How To Get Rid Of Artillery Fungus
by hz5nq | May 3, 2018 | Blog |
If youve noticed dark spotting on your homes siding or your car, you may have seen artillery fungus and not realized it. What is artillery fungus? Artillery fungus, or Sphaerobolus, looks like mud or dirt spots, and while the spores arent harmful, they can stain your home, deck or car if not cleaned thoroughly. The common fungus can be found in bark, mulch, and manure, and has the ability to propel spores several feet giving the spots a splattered appearance.
If artillery fungus is left on a surface, it can become nearly impossible to completely remove the spots, making it beneficial to know where the fungus grows andhow to clean artillery fungus. One of the worst parts about artillery fungus is that it can shoot spores up to 20 feet and usually aims toward the sun as the spores stick to light colored surfaces.
Where Does Artillery Fungus Come From?
How To Clean Artillery Fungus
How To Prevent Artillery Fungus From Spreading
Because artillery fungus grows in every form of organic mulch, you wont be able to completely stop the fungus from forming. However, you can cover your mulch with black plastic during the time when spores are most active to protect your property. In extreme cases, removing the mulch from your property completely and using an alternative stone or non-wood mulch may be the only permanent solution.
Is Artillery Fungus Dangerous?
Why Is Removing Artillery Fungus Important
As the weather warms up, your siding and other parts of your property are more vulnerable to artillery fungus growth. Artillery fungus is known to eject spores when temperatures are between 50 and 68 degrees. The fungus then reproduces promptly in temperatures between 68 and 77 degrees. The more time the fungus is in place, the more difficult it is to remove especially from siding. It is essential that you remove the spores no more than two to three weeks after their first appearance to ensure they do not consume and ruin the appearance of your siding.
Additional Tips On Artillery Fungus:
Control. Bark mulch appears to be more resistant to the fungus than wood-chip mulch. Davis said pine-bark chunks seem to be the most resistant, and cedar, redwood and cypress mulch also appear to be resistant. Even these mulches should be replaced every few years, he said.
Davis said stone mulch is the ultimate answer to artillery fungus. Black plastic, held in place by stones or boards, is also safe, and some homeowners are getting good results with leaf mulch.
Kuhns said fungicides do not work well because its hard to determine when the mulch becomes infested, making the timing of the application . . . difficult.
Insurance. If your house is damaged by artillery fungus, check with the agent handling your homeowners insurance. Most policies do not cover damage from fungus or mildew, but some do.
Power-washing. Once the fungus becomes attached to a surface, even power-washing is not effective unless it is done within a few weeks of a fungal outbreak.
One power-washing expert said he was able to remove the fungus using 200-degree water, with water pressure of 3,000 pounds per square inch, but this combination of hot water and high pressure can damage some types of siding.
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How Can I Remove Artillery Fungus From My Siding
Trying to remove artillery fungus from your siding without professional help will prove to be incredibly difficult and frustrating. At KEVCO, our trusted professionals can restore the appearance and lengthen the life of your siding by ensuring all potential fungus growth and debris is removed. Give us a call at 258-9750 or contact us here for more information about residential siding cleaning.
What Is Artillery Fungus
Artillery fungus is a mushroom-type fungus that is cream or orange-brown color and shaped like a small cup and contains a spore mass. The mushroom opens and aims at bright light sources and propels the spore mass toward the light, thus earning it the name artillery fungus. The spores can be shot as high as a second story of a building.
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There Is No Cure For Artillery Fungus
While the solutions listed above will never hurt, there is no permanent way to remove Artillery fungus from your home. However, the main takeaway here is that Artillery fungus isnt all that dangerous. In fact, youll find it on just about every home in your neighborhood. The most anyone can really do is stop it from spreading!
What Causes Discoloration On Vinyl Siding
The main cause of vinyl siding discoloration is the oxidation or combining with oxygen of chemicals that make up the vinyl. This could be the result of acid rain but is more often caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight. Vinyl that has been particularly oxidized can become brittle and breakable.
How do you remove discoloration from vinyl siding?
70% water, 30% white vinegar makes a great all-purpose vinyl siding cleaner that removes light mold and mildew stains. For a stronger solution, mix together one-third cup powdered laundry detergent, two-thirds cup powdered household cleaner, one quart liquid laundry bleach and one gallon of water.
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How To Remove Artillery Fungus
There are a lot of “magical’ remedies you will discover online, including specialty soaps and anti-fungal treatments, that claim they’ll get rid of this type of fungus just by being sprayed onto the siding. According to the leading horticulturists that study artillery fungus every day, these kinds of statements are not true. What it really comes down to elbow grease. Anything safe for your siding can be used to help loosen it up a bit, but it truly comes down to scrubbing by hand to get it all off.
That being said, what we can do other than tell you to keep doing what you’re doing, is to offer you some suggestions that others say have worked for them in the past.
