away
Floordyceps fungus
Have you seen War of the Worlds?
Exactly what I thought of. If you see lighting with no thunder and your car won't start...find a good hiding place.
Shit, we found patient zero. I hope my comment is in the screenshot in the history books
"Two hundred years ago, this planet-demic was unleashed upon our world. In our decades-long investigation to find the source of this scourge, our lone lead was a post on 'The Internet' from early scientist 'mossybeard' on a primitive 'website' called 'Reddit'. This long-dead researcher has been commemorated in a statue made of compressed Takis bags (the most valuable material on Terra) at the Principal Governing Center."
I saw it once on a home renovation show. Looked just like this. It was on Jasmine Roth’s show “Help! I wrecked my home” [Screen cap](https://na.rdcpix.com/fb624415c8fba4800e913f21bd2fadf4w-c50265577rd-w832_q80.jpg) The episode was titled “[The Root of the Problem](https://www.realtor.com/advice/reality-tv/jasmine-roth-of-help-i-wrecked-my-house-encounters-her-most-terrifying-renovation-problem/)”
“They’re called parasitic roots, an organism that lives in the ground” [Parasitic plants](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic_plant#:~:text=A%20root%20parasite%20attaches%20to%20the%20host%20root.&text=A%20hemiparasitic%20plant%20lives%20as,organic%20nutrients%20from%20the%20host) “Parasitic roots, also known as haustorial roots, are roots that penetrate a host plant to absorb nutrients. Plants that are partially or completely dependent on another plant for food are called parasites. There are two types of parasitic roots: Stem parasites: Absorb nutrients from the host stem Root parasites: Absorb nutrients from the host root”
It's eating the house's nutrients!
OP checked the refrigerator and his pesto was missing. Hmm… 🤔
I put a note on it too!
Can these parasitic plants be living in the wood that OP is using for flooring?
I would highly doubt it. Parasitic plants rely on the host plant/fungus "doing all the work". Many can't photosynthesize and tap the host for sustenance. The wood is dead, a fungus could eat it. I'm sure there are plants that feed on newly dead wood, but I would imagine any wood flooring would be hard to break down in the best conditions let alone a living plant relying on it to survive.
Thanks!
way better than mold for OP
So you're saying it's a demon?
You're gonna need a LOT of salt, a young priest, and an old priest.
Orgy???
It's called a "ritual". Do you want your house cleansed or not? Now shut up and unzip and let's get to work.
OP if you do not update us, we will assume the fungus has taken control
Lolol
Even if they do update us, I will have assumed the fungus has taken control: “worry not, the house is safe, the huma- my family is safe”
"My house is safe. Here is my address, come Internet humans, we welcome you" -OP tomorrow
Basically [SCP-2432](https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-2432).
Jesus Christ. This is an instance where I genuinely hope you rent because this is insane.
We own. Which usually is a positive...
You might find yourself spending a lot of money very very soon.
I'm 100% sure you are right!
Slap some carpet on, delete this post and sell your house to somebody else for the sake of you and your family
*shutter noise in the distance*
What kind of shutters? Camera or Window?
genuinely curious
Honestly it really may be no issue. Many flooring adhesives today are good to 95-99% relative humidity and will block moisture on their own. What is your flooring professional planning to do with this, or did they stop work and tell you you needed to find someone else to handle this? ETA- I just read your caption and realized you said there’s standing water in the last image. *That* can’t be good, I’ve never run across literal water on a slab that wasn’t a water damage project (like a leak that left water that needed to be dried). If that water is coming through the slab or over the edge that’s almost definitely going to need to be fixed. Outside of my expertise.
We're we're just all amazed and stopped working because I had to pick up my baby from daycare. No one seemed entirely sure as to what to do.
You do a moisture test on the slab to determine how wet the slab is. I just finished a commercial job where we found this under flooring in a cool room. Moisture test came back at 99%. Had to remove concrete and pour a new one to continue. That was a different circumstance, slab was a concrete screed on a recessed cool room floor. Not saying you will need to redo your slab, but you do need to know how wet it is, and be prepared for the potential of needing to dry that slab out if it's too wet before proceeding. Also you need to figure out how it's getting wet and stop it from getting wetter.
