Mold is known for being soft to the touch and incredibly mushy. That texture is what homeowners look for when determining if their wooden crawl space joist is rotting. However, not all fungi break down the wood in that way, so not all joists infected with wood rot are soft. Some fungi are so unassuming that it takes a while for homeowners to realize their wood is rotting, even when actively looking for wood rot. What many typically think of when it comes to wood rot is “soft rot”, which does cause that spongy texture everyone is familiar with. Brown rot is one of the fungi that can be difficult to spot due to the way it affects the wood. Brown rot was traditionally called “dry rot” because it does not soften wood—instead, it makes it crack. Before being called brown rot, it was called dry rot, because it can take in moisture from afar. So, even when the humidity levels seem decent, brown rot can still persist. Brown rot does cause a layer of red spores to line the wood, which is the most common way of identifying it. Other fungi might make the wood crack in a way that makes it look like it’s termite damage. These deceiving types of rot are difficult to spot, so don’t think you’re safe just because you don’t spot any in your crawl space. It’s always advised that you call an expert that is able to identify these things for you. Not only do they save you time by looking at the problem themselves, they can also provide you with the best solutions to get rid of wood rot and take care of your Youngstown home.