help....mould

[paul anderson]

g'day well we have had record rains in australia with an area the size of france and germany inundated.the poor people and animals are seeing levels of rivers reach 17meters in some areas.alot of the country to the north of us is cut off  from the outside world,whole towns have had to be evacuated.where i live we are just catching the edge of the depressions but have had heavy rain for weeks with the result that my plywood has gone all mouldy,what is the best way to remove this and is it a real problem.thankfully my problems are minor compare to the people who have been flooded out.

[Geminidawn]

Mould is an every day plague for me as it thrives in this pemanently damp environment. First you'll need to wash it usually I just use a mild bleach solution and I mean mild as strong bleach will break down the fibers in the wood. You can also buy a mold and mildew remover but most of these are pretty much a mild form of bleach. The down side is it will lighten the wood so if you're looking for a varnish finish use white vinegar which works about 80% of the time but isn't as effective.

Next you'll have to lay the sheets as flat as possible and leave in a room with a dehumidifier make sure you get rid of any residual damp as this can affect the epoxy.

[paul anderson]

thanks mate,it sure would have to be the mother of all dehumidifiers though,its so humid the floor tiles get a slick of water on them without you having to walk it in.

[Lee Dilkes]

Hiya Paul,

Good to see your progress, I'm holding off any further work until after the wet....

I wouldnt use bleach or vinegar on a surface that your going to apply epoxy to you may get an adverse reaction from any residue left on the surface. Try acetone instead it will certainly kill the mould.

 

Enjoy

Lee

[Geminidawn]

Not really, bleach or vinegar kills the mould. But it also helps to break down the oils in the natural wood and create a better bond. Acetone is a natural given and all surfaces to be glued should be washed with it anyway mould or not, to help break down any residual oils or dirt. Regarding the moisture Acetone is naturually hydroscopic, like ethanol, it draws the moisture out of the wood and evaporates easily. But banking on Acetone alone, those spores will come back to haunt you.