Mouldy staves... :(

[Tommytinker]

I'm hoping someone can help, having started a new job, I havnt been in my workshop for at least a month. I only started using the garage as a workshop in the summer, now I'm regretting it as its like a sieve. Ive gone in there today, and it's a disaster! Everything is wet or damp, a few ruined power tools, warped benches, rusty hand tools, but worst of all, mouldy staves, about 10 - 12 of them, some worse then others, but mainly a fine dapple of blue/green/white/black mould. It only seems so be on the surface, but I'm worried it could have effected the integrity of the wood. I've scraped off most of the mould and there now under my bed. Any advice is welcome, as some of them are beautiful (not to mention expensive) pieces of wood. Are they still usable? and what should I do to stop the mould from coming back? Obviously I won't be storing them in the garage anymore.

[RBLusthaus]

I run a dehumidifier in my garage shop all year long. 

Keep those cast iron tools good and waxed. 

As to your wood - idk - but I have had a hickory back blow on me that I attribute to mold spots.   I could be wrong, but that is my story.   If you chase a few rings, I bet I you'd be fine. 

[Poggins]

What kind of wood are you're staves ?

[lebhuntfish]

I have a lot of experience in mold and mildew. I would not store your molded staves under your bed just yet. If you have a dehumidifier run it in a room with your staves standing upright. Set it to run constant and it will dry up any mold spores that are left on the wood. Then find you some "CP Quat"  or sometimes just called "Quat" it is pretty cheap and highly concentrated. It will be pink in color and have a pleasant smell. Mix it in one of those spray bottles you get for cleaning chemicals. Put 3oz of quat in the spray bottle and fill it with water. Then spray your staves down. While the mold areas are wet, wipe them off. Then spray the whole thing down again and let it dry. You might want to do this outside. Even though it smells good it can be pretty strong to breath if you're spraying a lot. Quat kills the enzymes that creates the mold and mildew. It will not hurt your staves I promise! If you have any more questions about it, pm me your phone number and I would be happy to help. Patrick

[lebhuntfish]

You don't want those fresh disturbed spores under your bed. That is something that you definitely don't want to breathe. When you get the Quat,  spray some on the carpet under your bed to be sure it kills them all. You can also use it in your garage to get rid of the mildew. If you need to you can put it in a pump up sprayer. DO NOT USE BLEECH! Patrick

[Dean Marlow]

If your staves are Osage they will be fine. If they are whitewood like Hackberry I wouldn't trust them. Just my own experience.

[Stoker]

You don't want those fresh disturbed spores under your bed. That is something that you definitely don't want to breathe. When you get the Quat,  spray some on the carpet under your bed to be sure it kills them all. You can also use it in your garage to get rid of the mildew. If you need to you can put it in a pump up sprayer. DO NOT USE BLEECH! Patrick

This is good advice.. Quat is the stuff... Bleech is for tighty whities
Leroy

[Tommytinker]

Thank you for the advice so far.

They are a bit of a mixed bunch - 3 Osage, 1 cherry, 1 hackberry, 2 hickory - in stave form, all sealed on the back and ends - 2 nice yew saplings in the bark sealed on the ends, 3 hickory boards, 1 ipe board and 5 hickory backing strips.
The cherry and the hickory staves were effected worse then the rest, hickory backing strips just a fine white dusting, ipe board seems untouched, which doesn't surprise me. 

I'm in the uk, and struggling to find 'Quat' does anyone know of a British equivalent?

[lebhuntfish]

I'm pretty sure round can order it online. I will see what I can find. You might see if there is a janitorial supply place or a place that does coin type Washing machines. Patrick

[lebhuntfish]

I done a Google search and found this place in the UK that is called Quat-Chem Ltd. Looks like they should have what you need. The search terms I used was "Quat in the UK" hope this helps. Patrick

[Tommytinker]

Thanks mate. Was just curious if you know what the active ingredient is? I might have something similar. What is the reason to avoid bleach, again, just curious.

[lebhuntfish]

Not sure what the active ingredient is. Avoid bleach because all it does is "bleach" the mold. And it will allow  the spores to go air born. And it would not be good on your staves either. I use bleach to rot out stumps, it only takes a few weeks if you drill holes in them.

Also from the sounds of things you mold is on the surface for now. Patrick

[Tommytinker]

How about vinegar or tea tree oil? Both are ment to kill mould? Worth a go to keep it natural?

[lebhuntfish]

Both of them may work in their own aspects. Vinegar will lock down the spores and not let them get airborne. Tea tree oil I haven't used, but I have heard of it being used on hard surfaces like painted sheet rock. With my experience Quat works best especially on a porous surface like your staves. But if you decide to keep it more natural I would use a mix of the vinegar and tea tree oil Using 2 parts vinegar and one part oil. Patrick