Cabin sidewall "carpet"

Steve Dion · Sep 30, 2010

Remove the carpet and throughly sterlize the interior to get rid of all mold spores. The you can start over with new carpet etc.

Deucer · Oct 3, 2010

dstewart100,

I read somewhere not to use bleach. While the bleach will kill the surface mold, the water in the bleach will feed what's left and the mold will come back. Try a non-water mold killer (I'm trying to figure out how much water is in Lysol). Also, there's a product can get at Lowes (it's back near the roofing material, of all places) that you use after cleaning to keep mold coming back. It's called Concrobium.

VT Fitz · Oct 3, 2010

Say what?

With all due respect, Deucer, I've never heard that mold can withstand a thorough cleaning with bleach. I could be wrong -- I frequently am (just ask the Admiral)!

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Oct 3, 2010

Bleach will kill the mold....

But it can also take the color out of the material. So test on an area that's out of sight.

MABell · Oct 3, 2010

Or...

Go to www.sailrite.com and search on head liner

It works out costing $10 a yard.

jorgefife · Oct 4, 2010

On my Hunter 33 I had the same smelly carpet.
I removed it completely and did the following:
Installed pine furring strips vertically every 2 feet, glued with industrial liquid nails; I had to prop up with planks, broom handles, anything I could find so it would stay compressed and glue well (first I burned off the glue residue with a blow torch, carefully not to get to the FG)
Then I glued insulation panels between the furring strips, after which I nailed horizontal cedar panels over the furring panels and the insulation
I have this great contact which has a lot of aromatic easter cedar, 4 inches x 8 feet long, at $4 per piece
So for very little, I think $100.00, I paneled my Vberth, starboard and port sides, even the area goung down the stepa; apart from looking and smelling great, it will insulate the boat well.
Here is the best part: it repels insects, mould and as I said, smells too good
It has these veins that look like marble, and I did not varnish over, otherwise would have taken away the smell
There are a couple of pictures on it, look at Cherubini boats, it's there somewhere
If you want more photos of the different stages, will be happy to help
Will need your e-mail so I can send, not very good at postings on this website

Deucer · Oct 4, 2010

Here's the verbiage from this website: http://www.suite101.com/content/using-bleach-to-kill-mold-backfires-a115960. Who knew?

Bleach is commonly believed to be an effective fungicide (mold-killer). In one situation, it may be effective: on hard, non-porous surfaces such as a countertop or shower stall. On porous surfaces such as walls, floors, ceilings, and cabinets, however, it is not effective – in fact, it can actually feed the mold and make the problem worse. This is counterintuitive – it goes against the common thought that bleach kills germs. How can bleach feed the mold, when it is supposed to kill it? It has to do with the composition of bleach and the structure of mold.

Chlorine bleach is mostly water. The water in the bleach carries the active chemical ingredient known as chlorine (sodium hypochlorite). Several sources, including bleach-mold-myth, say that the chlorine in bleach remains on the surface of the wood and does not soak down into the wood.

Mold grows in colonies, sending out branches as it grows. Killing one part of the mold will not kill the mold. Instead, the mold comes back. If it has been fed by using bleach or some other household cleaner, it comes back stronger.

How Chlorine Bleach Makes Mold Worse

The chlorine does not soak into the porous materials (wood, wallboard, ceiling tiles), but the water in the bleach does. The bleach might kill the mold that is on the surface of the wood, but because the chlorine cannot penetrate the wood, it will not kill the mold structures that are underneath the surface.

The water soaks down into the porous material to where the roots of the mold are. Moisture is one of the few requirements mold has. Now that even more of the wood has become moist, thanks to the water in the bleach, the mold can spread into that area and continue its feast.

Using bleach on mold is like cutting off some of the leaves of a plant while feeding the roots, and thinking that the plant has been killed. The plant will just grow more leaves, and the plant will be stronger because it has been fed.

The Clorox ® Company, OSHA, and the EPA all have determined that bleach should not be used in mold remediation. Bleach is ineffective and unsafe for cleaning up mold or killing mold. It appears to kill the mold, but just the surface mold is affected – the hidden mold underneath the surface is alive and well – now it’s doing even better. The mold says, “Thanks for the food! See you in a few days!” and the surface mold will soon be back.