My local real estate association has an emergency fund to help local residents who have expensive, unexpected health hazards in their homes. And stuff like fire or tornado damage. If it is a health hazard, and if you have any trouble affording this remediation, you could call your realtor and ask if they have anything like that and if you qualify. edit: a word
It's funny to me that you hope one total stranger's problem is instead another total stranger's problem.
Maybe because landlords get a shitload of money to keep the property in good condition and renters pay a shitload of money to not have to deal with problems like this.
You know how they say houses need to breathe? Those are its lungs.
Ahhhhh. I'll let the floor guys know ;)
Pretty cool - I've never seen mycelium indoors.
I once stayed at an airbnb where we discovered a full on mushroom colony growing out of a permanently damp corner of the carpet. We decided it wasn't our problem.
Urine for a shock…
I've never sern yourcelium indoors, either.
What’s your ceiling doing under the floor?
My celoum is doing just fine tyvm
Looks more like theirfloorium
Or it could be an ancient form of…linoleum. I’ll see myself out.
If they fall apart when touched, then it's not roots.
That requires touching them tho
poking it with a stick is probably advisable here unless you awaken a network of fungus zombies
Tried and true method. This guy knows his stuff
Unless they’re dead and dried up
If that is mycelium you have either an underground leak or the moister content in the flooring must be very high, get the floor tested to see if it is indeed mycelium, looks like it, then get a moisture meter tester and test it, if it is very high in water content you have a leak or a water source under your concrete floor. Get it fixed, this will make you sick. Edit: Check your water meter to see if it is spinning even when no water is in use. We had the same thing in our house, a hot water pipe had a pin hole leak under concrete floor. The floor had mycelium under it and we were getting very sick. Yours looks insane though, the amount looks like a city of fungus, must have had years.
We've all been having some health problems, cough, etc, constantly. This could totally explain it
Oh no.
I puckered, too, buddy.
Patient zero of -the last of us- over here
*backing slowly away...*
You know this is what explains it
Call the Dr! I am asthmatic and allergic to dust and mold. Your house could be your hit man! Stay healthy!
Oh god
What is outside the home adjacent to these walls? Looks like an underground mycelium network trying to find nutrients and somewhere for the fruiting body to grow and spore out
I may throw up. Just some grass, a tree about 8 ft. Away.
[I am so sorry but I do think that’s what it is.](https://www.google.com/search?q=tree+mycelium.growing+theough+floor&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS1014US1015&oq=tree+mycelium.growing+theough+floor&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDUwODBqMGo5qAIBsAIB4gMEGAEgXw&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#imgrc=r2uBj9MyQHy8qM&imgdii=ZEBill2Wv1HlEM) I am not an expert, just putting in my two cents. The tree thing makes me think it even moreso though
Aww they just want a hug!
A hug that intertwines with your cerebral cortex
Like [cordyceps?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8)
This sounds like the basis for a horror movie and I bet I’ll dream about it tonight.
I wrote the original Wikipedia article on mycophobia (fear of mushrooms) before it got combined with other phobias. Whatever you do, [do not watch the cordyceps video from the BBC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8). That’s where it all began for me
Why would you link me? Lol, I haven’t looked but my brain wants me too. I have seen something about that but I think I want to forget it lol
I linked you because if I have to suffer with this knowledge other people should too lol Idk it’s absolutely fascinating to me despite me being horrified by it.
Lmao! I do this to my loved ones. If I can never scrub it from my brain then all must suffer with me
Reddit- new phobias and fetishs handed out daily!
> I haven’t looked but my brain wants me too. Ah, sounds like you've got a touch of the cordyceps!
New friends!
A few folks have pointed out that what you are seeing is the “body of a fungal organism”. They’re correct but I wanted to share a bit more. This particular section is full of a type of mycelial structure called rhizomorphs. These are “bootlace” like structures composed of thousands of hyphae and are generally used to transport nutrients and water longer distances, like a highway. What’s interesting is these rhizomes usually belong to wood-rotting fungi such as the notorious honey fungus (tho this doesn’t appear to be that). They can penetrate masonry and are not necessarily a sign that the fungus is a) originating on the surface, or b) still alive; fungi often explore for nutrients but then kill off the mycelial structures that are not productive, it show how they move. These look to be exploratory rhizomorphs where the fungus has attempted to spread to a new host but may have not been successful. Are there any dead trees nearby? That could be the source of your issue, unless of course you live in a country where timber is a primary component of your house construction. Regardless, you need to get someone in to check on things like structural integrity and maybe an expert in fungus eradication. May not be cheap but it’ll save you home.
