Spalted wood is colored by fungi living within the structure, giving it a unique look and increasing its value. Usable spalted wood is found in hardwoods, while softwoods are quickly destroyed by brown rot. Spalting is divided into pigmentation, white rot, and zone lines, each affecting the wood differently.
The glazed wood is colored by the fungi that live within the structure. Coloring gives the wood a unique look and increases its value. Although fungus also damages wood, the carpenter can take steps to minimize its impact on the structure. Spalted wood is commonly used for artistic wooden pieces, such as decorative bowls or statues. While most spalted wood varieties are safe for human interaction, their weakened state and potential health risk generally make them unsuitable for some purposes.
In general, usable spalted wood is found only in hardwoods, such as maple, oak, and beach. Softwoods, like pine, have a common fungus called brown rot. This fungus quickly destroys wood, rendering it unusable for woodworking.
Spalting is usually divided into three areas: pigmentation, white rot, and zone lines. Any spalted wood can have just one or all three. The variety of mushrooms that grew on the tree combined with the conditions that caused the mushroom to grow affect the final appearance.
Pigmentation changes are color changes that permeate the sapwood of a tree. The sapwood is the more porous outer area of the tree between the bark and the heartwood. The fungi that cause this change are usually very dark in color, often a deep blue. While pigmentation changes in a tree don’t hasten wood decay, they do make the wood more porous, which makes it more susceptible to damage.
White rot is the hardwood form of brown rot. This creates areas within the wood that appear bleached; long, thin, ovoid regions that have little or no wood color. This effect is caused when the fungus in the wood eats the part of the wood cell containing the characteristic brown colouring. The fungi that make up white rot will eventually destroy the wood, so steps must be taken to kill the fungus and seal off the area. Brown softwood rot acts like white rot, only faster and without the unique pattern.
Zone lines are dark lines that run through the wood. These lines often form an ovoid shape as they mark the edge of a specific fungus’ impact on the wood. When a mushroom expands, if it recognizes other mushrooms in the wood, it will erect a barrier to protect the area. This creates a dark line of non-permeable material within the wood. While the zone line itself is harmless to the wood, the fungi that make it up may not be.
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