When the mold grows back to the surface, often there will often be even more of it. Bleach seems to help, but it makes it worse. There are ways to get rid of this unwanted houseguest, but bleach is not one of them.

owner23.5 · Oct 6, 2010

20 yrs in flooring here and there is not an easy way ,start with channel locks in a corner and go from there , small wall scraper to finish removal as this isnt reg cp its more like a felt back design , luckily the glue is sprayed on and not stuck on with a trowel. I would estimate worst case 3hours , if ya get lucky under an hr , good luck

DianaOfBurlington · Oct 12, 2010

UV light will kill mold. In fact it may be the only thing that will do it.

If your yard allows electrical connections, set a fluorescent-tube shop light in the boat on a timer, like 12 hours on, 12 hours off. It will not be a significant electrical bill due to the fluorescent tubes. I used to do this with potted Christmas trees in my otherwise dark basement.

I scraped out all the (thoroughly dried-out) hullliner and adhesive with a wide putty knife and a dullish chisel. I am replacing it all with stuff I got from Defender. I chose the greyish Irish Tweed- a gorgeous color. For the overhead I went with the perforated white vinyl. Both are like $25/yard; and that's as good as you get for marine-grade stuff (that is, that with closed-cell foam that doesn't soak up moisture and thus create more mold). Henry's upholstery adhesive works-- as will any automotive or household contact cement-- but be sure to follow the directions as a hasty job usually means it falls off, because the glue didn't dry long or thoroughly enough.

Dave O. · Oct 17, 2010

replace with wood

On my 260 I removed the carper in the forward 3/4 of the boat and replaced with finish grade luan. Yes Luan. I coated it with 3 coats of varnish to match the rest of the wood in the boat which is also coated and the color of the luan matches the teak perfectally. I looks like you put teak wood on the walls for a fraction of the price. I used some liquid nails to hold it in place and it is a big improvement over the carpet. It gives the cabin a more warm, rich look.

Dave O.
Andiamo

welderxman1 · Oct 22, 2010

WOW thank you!!!

MABell said:
Go to www.sailrite.com and search on head liner

It works out costing $10 a yard.

that was a very good video,
on redoing head liner will have to keep that in mind when some asks!!!

Steve Dion · Oct 22, 2010

To kill the mold you can still use bleach. The CDC recommends no more that 1 cup of bleach in a gallon of water. This area would be considered a "HARD SURFACE" once the carpet is removed. If you are sensitive to mold I suggest that you wear a mask or respirator to protect your lungs.

Once you have the area sanitized it is up to you to determine how you may refinish the area. I would agree that doing it like Jorge mentioned will look good and should help prevent the recurrence of mold in the future.

If you decide to use wood strips, you may consider using a finish to seal the surface too. We wipe down all of the wood on the interior our our boat once or twice a year with some type of citrus oil (orange or lemon). It cleans the wood and freshens the boats interior.

The best solution for mold is prevention. Keep you humidity down below 50% if possible. You may want to consider a de-humidifier in the future.

DianaOfBurlington · Oct 24, 2010

Hull ceiling slats

I would not recommend using even thin plywood panels over the hull since at best that's only covering up, not stopping, the mold/mildew process. At Cherubini we've always used simple spruce slats, about 1-1/2" wide and 1/4" thick, set about 3/16" (width of one 8-d nail) apart, tacked with brass escutcheon nails to 'ribs' adhered to the inside of the hull. This what old wooden boats had (hence our doing it on the Cherubini 44, as tradition) and the intent was to provide air circulation to the insides of the planks to stop rot, and also to enable you to rip them off with bare hands to get at a sprung plank or leak.

(BTW these slats or any woodwork against the inside of the hull are known as 'ceiling' on a boat. The overhead is not called 'ceiling'; it's called 'overhead'.)

A friend of mine just did these slats to his 1966 Alberg 35 and the result was like deja-vu for me because I had seen it only on our own boats before. But he recognized the value on a fiberglass boat -- now he has dry bunks and no mold smell and a good-looking interior besides. And it was very easy to do.

As to finishes you should use Pettit Durawhite, a water-based latex that does NOT host mildew. Interlux Bilgekote is oil-based and can harbor mildew. Apparently it does not 'breathe' like Durawhite. Durawhite is easy to use, spreads beautifully and looks fantastic. I would not put it on a hull (against the condensation) or below bunktops or cabin sole, but for bulkheads and especially inside lockers it's the best thing I know. Most of my boat is Durawhite inside.

I agree with Steve that prevention is the best course. I run a dehumidifier in Diana over the off-season. Not only is it dry, it's also warm-- and nice for working in spring and fall.

owner23.5 · Oct 24, 2010

wow that sounds like it would look very nice and warm inside, I'd just find the leak causing the moisture /mold and plug it up