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I have a twenty year old timber frame where we covered the rafters with 2X6 tongue and groove. I did nothing to treat these boards. In the upstairs bathroom the boards are now stained with a dark mold. What’s the beats way to clean these boards? Clorox, Sanding? Once I clean them I expect to use poly to keep them clean. Any ideas?
Thanks, Bob Baker
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Dear Bob,
To remove mold for hygienic reasons, scrubbing with soapy water/rinsing with clean water is good.
Making the wood pretty again is something else. Mold can stain deeply and working overhead is no fun. Scrape a board to see the extent of your trouble. Maybe it would be better to just take them down. You could run them through a planer or just start over.
For better results in the future, brushing the boards with pu won't help. It could get uglier when the coating starts to pop.
Your only chance for success is to get the wood to dry quickly. This takes heat. Sealing foam panels behind the boards will help a lot. Supplying more heat directly to the bathroom will also work. So long as these boards are the warmest place in your house, you will see no condensation and no mold growth.
Now I want to ask you a favor. Would you describe in great detail how these boards are mounted to the house and how they are insulated? Photos and drawing would be very cool.
Let me tell you why I'm interested. Condensation is a hobby for me. A substantial part of my repair business too. I have a suspicion that the damage you have is a result of two things: a very cold ceiling and excessive foundation moisture.
It's very easy to assume that moisture damage in a bath come from bathing. Oddly, bathing is often just the last straw on a heap of water coming from the cellar. If your ceiling boards allow air to pass through the gaps, they act as a passive exhaust device. This sucks moist air from all over the house into the bathroom.
This is why the obvious suggestion of a bath exhaust may make your problem worse. More ventilation may actually deliver more moisture and condensation to the trouble zone.
So let us know about the ceiling construction. And maybe you could tell about any dampness or moldy smells in the basement/crawl space too.
Regards, Fred
*FredL,You cut me up. Haven't laughed this much in years.
*Bob,Yes do use a bleach to wash the boards.Yes there are products that you can treat the wood with to prevent or minimize future mold growth.Haven't a clue as to what climatic region you live in or how your house was built so I can't comment on the cause other than the obvious. Trapped moisture laden warm air condensating on a colder surface.A trick I use in the winter to check out the whole house approach to ventilation and heating problems is to inspect the attic space on the coldest days.You will find deposits of thick frost on the underside of the roof sheathing wherever leakage is occuring and escaped air is trapped.Check it out sometimes.
*Is that you big bro?