What is wood rot?
Wood rot is damage to wood caused by fungal colonies which settle on the wood and extend structures known as hypae into the substrate to take advantage of the nutrients and moisture in the wood. Around the world, wood rot is a very serious problem, and many people find themselves dealing with rotted wood at some point. It is also something which people routinely check for before they commit to purchasing real estate, as it can be expensive and time consuming to fix. Any time wood is allowed to get moist and stay moist, wood rot can emerge. To prevent this, many lumber companies treat their wood so that it will resist moisture, often adding chemicals which harm fungi so that if the wood does get damp, fungi cannot settle on it. Proper ventilation of wooden structures is also critical, to keep fresh air blowing across the wood so that it stays dry, and wood-to-ground contact is generally to be avoided, as wood which sits on the soil will eventually attract fungi, causing rot.
