Basswood lath is molding

[welderskelter]

At least I didnt go big and then find the problem but my beautiful basswood lath I sawed is turning gray with mold. I hope that there is an efficient  way to dry these so they dont mold. Anybody got any suggestions? Or know how the big boys do them.

[doc henderson]

increased air flow.  the mold will not hurt anyone.  what is the lath for?

[doc henderson]

can sprits with a dilute bleach solution.  before or after the fact.  if you can plane them, it may decrease the gray color.  any pics?

[welderskelter]

Dont really care about the few bundles I have sawed , Just thought my product would look better for sale.Dont know all the purposes , but am sure they get used inside and out. After sawing I will probably have to stack a blow a fan thru them somehow.

[ladylake]

   

 Cut down in the winter, saw when its cold out.   Steve

[welderskelter]

ladylake, I can do that but if I dont sell all before spring then they will mold. If someone buys one and takes it indoors it will mold in bundle dont need no one hollering about green lumber. Basswood carries a lot more water than most wood I think.

[Ianab]

Once the wood is at least partly dry mould and fungus won't grow on it (unless it gets wet again). If your Winter is cold enough, it's too cool for the mould to grow, but the wood will still be drying (slower of course). Once the weather warms up, hopefully the wood is down under ~20%, and safe. Likewise if you sell wood that's not dry (in any season), it could mould if the customer treats it wrong. Either way, check the wood is under 20% before you sell it as "air dried", preferably under ~15%, no matter that the season. 

Drying wood like this in Summer is a race between the drying and the mould. Hence the suggestions of more air flow to speed the drying. Get at least the surface of the wood dry before the mould gets started. 

We have a different climate, and the winter cutting plan doesn't work so well. It's not cold enough to stop mould, but it's cool and humid, so light coloured wood like pine will stain badly air drying in Winter. We get better results in Summer when it's warm enough to dry quickly. But in either case staining can be an issue 

Anyway it's those first few weeks that matter. Once wood is semi-dry it won't grow mould. 

[beenthere]

 If someone buys one and takes it indoors it will mold in bundle 

Have to sticker the boards and not solid stack them in a bundle.

[kantuckid]

EVERYTHING in sight is molding here! :(
Day after day, on & on-> like so many days now that we've all lost count of heavy rains, it's moldy here too. Fungi all over the woods. Basement is/was flooded at my house as the soils around us are and have been saturated for weeks. My house is way up on a hill but all this water has to go somewhere. Latest run at my house was 8 days in a row. Several were cloudburst that went on for hours. 6 plus inches on several days. 

Have you tried basswood for the woodcarver specialty market? Locally it's a very minor wood but some has been sold to the "wooden shoe people" years back and in larger cants. Web sellers who cater to woodcarvers sell it as does Hobby Lobby types places for woodburning craft wood. 
I tried it with younger woodshop students and it's OK but not for much that matters at a higher level of use.
  

[ladylake]

 Saw it when temps get down around freezing, it wont mold and will be dry enough by spring so it doesnt mold .   What size are you sawing, if something like 1 1/2 by 1/2  I'd saw it at 1 1/2 when it gets cool then after it gets dry resaw to the 1/2 "  . Steve

[Joe Hillmann]

Wider spacing and taller stickers and covers with large overhangs.  In the past when I wanted perfect lumber in hot and humid weather I put 3 box fans on my lumber stacks for two or three weeks to dry the surface moisture.  Once it was dry to the touch I turned the fans off

[WV Sawmiller]

   I cut about 1,000 bf from 1-4 inches thick several years ago. I think I must have been luck as I cut it in February and, based on what I read here on the FF, I put a 30" fan between the stickered stacks for several weeks and I don't remember having any mold issues at all.