Removing Artillery Fungus from Your Home

25 Mar Removing Artillery Fungus from Your Home

If you see spotting from artillery fungus on your home, call Acme Pressure Wash right away! A professional power wash is the best option for artillery fungus removal. Getting rid of those sticky black spores is not an easy job, and extra help might be required. The Acme team can help you protect your Arizona home with our pressure washing and surface sealing services.

What is artillery fungus?

Also known as shotgun fungus, artillery fungus is a wood-decay fungus that shoots its spore masses like a cannon—sometimes as far as 20 feet in the air. It grows in mulch and other organic materials such as rotting wood, leaf litter, and animal droppings. Outbreaks of sphaerobolus stellatus spores are most common in the spring.

Artillery fungus spores look like small, black dots—like a spattering of soot on your siding. The sticky round spots are 1 to 2 millimeters in diameter and will attach to any light-colored surface. Artillery fungus can affect siding, decks, windows, and even vehicles. Because they are sticky, artillery fungus spores are very difficult to remove, and they often leave stains if they are not removed properly.

What is the best method of removing artillery fungus from your home?

In order to kill artillery fungus, first you must eradicate the source. You will need to remove any contaminated mulch and send it to the landfill. Then attack the spores as soon as possible. The longer the fungus has been there, the harder it will be to remove. Eliminate artillery spores within the first two weeks of spotting them if you can. 

How can pressure washing help?

A professional pressure wash can prevent damage and discoloration from artillery fungus. Don’t risk damaging your home with DIY solutions and over-the-counter solvents. Pressure washing uses pure water and steam—it will clean without staining or discoloring your siding or deck. 

A power wash professional can also recommend a surfaces surface sealing agent. Applied after power washing, a specialty coating will protect your outdoor surfaces from further outbreaks, and make them easier to clean in the future.

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.

Request a free estimate from Acme!

A professional pressure washing by our experts is the best way to remove artillery fungus and prevent ugly spotting. Acme Pressure Wash provides pressure cleaning and surface sealing services to the greater Phoenix area. Contact us with any questions about artillery fungus removal, or request a free estimate today.

Photo by Matthijs B on Unsplash