I have mildew and mold in the cabin of my boat. Do I have to rip all the original wood out or do you think I can just use bleach and then coat the wood in (Thompsons Water Seal)? The mold looks like it is on top of the wood and has not penetrated into it. Oh yeah, can you reccommend a good interior paint?
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Bleach and Water
A spring ritual for me is to go through the cabin and wipe down all my teak with a mild bleach and water solution. I use a spray bottle then wipe with rags.
A spring ritual for me is to go through the cabin and wipe down all my teak with a mild bleach and water solution. I use a spray bottle then wipe with rags.
mold
Mold spores in the air can harm you. I would kill the mold before I started trying to physically remove it. Living Air Purifiers makes several units that have done this. I have a friend with an older Columbia who did this and continues to use it to control the problem as well as eleminates ALL odors in his boat. E-mail me at novelman@roadrunner.com and I'll send you the information. Duane (Novelman)
Mold spores in the air can harm you. I would kill the mold before I started trying to physically remove it. Living Air Purifiers makes several units that have done this. I have a friend with an older Columbia who did this and continues to use it to control the problem as well as eleminates ALL odors in his boat. E-mail me at novelman@roadrunner.com and I'll send you the information. Duane (Novelman)
Bleach
A good wash down with a mild bleach solution will kill the mold and eliminate most of the stains etc. Then you can re finish with your choice of products. Cetol, varnish etc.
A good wash down with a mild bleach solution will kill the mold and eliminate most of the stains etc. Then you can re finish with your choice of products. Cetol, varnish etc.
Mild bleach solution and lemon or orange oil
Mike: I would use a mild solution of warm water, bleach & liquid detergent. This will clean the wood. You can then wipe it down with clear clean water. Once you feel it looks/feels clean and is dry, you can use lemon or orange oil on the wood. This has happened to me several times and this seems to control the situation. The important factor is cleaning and killing the mold spores. The bleach will help and the citrus oil will finish the job. You may want to consider doing this every spring and fall to control to potential for problems.
Mike: I would use a mild solution of warm water, bleach & liquid detergent. This will clean the wood. You can then wipe it down with clear clean water. Once you feel it looks/feels clean and is dry, you can use lemon or orange oil on the wood. This has happened to me several times and this seems to control the situation. The important factor is cleaning and killing the mold spores. The bleach will help and the citrus oil will finish the job. You may want to consider doing this every spring and fall to control to potential for problems.
Use a white vinegar/water solution first
and then a bleach/water solution. Just don't get either solution on any metal parts and wear rubber gloves when you wipe these areas down. Otherwise I agree with Nice N Easy as to choice of finish for the cabin (varnish, Cetol, but probably not Thompsons water seal - try sanding a little area of it a bit and put on some teak oil to see if it brightens the finish. If so it is teak and it likes teak oil and almost any finish if properly done. Good luck.
and then a bleach/water solution. Just don't get either solution on any metal parts and wear rubber gloves when you wipe these areas down. Otherwise I agree with Nice N Easy as to choice of finish for the cabin (varnish, Cetol, but probably not Thompsons water seal - try sanding a little area of it a bit and put on some teak oil to see if it brightens the finish. If so it is teak and it likes teak oil and almost any finish if properly done. Good luck.
Interior paint
Great advice on mold control. I like vinegar, but I've never tried orange or lemon oil. I will find some and try. I have used latex porch and floor enamel with great success for boat paint for several years now. There are a couple of guys with rental boats here who use it on the bottom and insides of their rowboats (that live out of water a lot of the time, but weeks at a time in the water in summer. I don't like to breathe oil base paint fumes inside anymore. Even with a fan I feel groggy (more than usual) the day after I paint inside a boat with oil base paint.
Great advice on mold control. I like vinegar, but I've never tried orange or lemon oil. I will find some and try. I have used latex porch and floor enamel with great success for boat paint for several years now. There are a couple of guys with rental boats here who use it on the bottom and insides of their rowboats (that live out of water a lot of the time, but weeks at a time in the water in summer. I don't like to breathe oil base paint fumes inside anymore. Even with a fan I feel groggy (more than usual) the day after I paint inside a boat with oil base paint.
5% bleach
I agree on the 5% bleach solution. It works great and helps to keep the mold from coming back. What to use on the wood to finish? There is a lot of options, for me it I use Helmsmen Spar urethane on the interior. A couple coats seals the wood and gives it some UV protection. It is durable and easy to clean when needed.
I agree on the 5% bleach solution. It works great and helps to keep the mold from coming back. What to use on the wood to finish? There is a lot of options, for me it I use Helmsmen Spar urethane on the interior. A couple coats seals the wood and gives it some UV protection. It is durable and easy to clean when needed.
Mold removal (can be quite dangerous) ....