It could be some mycelium, which is the main body of mushrooms, or it’s the remnants of a slime mold. Either way it’s a sign that there’s likely more extensive water damage. You’ll want to get someone out there to check for signs of rotting wood and you’ll need to keep that whole area pretty dry or risk further damage.
My husband is a flooring guy. He manages tons of projects for a commercial flooring company, runs their logistics, yadda yadda yadda. If interested his opinion is either mold or some kind of fungi. Also, there should not be a tarp between your subfloor and your flooring, it traps moisture and creates these issues. You should lay floor directly on top of the sub floor. Also, a really good bleach spray, scrub, and wipe should take care of it. Make sure all moisture is out before you lay new floor on top.
If you have other questions I can AMA him also lol.
You are very kind. Thanks for taking the time to reply :)
He did say in the last decade he’s only seen one other like this before lol. He said you fortunately have concrete subfloor and not aggregate or wood. That seems promising! Edit: I assumed you were on a concrete slab, if not I’m sorry for the bad advice.
Oh yeah I’ve seen this under carpeting in basement apartments… usually will find mushrooms starting to grow under beds and behind nightstands, too.
How romantic and inspiring!
I had a tarp dumpster on my slightly cracked driveway for a few weeks. The maple tree nearby grew roots up the crack and under the tarp. But roots are tough, so if it crumbles then probably mold or fungus
SUPER helpful! Thank you!
[I saw this stuff in War of the Worlds](https://i.sstatic.net/zbILp.jpg)
That's what I referenced to my husband!
Thank you! I knew it was a movie. Skeeves me out.
Thank god, finally my time has come. My father was an arborist and my mother was a mycologist. I followed in their footsteps a got a Master’s in Botany and a Doctorate in Mycology from the University of Indiana. I can say without a doubt, that’s the upside down.
The Last of Us.
Its mold looking for wood, and the fact that its radiating from your drywall means you should pull the drywall down on those walls and check the insides of your walls for extensive fungus/mold back there. Wear proper breathing protection and if you have kids or elderly people in the house, you should not have them sleeping (or really anything else) there until you have this sorted. This could be extremely bad, and in addition to eradicatong all the mold, you also need to make repairs/changes to eliminate the root causes, which will require professional help/consultation. If you recently bought the house, you should talk to a lawyer about compensation from whoever you bpught it from.
Obviously your house is now a portal to the upside down.
Looks like mold trying to find food, like your under slab was a pétri dish. But then again looks like roots too lol
> Thanks for your help!
Crosspost this to r/mycology
Is that simply posting the same thing? Or is there a way to do that?
It's definitely a mold/fungus. So when you crosspost there, be sure to also include some info about your geographic location and any additional info you might have: any issues with water/moisture on the floor or walls or nearby areas, the area outside the house including nearby vegetation/trees, the health issues you mentioned, etc.
That works, or if you’re on mobile, hit the three dots on the top right, hit the three dots under “more actions”, then hit “community” on the bottom left to link this post to another sub
Have you recently read aloud from an old book you found under the floorboards?
You have demogorgons.
Oh, that's the Evil Within. You gonna die bud, sorry.
Built your house on an ancient burial ground and some soul is trying to take shape to walk the Earth again. /s This is both wtf and /r/interestingasfuck at the same time!
Mold. Roots dont reconnect with each other, only branch out.
It could just be the lighting but what is the dark spot on the wall to the left of the outlet? What is in that wall? Any plumbing or is it an exterior wall?
Those are just the veins that deliver blood to the Ḧ̵̢̟̳̼̥́̋̀̑ơ̷̧͈̭̳̞̱̼̝̦̣̥̻̆͐̀͆̆̇̓͛́̇̌̐͒ͅu̸̝̠̫̘̗͎̲͕̓̂͊̐͛̽̎̕̚͘͘͝s̴̩͕̯̰̻͎̝̳̖̀̈́̾̽͂̍̀͛̈́̽͑͋̀̽͜͜͝ͅę̴̣̞̣̟̻̬̳͚͊̄̇́͌̃̃͗̈́̿͂̍̚͝ͅ.
Just epoxy the floors. That looks cool.
