Weeping merula (building cancer)

Weeping merula, or more commonly known as building cancer, is a fungus that is increasingly common in Quebec. It is most often found in dark, poorly ventilated, damp areas such as crawl spaces. Do you think your home could be invaded by weeping merula ? It’s possible, since the number of cases is growing in Quebec.

When mature, weeping merula resembles a thick, brownish-orange crust. However, when the fungus is immature, it appears as a whitish filamentous layer of varying thickness. As other fungi can resemble it, identification of weeping merula by a qualified microbiologist is essential.

This Asian fungus can wreak havoc in buildings. The weeping merle, or Serpula lacrymans as it is known in Latin, is a fungus capable of rapidly decomposing the wood of building frames. Building cancer, as some call it, can spread throughout a home, and it’s not uncommon to see the invasive fungus on brick, plastic membranes or concrete.

Financial assistance for residential buildings affected by weeping mould

The Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ) has set up a pilot project to reduce the financial burden on owners of homes contaminated by weeping mould. The Residential Intervention Program – weeping merula – could enable you to receive financial assistance for decontamination, rehabilitation or reconstruction work.

According to the requirements of the financial assistance program, several steps must be carried out by experts in environmental analysis. Lab’EauAirSol can guide you through the necessary steps to apply for financial assistance, so that you can submit your application as quickly as possible. What’s more, for eligible projects, the SHQ will reimburse the costs of expert appraisals and professional fees.

In what situations can Lab EauAirSol help with weeping mould problems in your home?

• Would you like a price estimate for analyzing the presence of weeping mould in your home?
• Would you like to know more about the effects of weeping merula on your health?
• Would you like to know about the various possible treatments for weeping merula?
• You want to determine your eligibility for the financial assistance program to help you if your home is contaminated by weeping merula ;
• You want help to guide you through every step of the application process ;
• Want to know how to recognize weeping fungus?
• You need to take samples to submit to CEAEQ in order to produce a certificate of analysis ;
• You must produce a weeping merula contamination assessment report ;
• You need to produce your technical estimate to define the work to be carried out to treat your weeping merula problem.
• You need a laboratory in Quebec to test for the presence of weeping mould quickly and accurately, carried out by qualified experts in accordance with applicable standards.
• Our experts will guide you through the process, making it as simple as possible.

Visit to a house contaminated by weeping mould – Radio-Canada – La Facture