I have some 3/4 and 5/4 maple boards that were stored in a damp basement. They never were submerged but they are shwong a lot of mold/mildew. Can I use them for face frame work I intend to do? What’s the best way to clean them?
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Often it depends on how dry they WERE before they were stored.
Maple stains very easily, and it runs deep. I had some Red Oak that mildewed from being too green VS. Damp and it was a loss, it had black dots through and through.
So, if it was KD when stored, it may be salvageable, just plane or sand and see how deep the fungus went. If it was green or semi dry, it likely is spoiled for a natural finish, but maybe can be masked with a stain.
I'd brush off the fuzzy ( wear a mask) and wipe down with diluted bleach maybe. Let dry well , maybe in the sun for awhile, and mill some up to see what it looks like.
Don't go making anything of value until ya check the moisture content..10-15% is close enough for somethings. Might want drier for other stuff, like anything that has a tight tolerance. Maple is pretty wild when it gets unstable.
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Spalted wood may still contain spores, therefore it should always be worked and sanded only when wearing a good dust mask or respirator, and using a dust collector. There is medical evidence that substances from decaying wood are a health threat and some allergic reactions and serious lung diseases have been traced to spores and fungi that inhabit rotting wood.
http://www.thewoodbox.com/data/wood/spaltedinfo.htm
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Sphere & Mike both give you correct advice.
If you wish to pursue it further just look above to the Yellow bar and click on the link to KNOTS.
Those folks are so into this you'll probably get more info than you will want.
I'm not flippin' you off.........just counting cubits
1 part chlorine bleach, 8 parts water, and a bit of dish soap.
Mix it up in a small sprayer.
This will kill just about any virus, fungus, mold, or bacteria.
The wood may be beautifully spalted, or just rotten.
There are safety concerns when working with spalted wood. The folks over at Knots may be one of the best sources for information.
Jigs,
Thanks to you and all for the advice. I'm headed over to "knots" now. One thing I know for sure is that I need to be careful about breathing the dust from this stuff.
Be wary of dishsoap if you plan on staining or painting, it will leave a residue. Try TSP and thoroughly rinse and dry before treatment.
The purpose of the dish soap is to act as a surfactant, to allow penetration of the solution into areas of thick molds and fungus. The small amount left in any residue should not affect most finishes.