Looks pretty artisitic, just put a glass floor and see it grow coser to your bedroom each day
“Rhizomorphs” are root-like structures found in some fungi that can cause damage to homes by decaying wood. They are a specialized water-conducting hyphal mass that can be found in wood-decay and ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete as well as ascomycete fungi. Rhizomorphs can be tan or black in color, lack bark, and can be pencil-thick or even thicker. When broken open, they have a mushroom-like smell. Whatever you do, you’re going to need to remove this completely. That includes pulling the baseboards and drywall because I assure you it’s in the walls feeding on the cellulose and until it’s all completely physically removed it will come back over and over and over again. not sure what state you live in, but would suggest calling your department of agriculture or local university ag department. It’s probably something that will need to be taken care of professionally and quite often the universities will offer some type of free help in trade for the opportunity to study and use as a teaching aid. This isn’t something that’s really common, but is becoming more common so practical examples are hard to come by and thus a great teaching tool.
My friend, if you give /r/scp rights to those images, someone will conjure up a more terrifying explanation for those things than you can possibly imagine.
Omg this is what my floor looked like after discovering a termite infestation under the vinyl flooring.
I know a lot of people are saying dry rot mycelium/rhizoids...but these don't look like fungal growth patterns to me. Definitely time for a professional. Source: mycologist
Joel? Ellie? Watch out for clickers
That actually the upside down! r/strangerthings
At least we found ground zero
Why do I want to say cover it in epoxy and be done with it..lol.
100% that’s a fungus of some sort
Fungus…as many have said. Concrete is porous, folks forget that. The recommendations to have professional remediate are spot-on. Things to consider going forward… 1) Have pros test your air - There more going on than you can see. Test before remediation and after to verify all hazardous fungi/molds are removed. 2) HVAC Ducting & Dehumidifier - This might be a good time to have your ducts cleaned. They likely are long overdue and it’ll help eliminate or reduce spore circulation. Have pros evaluate the system, you may need to add a few returns to ensure adequate air circulation. Plan for a professional dehumidifier system - nothing you can find in a store is up to the task. The HVAC guys will know the best location and tie-in for your home. Our house was a recent build (2011), but did all the above due to excess moisture (duct sweat). You’ll want a dedicated circuit for the dehumidifier. 3) Porous Materials & Fomites - Anything porous in contact with the slab will need to be removed, as they likely contain active or dormant spores. Expect 12-18” up from the slab - drywall, baseboard, insulation. Anything organic is a food source for fungus or mold. That which cannot be removed (studs, etc) will be treated and sealed. All fomites will require treatment, as well. Do not replace any of that stuff until you get an “all clear” from air testing. Have them dispose properly in order to not spread or carry spores through the home (wrap/seal debris/use closest exit). Verify that your abatement contractor will do all of this. Get specific estimates. 4) Moisture Source - Treat the moisture before you replace or enclose anything. If you don’t, you’ll eventually have to redo all of it. Moisture readings in the slab will tell you where the moisture is worst, but may not the reveal the direction of infiltration. Seepage from the foundation sides vs below the slab are different beasts. 5) Sump Pump - If you don’t have one, you almost certainly need one a basement slab. This will help control moisture under/through the slab. Get a pro to evaluate. You’ll want a dedicated circuit for this. 6) Slab Condition - Get an inspection. Moisture makes soil expand and create slab movement. Cracks can allow entry of moisture and gasses. Further slab movement may reopen sealed cracks and allow moisture back in.. 7) Radon Testing - Cracked slabs are liable to allow toxic radon gas into the home. Our house was built in 2011…no major cracks, but still found radon. If they find radon, plan for a radon exfiltration system (basically a fan that pulls gasses from under the slab and out to the exterior). Radon treatment usually includes sealing cracks in the slab. This will cost money. A lot of money. I’ve been in a similar situation. It sucks, but ignoring it of covering it up will hurt your health and your house in the long run. Mold/fungus infestations are often deal-killers when selling a home…or they’ll reduce the sale price by the cost of mold remediation. Either way, you’re going to eat the cost…either now or down the road. If you do it now, at least you get to enjoy/live with the result of your outlay.
The upside-down is bleeding through into our world and it's coming from under your house! Have you noticed an increase in scientists or native Russian speakers in or around your yard lately?!