Hi All,
I've had a load of panels for 2 labhorns in my garage for the last year. Just been out there and the mdf has some mould along its edges. My garage is very dry usually, but I guess a combination of lots of rain outside and the coldness inside has done it. It was fine right up to a week ago.
Is it just a case of bleaching the mould off and bringing the panels indoors to dry out, or is it all firewood ?
I hope it's salvageable as they're meant to be being assembled for the UK diy meet up. 🙁
Cheers,
Rob.
I've had a load of panels for 2 labhorns in my garage for the last year. Just been out there and the mdf has some mould along its edges. My garage is very dry usually, but I guess a combination of lots of rain outside and the coldness inside has done it. It was fine right up to a week ago.
Is it just a case of bleaching the mould off and bringing the panels indoors to dry out, or is it all firewood ?
I hope it's salvageable as they're meant to be being assembled for the UK diy meet up. 🙁
Cheers,
Rob.
check the thickness with a piece you know is unaffected...look for swelling of the portions that were exposed...particularly those closest to the floor...move them into a location that is dry...if any of the material is suspect test further by installing a screw and trying to pull it out...hth...and good luck
Hi Ed,
There's no swelling that I can see. The stack is sitting on a low table about 1' off the floor. I'll bring it all indoors to dry off, although the garage isn't particularly damp usually. This is the 1st time anythings gone mouldy in there...
I guess I'm worried if the mould spores will get into the mdf itself and cause any problems once the speaker is assembled and painted. Hopefully not. It's not the cost of replacing the mdf thats a problem, its the time I put in doing all the mitres etc. I really don't want to do it all again.
Cheers,
Rob.
There's no swelling that I can see. The stack is sitting on a low table about 1' off the floor. I'll bring it all indoors to dry off, although the garage isn't particularly damp usually. This is the 1st time anythings gone mouldy in there...
I guess I'm worried if the mould spores will get into the mdf itself and cause any problems once the speaker is assembled and painted. Hopefully not. It's not the cost of replacing the mdf thats a problem, its the time I put in doing all the mitres etc. I really don't want to do it all again.
Cheers,
Rob.
moldy mdf
Rob...
You might try spritzing with 5:1 diluted bleach to kill off the mold b4 drying... multiple bleach & dry maybe... just don't overwet the panels to keep them from swelling....
Sun exposure of the affected areas also will help (or a uv lamp if available)
Good luck...
John L.
Rob...
You might try spritzing with 5:1 diluted bleach to kill off the mold b4 drying... multiple bleach & dry maybe... just don't overwet the panels to keep them from swelling....
Sun exposure of the affected areas also will help (or a uv lamp if available)
Good luck...
John L.
Hope they're OK Rob, really looking forward to hearing those come July.
The photo is a little hard to make out but Ed's advice sounds sensible to me.
The photo is a little hard to make out but Ed's advice sounds sensible to me.
RobWells said:
Good point, I think removing the mold and lightly sanding the affected area's will be enough. Paint tends to quite fusy about the surface quality so I wouldn't like to bet money on anything working or not working.
If the pieces are not cut to size, trim the edges off with your table saw and see how deep the mold goes. The edges are most likely to have moisture penetrate so if they are trimmed I would say they are good to go, especially since there is no swelling in thickness.
Well just had a closer look today and some of the bits have developed fine cracks along the edges. Just put 2 whole labhorns, ready to assemble on a big fire in the garden. 🙁
Better get some more mdf in.....
Rob.
Better get some more mdf in.....
Rob.
"White molds" are generally benign, i.e., they don't cause structural damage to wood products like the black molds. They need a constant 70% or higher RH, and can't survive in drier places...so no worry about the future...except for wood products permanently banished to your garage.
RobWells said:
That's a shame Rob but I'd have done the same myself. Fingers crossed that a labhorn can still make it to the event, your and Viks Orions are the ones I'm looking forward to the most in terms of speakers.
Hi Ant.
I've got another 2 cut and ready for assembly at work, so it's not all bad. If I really have to I'll take my screen out and bring the 2 from my front room. I'd rather not do that though.
I'll get some mdf ordered at work next week.
Am also going to look into dehumidifiers / heaters for my garage so this doesn't happen again.
Cheers,
Rob.
I've got another 2 cut and ready for assembly at work, so it's not all bad. If I really have to I'll take my screen out and bring the 2 from my front room. I'd rather not do that though.
I'll get some mdf ordered at work next week.
Am also going to look into dehumidifiers / heaters for my garage so this doesn't happen again.
Cheers,
Rob.
The bad news is, the better the MDF quality, the better the chance of mold developing.
Older / worse quality (read -dodgy import-) uses a formaldehyde based adhesive, and while not exactly healthy to work with (or have in the house at all for that matter), its immune to just about any fungal infection.
It constantly amazes me that poeple will spend an extra 900% on crossover components, but won't shell out an extra 50% for waterproof, kitchen quality MDF, or bother to treat MDF after cutting.
Look around for Medex (ok-ish, but some fiasco's have been reported) or Exitra (exterior grade) brand MDF next time you shop.
Also, get your local wood guru to help you select a decent sealer to apply after cutting the boards to size.
Remember, MDF needs to be taken care of, no different to normal timber.
IF the cabinets are guaranteed to get wet at some point, and the construction aspects (and cost - SERIOUSLY) are not a factor, you can always go for marine ply.... (Did I mention the cost ??? )
The Sproggg
Older / worse quality (read -dodgy import-) uses a formaldehyde based adhesive, and while not exactly healthy to work with (or have in the house at all for that matter), its immune to just about any fungal infection.
It constantly amazes me that poeple will spend an extra 900% on crossover components, but won't shell out an extra 50% for waterproof, kitchen quality MDF, or bother to treat MDF after cutting.
Look around for Medex (ok-ish, but some fiasco's have been reported) or Exitra (exterior grade) brand MDF next time you shop.
Also, get your local wood guru to help you select a decent sealer to apply after cutting the boards to size.
Remember, MDF needs to be taken care of, no different to normal timber.
IF the cabinets are guaranteed to get wet at some point, and the construction aspects (and cost - SERIOUSLY) are not a factor, you can always go for marine ply.... (Did I mention the cost ??? )
The Sproggg
If the MDF is still in good shape (like mentioned before - swelling, structure, etc) search the net for mold killing formulas. There are a couple. I think bleach and water works well. If you are painting your cabinets, you may want to prime them with a heavy-duty primer, like Kil-Z (sp?) that can cover mold.
Hi
The easiest way to treat the mdf is to apply wood preserver. Check that the wood preserver treats wood worm and mold but most products cover both. It is reasonably cheap to buy. You can obtain clear preserver that does not leave any stain.
If you have trouble buying it look up Rentokil or Rustins on the internet.
Don
The easiest way to treat the mdf is to apply wood preserver. Check that the wood preserver treats wood worm and mold but most products cover both. It is reasonably cheap to buy. You can obtain clear preserver that does not leave any stain.
If you have trouble buying it look up Rentokil or Rustins on the internet.
Don
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