Red weed damp fungys found in old house

[mikell]

My lad bought a house recently , came across a damp soggy corner under tge carpets ,obviously lifted ,,the floor was like porridge. Upon inspection th3 under floor is covered in a red weed , obviously damp has got in ,,possibly airbricks too low , maybe a roof leak but for now, getting a few quotes on safe removal and treatment and repair of wherever the damp is,coming from.
My question please is is this weed a danger to health as his wife is pregnant and maybe spores,if we try and remove may create a bigger health issue than they already have .
One guy ballparked 10 to 30,000 to remove and secure safely, obviously I'm seeking various opinions and info from knowledgeable guys ( that's you !)
It's a big heartbreak for them right now .

 

[noseall]

It's dry rot. It's quite serious and should be treated immediately as should the lack of ventilation.
Contaminated wood carefully removed and replaced. Spores can spread.

 

[mikell]

Thanks , we are looking at maybe spraying in situ with bleach or something as much as possible and hopefully killing as much before we attempt to remove. He hasn't got that kind of money so its trying to do the things as he can as safely as possible and trying to keep the costs down , but with his Mrs up the duff its a danger they are concerned about .
Shame , thanks though

 

[ree]

OP,
What your pics show is dry rot, & your proposal for spraying it with bleach wont work & could cause further problems - dont do it.
The only spraying takes place after fully opening up the damaged areas - then you spray with a fungicide.
There's no cheap & easy way for dealing with what you show - the dry rot possibly extends much further than shown in your pics. There could also be a possibility of the floor collapsing.
Mortgage surveyors often try to cover themselves by claiming that they dont lift floor coverings but I suspect there were enough indications during the survey to require a further inspection at least?

 

[mikell]

The surveyors did say that,," floor coverings were not lifted etc " apparently the airbricks are very low outside and could be the issue but would think a surveyor might have noticed that . Not a great place for them to be right now. So no easy fix or cheap sticking plaster as I had hoped but who would have bought that if the survey was half decent ? Could be decades of it too .
Thanks

 

[accelerator]

Re being a danger to pregnant women, the answer is yes it is a health risk. Dry rot and mould can trigger respiratory issues and allergic reactions, so they aren't good at all for pregnant women or young children. If you type:

"Is dry rot a danger to pregnant women?"

and

"Is mould a danger to pregnant women?"

into Bing Copilot search you will get a fuller answer.

All the rotted material and fungus needs to be removed, and a pregnant woman should not be around when that is done, because disturbing the material releases spores. Obviously the reason for the rot needs to be identified and rectified. A corrective job will also involve treating areas with chemicals to prevent any further rot (again, don't have pregnant women around). Once it's all done, and after ventilation, it will be ok.

In the meantime you can keep the pregnant woman away from the rot, by her not going in that room, and you possibly sealing up that room until you are going to get the corrective work done, although it would be best tackled sooner rather than later.

 

[endecotp]

Take medical advice from doctors (and midwives), not random people in the internet, or “AI”.

Do take the advice above about dealing with it, though. Real shame it wasn’t detected during the survey.

 

[accelerator]

Take medical advice from doctors (and midwives), not random people in the internet, or “AI”.

Do take the advice above about dealing with it, though. Real shame it wasn’t detected during the survey.

I also have a degree in chemistry which included the study of biology, so some random people are qualified to express opinions on things, which was that it's unsafe for health, which it is.

 

[accelerator]

The risks from mould comes from the fact that they produce spores, and in turn this means chemical compounds (or mycotoxins) in the air, which when inhaled by humans enter the bloodstream, where they can interfere with normal chemical reactions within the body, the most serious being carcinogenic, i.e. causing cancer, or triggering the immune system into overreaction, causing allergies. Some of these compounds can also be neurotoxic, so it's not a good idea to be around mould for any human, let alone if you are pregnant.

 

[endecotp]

The pregnant woman will be in regular contact with actual doctors and midwives anyway, and taking that opportunity to ask about this issue is what I am recommending.

 

[accelerator]

The pregnant woman will be in regular contact with actual doctors and midwives anyway, and taking that opportunity to ask about this issue is what I am recommending.

Yes she can ask her doctor too, and she'll get the same answer I gave above. Also, FYI, I always read what something like Copliot Search AI says before telling someone to look at it, i.e. I fact check it against my BSc in Chemistry and extensive scientific knowledge.

 

[mikell]

Thanks everyone for your replies regarding the red weed but moreover for the concerns for the mum to be.
She is indeed being seen and advised and I think they may move out this week if a suitable company gives a price we can work with .
Sadly no easy fix or happy ending here except to say anyone else thinking of buying a old property, hopefully your surveyor is paid for a Indepth Survey under and over the property! We all learn , sometimes costly lessons!
A company are in contact so we will see where it goes!
But you are all right , advice is best sought from many places and many people, no one in particular though!
Thanks again,

 

[mrrusty]

It's dry rot not green monkey disease or asbestos. Yes not good for the pregnant missus, but nothing to stop you getting in there with overalls and masks and ripping out all the floor and anything that looks affected. Bag it and skip it.

Then get a company in to spray everything. Also find the source of the moisture. It's going to be an expensive job but you can mitigate some of the cost by getting your own hands dirty.

 

[mikell]

That was my outlook 3 days,ago but All the talk of the spores getting airborne and finding new places to infest if disturbed... curtains, bedrooms, etc its almost asbestos like the way its portrayed if not dealt with safely that's the worry, id gladly get stuck in but any long term issues, I may create doesn't bear thinking about .
Cheers though

 

[^woody^]

What they don't teach you about the dangers of dry rot to pregnant women in a chemistry degree, is that the heavier pregnant woman is at risk from timber floors weakened by the fungus.

That's the difference between knowledge and wisdom.