I am looking at buying a boat that has mold in the cabin on the inside of the hull. There does not appear to be any bubbling. It is black and ranges from the size of a dime to a penny. Should I be concerned or is it just a matter of cleaning?
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clean
Hello, My boat was like that when I bought it. A real thorough cleaning make the problem 100X better. I have noticed that if it rains for a week straight, I will get some mold growth. Keeping the boat clean and dry helps a great deal. Good luck, Barry
Hello, My boat was like that when I bought it. A real thorough cleaning make the problem 100X better. I have noticed that if it rains for a week straight, I will get some mold growth. Keeping the boat clean and dry helps a great deal. Good luck, Barry
clean and be concerned
mold isn't good when its progressed pretty far. Kill it with bleach repeatedly. Clean it with citrus cleaners and leave the citrus residue on the surface instead of rinsing it. Some of the 303 product mold retardants might be useful, although they are geared to fabrics. I would discard cushions and fabrics, and keep a close eye on woodwork. Air circulation or fans helps evaporate the surface moisture than encourages it. Solar deck vents might help. Use humidity absorbers and inspect regularly for a while. Its hard to penetrate the small crevices, but I would do it for a boat I liked.
mold isn't good when its progressed pretty far. Kill it with bleach repeatedly. Clean it with citrus cleaners and leave the citrus residue on the surface instead of rinsing it. Some of the 303 product mold retardants might be useful, although they are geared to fabrics. I would discard cushions and fabrics, and keep a close eye on woodwork. Air circulation or fans helps evaporate the surface moisture than encourages it. Solar deck vents might help. Use humidity absorbers and inspect regularly for a while. Its hard to penetrate the small crevices, but I would do it for a boat I liked.
Vinegar works great on mold
Shouldn’t be too concerned, but should keep it in check. It could ruin your wood, fabric, cushions, electronics, etc. You should clean off all of the mold you can find using the vinegar instructions below. It is better than bleach since bleach will discolor the fabrics, and vinegar won’t. Get an air circulating fan from West Marine. It looks like a big fat thick pancake. It circulates the air and uses very little electricity. Also get some humidity absorber beads. When you leave the boat during the winter, open up all the drawers, closets, lockers, and lift up the cushions, so air can circulate all around in the boat. ----- Use vinegar for washing, and keeping the mold away: For washing, use 1-tsp liquid soap, 2-cups vinegar, and add warm water to fill bucket. This will remove mold and dirt. Use a toothbrush dipped in full-strength vinegar to clean any stubborn mold spots. When it is clean, use sponge dipped in full-strength white vinegar and wipe down and let it dry without washing off. This will keep the mold from coming back.
Shouldn’t be too concerned, but should keep it in check. It could ruin your wood, fabric, cushions, electronics, etc. You should clean off all of the mold you can find using the vinegar instructions below. It is better than bleach since bleach will discolor the fabrics, and vinegar won’t. Get an air circulating fan from West Marine. It looks like a big fat thick pancake. It circulates the air and uses very little electricity. Also get some humidity absorber beads. When you leave the boat during the winter, open up all the drawers, closets, lockers, and lift up the cushions, so air can circulate all around in the boat. ----- Use vinegar for washing, and keeping the mold away: For washing, use 1-tsp liquid soap, 2-cups vinegar, and add warm water to fill bucket. This will remove mold and dirt. Use a toothbrush dipped in full-strength vinegar to clean any stubborn mold spots. When it is clean, use sponge dipped in full-strength white vinegar and wipe down and let it dry without washing off. This will keep the mold from coming back.
Paint or varnish all wood!
Also to add- either varnish or paint all interior wood. Event the inside/backsides of cabinets and drawers - you need to seal all wood from all sides to avoid letting the mold grow back. Rob
Also to add- either varnish or paint all interior wood. Event the inside/backsides of cabinets and drawers - you need to seal all wood from all sides to avoid letting the mold grow back. Rob
Mold ???
Borax is the best fungicide that you can safely use. Make a solution and wipe every thing with a damp cloth. Then add some cowl vents and dry the interior of the boat. I use a dedicated solar panel and twelve volt computer fans to keep my Islander 30 ventilated and in the six years I have had her in commission have not had any signs of mold or mildew. Copper sulfate. 2 % solution, soak a cloth and allow it to dry and use it to dry clean areas (like books) that won't take kindly to getting wet. Just viewed the picture; Poor housekeeping, plain painted fiberglass can't support the growth of mold. Areas like that should be scrubbed with Tri sodium phosphate and bleach in the same manner that you would scrub the outside of a house before painting. That space appeared to be out of reach when the batteries were in place. Boats should smell nice, not like a musty old basement
Borax is the best fungicide that you can safely use. Make a solution and wipe every thing with a damp cloth. Then add some cowl vents and dry the interior of the boat. I use a dedicated solar panel and twelve volt computer fans to keep my Islander 30 ventilated and in the six years I have had her in commission have not had any signs of mold or mildew. Copper sulfate. 2 % solution, soak a cloth and allow it to dry and use it to dry clean areas (like books) that won't take kindly to getting wet. Just viewed the picture; Poor housekeeping, plain painted fiberglass can't support the growth of mold. Areas like that should be scrubbed with Tri sodium phosphate and bleach in the same manner that you would scrub the outside of a house before painting. That space appeared to be out of reach when the batteries were in place. Boats should smell nice, not like a musty old basement
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