Black Mold on Gunnels

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BillB
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:17 am

Black Mold on Gunnels

Post by BillB »

I built my white ash gunnels sometime ago and they have been sitting in my cool basement - waiting for me to progress to the point when they could be installed. The other day I noticed some small streaks of black mold starting to form. They are easily sanded out - but I wonder if this is enough. I am considering wiping the gunnels down with a 10% chlorox solution to kill any inbedded spores prior to re-sanding and sealing with epoxy and varnish. Is this a good idea or unnecessary? I would do a test strip first to be certain no undesireable color changes occurred. Thanks - Bill.
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mtpocket
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 2:48 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by mtpocket »

Bill, I have used bleach and water mixed half and half to accomplish the same task before with good results. My wood was not white ash, but cherry, poplar, birch and white oak. I see no reason it would not work as well for you. I always rinse it well afterwards then let dry. You won't have to soak the wood, just wet the surface. Once, I had some stubborn stains that I had to use a toothbrush on. In the end, all stains were gone. Good luck
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Glen Smith
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Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

Mike, you say you used a half bleach - half water solution to remove black mold. What was the concentration of the bleach in the bottle to begin with? Is the bleaching ingredient identified on the bottle?

A curious mind wants to know.
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mtpocket
Posts: 562
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2004 2:48 pm
Location: Indiana

Post by mtpocket »

What I used was household laundry bleach. I mixed it with water using a ratio of 1:1. A mixture of two parts water to one part bleach would probably do just as well and would still be strong. You may decide to use an old toothbrush to work the area and scrub some of the stubborn mold off. Be sure to rinse afterwards. Wear old clothes to avoid ruining your new leisure suit. Ventilation is always important when working with bleach so think about this before you start. Working outdoors makes this easier. Then rinsing with a garden hose outdoors can eliminate a mess in the work space. Another consideration is to towel dry the affected area. If the damp wood was immediately transfered back into a garage with little or no ventilation, the mold will reappear. Leaving the wood out in the sun for an hour or will help.
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Doug
Posts: 476
Joined: Mon Nov 15, 2004 7:59 am
Location: London, Ontario, Canada

Post by Doug »

After construction;

I have sealed my ash gunwales with epoxy and 3 coats of (spar) varnish.
After 4 years and stored (lovingly) in my garage I have no black mould to date.

All gouges have been sealed with varnish.
....We strippers are "high maintenance".

All the best,
Doug


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"Some people hear the song in the quiet mist of a cold morning..... But for other people the song is loudest in the evening when they are sitting in front of a tent, basking in the camp fire's warmth. This is when I hear it loudest ...." BM
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