Mold on wood inside a boat usuallly means that you have an infection somwhere else (bilge, behind a panel, headliner, etc. .... any warm dark moist place). You can easily remove/kill surface mold with vinegar or if you have access to peracetic acid (used in the meat packing, dairy, food and pharmaceutical, etc. industries) will affect a much better 'kill'. However the mold HAS to be removed or the dead cells only become the nutrient source for other subsequent species. Straight laundry grade clorox (5% sodium hypochlorite) will kill it and more importantly its spores, the spores should be your 'target'. However mold spores can be very toxic to humans especiallly your respiratory systems so you should take great care when cleaning/killing it. Never ever disturb mold that is 'dry' as that will release zillions of spores .... to infect other places and you. At the minimum, spray on clorox, let soak .... then begin the clean up. Once killed then you can DISSOLVE the cells using strong caustic detergents such as lye soap, trisodium phosphate or detergents containing sodium silicates .... the mold cells will DISSOLVE or liquify in caustics. Becareful with caustics on bare wood as these chemical will also dissolve the surface cells of the wood (and teak oils, etc.) and extract the tannins in the wood ... possibly changing the 'color' of the wood. To prevent reinfestation (in that dark hidden moist place where the stuff is 'vectoring' from) once killed and cleaned .... simply spray on a liquid caustic detergent and LET DRY. Mold does not grow on caustic surfaces. You can also spray on and let dry on just about all inside boat surfaces to prevent mold growth ... as this would be the 'modern' equivalent of 'whitewashing'. If the boat is grossly infected with mold - get some paraformaldehyde crystals (Mildew Gaz, etc.) , place the crystals on metal pans, then tightly close-up the boat and allow the gas from the paraformaldehyde kill most of the mold and spores, then open the boat and let it completely air out before entering .... then SCRUB/clean with clorox and caustics. Paraformaldehyde gas is harmful/toxic to humans. I use it whenever I have my boat closed up for more than a few weeks. If you have lots of mold/mildew, be sure to wear a dust mask, rubber gloves and goggles when cleaning mold. Hope this helps.
Mold on wood inside a boat usuallly means that you have an infection somwhere else (bilge, behind a panel, headliner, etc. .... any warm dark moist place). You can easily remove/kill surface mold with vinegar or if you have access to peracetic acid (used in the meat packing, dairy, food and pharmaceutical, etc. industries) will affect a much better 'kill'. However the mold HAS to be removed or the dead cells only become the nutrient source for other subsequent species. Straight laundry grade clorox (5% sodium hypochlorite) will kill it and more importantly its spores, the spores should be your 'target'. However mold spores can be very toxic to humans especiallly your respiratory systems so you should take great care when cleaning/killing it. Never ever disturb mold that is 'dry' as that will release zillions of spores .... to infect other places and you. At the minimum, spray on clorox, let soak .... then begin the clean up. Once killed then you can DISSOLVE the cells using strong caustic detergents such as lye soap, trisodium phosphate or detergents containing sodium silicates .... the mold cells will DISSOLVE or liquify in caustics. Becareful with caustics on bare wood as these chemical will also dissolve the surface cells of the wood (and teak oils, etc.) and extract the tannins in the wood ... possibly changing the 'color' of the wood. To prevent reinfestation (in that dark hidden moist place where the stuff is 'vectoring' from) once killed and cleaned .... simply spray on a liquid caustic detergent and LET DRY. Mold does not grow on caustic surfaces. You can also spray on and let dry on just about all inside boat surfaces to prevent mold growth ... as this would be the 'modern' equivalent of 'whitewashing'. If the boat is grossly infected with mold - get some paraformaldehyde crystals (Mildew Gaz, etc.) , place the crystals on metal pans, then tightly close-up the boat and allow the gas from the paraformaldehyde kill most of the mold and spores, then open the boat and let it completely air out before entering .... then SCRUB/clean with clorox and caustics. Paraformaldehyde gas is harmful/toxic to humans. I use it whenever I have my boat closed up for more than a few weeks. If you have lots of mold/mildew, be sure to wear a dust mask, rubber gloves and goggles when cleaning mold. Hope this helps.
Once the active mold has been removed the
best and simplist means of preventing regrowth is VENTILATION. Mold needs moisture for growth if you have constant ventilation in all of the boat you won't grow any mold. I have a boat that is proof of it. There are no places on Bietzpadlin that aren't ventilated. The bilge is always kept dry, there are solar power fans in three ventilators on deck and in two lockers.
best and simplist means of preventing regrowth is VENTILATION. Mold needs moisture for growth if you have constant ventilation in all of the boat you won't grow any mold. I have a boat that is proof of it. There are no places on Bietzpadlin that aren't ventilated. The bilge is always kept dry, there are solar power fans in three ventilators on deck and in two lockers.
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