Artillery Fungus Solutions From Kevin Palmer Painting
As a power washing and painting contractor, Kevin Palmer Painting is often called by homeowners and businesses to solve problems involving unsightly and irritating surface blemishes, stains, and discolorations. Commonly, our power washing technicians deal with mold, mildew, algae, heavy oxidation, and chalking. One of the more common problems we encounter is the presence of artillery fungus.
Artillery fungus has marred the appearance and finish of the siding on this home.
Artillery fungus, or as it is sometimes called, shotgun fungus, grows and thrives in wet, deteriorated mulch. The mulch can be fresh, recently installed, or years old. Mulch often contains artillery fungus which shoots spores that look like black pellets the size of the head of a pin onto a surface. The unfortunate victims of this attack can be almost anything: wood, aluminum, vinyl, glass. Exterior wood siding and trim that were freshly painted, vinyl siding and trim recently installed, even windows that were recently washed are all possible targets of artillery fungus.
Beware! Mulch is often the host of artillery fungus.
As a power washing and house painting professional, we routinely see problems involving artillery fungus. The first questions we are asked by our exterior painting and power washing customers whose homes and businesses are inflicted with artillery fungus is what is this mess followed by how do I fix it? The short answer is artillery fungus and hire Kevin Palmer Painting.
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How To Prevent The Growth Of Shotgun Fungus
There is the possibility of fungi wherever you find decaying wood or mulch. There is no way for you, a mulch supplier, or a landscaper to know if their mulch has this fungus in it.
The fungus may already be present at the site or could be transported by wind from your neighbors house. It can also be on the leaves that blow into your lawn. Another possibility is that it could come from nursery plants that you plant in your flower beds. Artillery fungus is not something that can be easily avoided.
There is no conclusive research about mulches that wont grow the fungi. However, it has been shown that artillery fungi dont grow as prevalently in large pine bark nuggets because they dont get as soft and wet as other mulches.
Since its so hard to remove, the best bet against shotgun fungus is to prevent it from growing in the first place.
- To save yourself from the nuisance shotgun fungus is, get rid of the mulch around your house and use stones or rubber mulch instead. Its the only way to steer clear of the infection entirely.
- Alternatively, use low-growing plant ground covers as underplantings for foundation shrubs such as liriope, pachysandra, sweet woodruff, and hardy ginger in the shade.
- For sunnier spots, use plants like creeping sedum, leadwort, vinca, and liriope. Ensure that you use plants that are deer resistant in your area. Otherwise, you will be creating another headache for yourself.
Additional Tips For Preventing Artillery Fungus
Tips For Preventing Artillery Fungus:
- Do not use mulch within 30 feet of light surfaces.
- Avoid wood chips or pallet mulch.
- Opt for rot-resistant mulch, such as bark, cedar, redwood, or cypress.
- Consider replacing mulch with an inorganic ground cover like gravel or stone.
- Apply a specialty coating to your siding to inhibit growth of mold and fungus.
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Can Power Washing Get Rid Of Fungus
Artillery fungus removal requires an abrasive tool. Power washing equipment is unable to lift the wood-decaying fungus, but PPW will help you remove similar contaminants that stick to siding, trims, roofs and the exterior surfaces of your home.
Rely on the professionals at PPW to clean your siding without causing damage.
What To Do When You Detect Artillery Spores
Any exterior home improvement professional or quality contractor will tell you to act quickly when you spot artillery spores. The longer the spores sit on a surface, the stickier they will get and the harder it will be to remove them. Scrub the spots firmly with a brush and a non-toxic cleaner to get rid of them. If youve tried several times to remove them without success, then a quality contractor can help you since they have more experience.
In some cases, an exterior home improvement professional might have success pressure washing the objects where artillery spores are present. The main thing you have to worry about when using a pressure washer is damaging the item youre cleaning. If you start noticing paint peeling away or similar damage occurring, stop using it and reach out to a quality contractor for assistance if needed.
If you happen to spot some artillery spores in the mulch you just brought home, dont ignore it. You can remove it by covering it with plastic to suffocate it and then dig it out and remove it. You could also rake the mulch out into a thinner layer so it will dry out quickly and prevent the spores from spreading. Or you could simply add more mulch to the top of the spores where it suffocates it, but then youre risking more spores being inside the mulch you add.
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Why Is It So Hard To Remove
Shotgun or artillery fungus is, although, from the fungus category but its unlike any fungus you may come across. It develops as a mass of fruiting bodies that shoots up spores once it matures.
It is also known as Sphaerobolus, a common fungus that sticks firmly to light or white-colored surfaces and resembles spots of tar. Its adhesion properties are legendary, and the spots can be difficult, rather, impossible to remove without damaging the surface.
These spores are the black spots you see on your siding. This substance gets so deeply embedded on the surface that its nearly impossible to remove. It adheres itself to the surface so quickly, its like nothing you could have ever seen before.
