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Anyone used this stuff?
http://m.homedepot.com/p/Concrobium-32-o.../100654126
Getting a light haze of mold on some walls. It's hard to see it unless you look down on it but I'm pretty sure it's mold. I've got a single wall house.
I read it is salt based and has to dry.... That concerns me since table salt melts in my house but I'm guessing it's a different type of salt.
The wood walls were sealed with some light glossy finish. Any recommendations on a finish that would seal the wood and better prevent mold? Maybe they would've been better off left unfinished so they could breathe though.... Lots to learn here. My body likes the humidity it seems to damage about everything else haha
Mahalo in advance!
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Lately I have been running a dehumidifier more often and am considering getting a kick-ass commercial unit that has the highest efficiency in the biz. It is amazing how much everything is affected by humidity here. My printer often sucks through several sheets at a time but the problem is greatly reduced when the humidity is under control. My point is that although it is a cost, there are many interconnected benefits from controlling humidity that sweeten the pot. Mold control is one of them.
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Has anybody tried the mold control additive you put into paint? I tried it about 20 years ago and wasn't impressed, am wondering if it's got better since then.
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I'd consider a dehumidifier but this house is so open to the outside. The gable ends are permanently open on this place. I guess I could seal it up, but it's been this way for forty years. Not sure how the previous occupants managed humidity.... Maybe they didn't and that's part of my problem haha...
I have been shutting all the windows when it rains and at night and have been keeping the humidity lower than it is outside but after a week long rain the humidity catches up.
Yeah humidity affected so many things I never considered.... Just noticed a box leaking something sticky, and ants having a fiesta. Turns out some ricola cough drops melted into syrup.
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When we remodeled, we coated all wood used with a wood preserver that had a mold/mo;dew block (after making sure each piece was soaked in Hi-Bor & dried thoroughly), so far, almost a decade & no mold on the wood.. (the brand we used was Thompsons clear, but there are others on the market)
Bleach (diluted) or Hydrogen peroxide are common household chemicals that are very effective at killing molds... but they have no residual effect
ETA:If you look at the MSDS supplied on the HD website, this product is diluted Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) in a spray bottle. TSP is available at most hardware & Big Boxes for cleaning.... so may be more cost-effective to just buy good ol` TSP & try it...
Here is HD page on a 1# box of TSP (they sell more sizes):
http://m.homedepot.com/p/SAVOGRAN-1-lb-B.../202935861
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quote:
Originally posted by Carey
ETA:If you look at the MSDS supplied on the HD website, this product is diluted Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) in a spray bottle. TSP is available at most hardware & Big Boxes for cleaning.... so may be more cost-effective to just buy good ol` TSP & try it...
Here is HD page on a 1# box of TSP (they sell more sizes):
http://m.homedepot.com/p/SAVOGRAN-1-lb-B.../202935861
I wouldn't use that on finished wood - I use TSP (along with bleach) prior to painting the house and it's very effective at removing the mold, but it also cuts into the paint as well. If the wood finish is at all glossy, it will dull that gloss and may make it quite uneven.
I don't know of a
good mold preventative - we use borax in the laundry to reduce mildew on the towels and you could try washing the walls down with a solution of that to see if it will inhibit new mold growth (most plants don't like boron...).
We've also used the paint additives that are supposed to limit mold and mildew - no detectable improvement...
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Clean the mold off your walls ASAP or deal with rapid mold growth into other areas of your house. Use whatever it takes, start off with white vinegar and Dawn, and if that doesn't do it work up to bleach but always rinse well if you use bleach.
The last two long summers here have been high humidity. Make controlling it a part of your routine. With screened gables it's a little more challenging but there's much you can do. Damp rid works great in the closets. I have spray bottles with lavender(mold preventative), peppermint(bugs and rat deterrent), pine oils(mold preventative) etc. mixed with alcohol. I spray the furniture, into closets, the pantry, under the bed everywhere as part of my cleaning routine.
Also have an oil diffuser which I love. It goes most of the time, latest favorite is basil oil. House smells awesome and clean.
What also works amazing but is a necessary evil since I don't care for synthetic scents is dryer sheets. Anytime you box something up or into plastic containers throw in a few sheets and no mold or bugs will be there. Put them in all clothing drawers too. Replace when lose scent. Essential oils will not last anywhere near as long and this is very convenient. Boxes of these sheets start as low as $2.
Keep things clean....windows, walls etc. Makes a big difference. Good luck.
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Those are excellent tips Punatic007. Do that and get the dehumidifier like the others have said so far in this thread.
I have lived here 35 years or more. I got the dehumidifier about 15 years ago. One broke and I got the other I have now. Whenever it rains like it has been doing, I put the dehumidifier in my bedroom and run it for a couple hours with the timer on and all the windows shut. When leaving the living room or kitchen and entering the bedroom the difference is amazing. The air smells good, feels good. It's so nice to sleep in a room like that after feeling so soggy all day.
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quote:
Originally posted by Carey
When we remodeled, we coated all wood used with a wood preserver that had a mold/mo;dew block (after making sure each piece was soaked in Hi-Bor & dried thoroughly), so far, almost a decade & no mold on the wood.. (the brand we used was Thompsons clear, but there are others on the market)
Bleach (diluted) or Hydrogen peroxide are common household chemicals that are very effective at killing molds... but they have no residual effect
ETA:If you look at the MSDS supplied on the HD website, this product is diluted Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) in a spray bottle. TSP is available at most hardware & Big Boxes for cleaning.... so may be more cost-effective to just buy good ol` TSP & try it...
Here is HD page on a 1# box of TSP (they sell more sizes):
http://m.homedepot.com/p/SAVOGRAN-1-lb-B.../202935861
Thanks for the detailed responses! It's funny they sell the TSP right next to the product in question. I did a little more research and supposedly they have a proprietary ingredient also that is part of their magic overpriced formula. So I went ahead and got it, needed a spray bottle anyway. I hit everything with peroxide first. Speaking of which, when I first got here about two months ago I treated a spot with peroxide and it still appeared clear today, so maybe I just need to kill the existing mold, and prevention is just in case I screw up and let the house get too damp.... Wishful thinking probably...
It's been an adventure here! Just when I think I have a handle on things a new issue pops up like clockwork. Sure is an amazing place though!
Oh another thing I've been wondering about... Is summer worse for mold, or winter? I guess it's probably anytime we get a few straight days of rain i should be on high alert, eh?
