mildew on timbers

[Oldsawdust]

I'm cutting SYP timbers and what can I spray on the timbers to keep the mold form growing. Help

[Tom]

First sweep all of the sawdust off of them.
You can buy mildicides that are formulated to do the job.  But, you can also get by by spraying them with 3:1 water/household bleach solution.

If you dry the outsides of the timbers quickly, the mold spores won't grow on it, even if you apply nothing.  This is a good reason for drying in a covered shed with good air circulation.

[Tony_T]

I second the recommendations above.  Household bleach (diluted) applied with a hand sprayer.  Get the timbers up off the ground, stickered and covered ASAP.  Once they start to dry you won't have a problem.  I imagine you have more problems with humidity than we do in the north, regardless you picked a good time to mill (winter) as sap is low in the tress and the air is about as dry as it gets. Not sure if it gets cold enough where you are but MOST winters (not this year) everything is froze up here and we have no problems with mold/stain at all.

[Oldsawdust]

We have had many 65* to 70* temp days this winter and lots of rain. The timbers are in the barn, thanks forthe help 8)

[Radar67]

I've been reading about mildew killers on the internet for the past few weeks and a good natural killer is distilled white vinegar, just spray it on and leave the area til the smell subsides. It is reported to kill the food sources that the mildew feed off of and is listed as one of three natural products.

Stew

[onionman]

 I'veeen having mold show up recentlt too.JUst broke down a stack of timbers yesterday and brushed on the bleach to get rid of a bunch of mold. Don't understand why they had mold 1" space between timbers and 3" between layers.
Good to hear about the vinegar
Onion

[Don P]

One fellow also told me vinegar runs powderpost beetles out, I don't know one way or the other.

[Stephen1]

I like the idea of using vinigar versus bleach, I will have to remember that one.

[Don P]

Vinegar is rough on metal, proceed with caution.

and tell us how it works  ;D

[Stephen1]

I was wonder if there would be a downside.

[Radar67]

Yeah Don...but I never seen metal mildew.  ;D

Stew

[solodan]

I like the vinegar idea. 8) I agree with Tom, wipe the sawdust off. I have seen this problem of mold on well stickered, even kiln dried lumber that had sawdust still on it. The wood comes out of the kiln and then the sawdust picks up moisture in the air and traps it on the surface. Then the process starts when you would not even think it would. I just saw a whole bunch of nice 1 by pine ruined this way. I went to the mill down the road cause, I needed to get a little more dry blue stained ponderosa to finish a project. These guys pulled this stuff out and told me it was blue stained, : I told them it was surface mold. :-\ I wish I had a kiln, cause I could have sawed and dried my own stuff I had at my yard. I tend to have less of a problem with sawdust on my boards then they do, cause I have a swinger and they have an LT-70. I think swingers tend to leave less sawdust on the boards, but truck loads more on the ground. I will add a bandsaw in the future and this is an issue I have realized I may need to be aware of.

[Don P]

I haven't either Stew, mine just goes right to rot  :D

I agree on the cleaning the board of sawdust. Bark dust seems to really set it off, I guess the bark is full of windborne spores  ???.

Y'all have heard me rant enough about chlorox being a wood pulper, I've used gallons of it though, it does work. I think it destroys alot of the wood surface though.

Schroeders Log Home Supply sells some sprays and I've seen ads in Sawmill and Woodlot.

[solodan]

Bark dust seems to really set it off, I guess the bark is full of windborne spores  ???.

I thought it was just my imagination, but this is proof to what I have observed as well.