Many homeowners or cleaners suggest scraping off the fungus but even if you manage to scrape off the upper layer, it will leave a stain that is untreatable. Mostly, its sticking properties make it utterly difficult to remove. Its so strong that any or all attempts of removing it ultimately go in vain.
Artillery Fungus On Your House
If youre someone who enjoys gardening, youve probably used mulch at some point in time. If you live in a humid climate, you might have seen black spots shotgunning the side of your house, your deck, or your car. The spots can be annoying, unsightly, and difficult to eradicate. Unfortunately, you most likely have a case of sphaerobolus stellatus, commonly known as artillery fungus.
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How To Remove Black Spots On Vinyl Siding
- Written by Kimberly Carver on Sep 14, 2011To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience.Reviewed by Charles Ramos, Jr. on May 28, 2021
Question:I have black spots all over my vinyl sidingthousands of them, about the size of a ballpoint pen tip. They are hard, and when you pick them off, they leave a small brown stain. They are even as high up as my gutters. It seems they are only on the siding above my mulch beds. I have heard that the mulch can spit its coloring out and also that it could be mold from the mulch. I have tried house and siding cleaner and a pressure washer, to no avail. I also tried Krud Kutter and a Scotch-Brite sponge, which works, but it would take five years to clean the siding that way. What are these spots and what can I use to remove them?
Answer: The black tar-like spots that are all over your vinyl siding are more than likely a fungus called Sphaerobolus stellatus, better known as artillery, or shotgun fungus. Although it’s most often found on the east coast, it can grow anywhere and especially thrives in areas that have cool, damp Springs, or rainy Fall weather conditions.
Does Artillery Fungus Go Away
How to Get Rid of Artillery Fungus. There is no recommended artillery fungus treatment. If the spores are fresh, sometimes soap and water with a scrub brush will remove a bit of the fungus. You can power wash them off of vinyl siding but such methods can be damaging to cars and wood siding.
Is artillery fungus harmful to humans?
The good news is that while artillery fungus is a nuisance because it is unsightly, it is not harmful to humans or pets, it does not kill garden plants, nor does it cause any structural damage to the surfaces it lands on.
Is Power Washing bad for vinyl siding?
A pressure washer can quickly ruin vinyl siding by cracking it with the high-pressure stream of water, so its necessary to know which pressure-level and nozzle to use. If you do use too much power, water can sneak behind the siding and soak the wood sheeting behind the vinyl, which could cause future damage.
Can you use Murphys Oil soap on vinyl siding?
Vinyl siding is usually rather easy to clean. Use a soft-bristled brush with a long handle. Cleaners recommended by the Vinyl Siding Institute for general cleaning include Fantastik and Murphys Oil Soap.
Will mineral spirits remove vinyl siding stains?
Dont Let Mineral Spirits Sit for Too Long If you are using acetone, turpentine, naphtha, or any other mineral spirit to remove an oil-based stain from your vinyl siding, make sure to rinse it off promptly. Contrary to what many people think, mineral spirits will not harm vinyl siding.
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Can Artillery Fungus Be Prevented
Now that you know where artillery spores develop and how they get onto different items around your home, its time to learn how you can prevent them from spreading. The truth is even an exterior home improvement professional cant tell you whether theres artillery fungus in the area until it becomes visible. Even if you dont use wood mulch for landscaping, your neighbors might and the spores could travel to your property on windy days. An exterior home improvement professional or quality contractor might also indicate the spores could travel from plants you bring home from a nursery or even be stuck to leaves that get blown into your yard.
So whether you ask a family-owned home improvement business owner or any other quality contractor, they will tell you theres not a lot you can do to completely prevent the possibility of artillery spores forming on your property. The best thing to do to prevent the spread is to clean the spots immediately when they are detected so they wont continue thriving and make a spotty mess everywhere.
Most Common Recommendations For Removal
One thing almost every suggestion included was to keep the surface wet while you cleaned it. Use a scraper or putty knife to remove the fungus before trying to scrub it, and then once you’ve picked a cleaner, allow it soak into the surface from a few minutes, up to a few hours before you begin trying to scrub it away. No matter which you try, should you try any, just be sure that you test it first by trying it in a place on the siding that won’t matter should it be discolored, as it likely will with most of these recommendations.
Bleach – The most common trial and error method in removing artillery fungus is bleach, however, it doesn’t always work and seems to be a temporary solution. Also, it still requires a lot of scrubbing. Keep in mind that it might also bleach the paint on the siding. Do a test spot somewhere inconspicuous.
Peroxide – Hydrogen peroxide has also been said to work, especially at higher strengths. Apply it, allow it to bubble, and then brush it off with a wet scrub brush or sponge.
Mouthwash – Mouthwash is something many swear by for cleaning artillery fungus off of vinyl siding, especially mint-laced varieties. As with bleach, saturate the area with the mouthwash and allow it to penetrate before scrubbing it off. Others have tried a combination of bleach and mouthwash just be careful mixing any chemicals together.
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