The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Making a Stovebolt Bed Mildew on bed wood

I recently found some real mildew on the underside of my bed wood on the '53 bolt. There also appears to be some on the top as well. So, I am ready to put in new boards, but what the heck caused the mildew and how can I prevent it in the future? I will be putting 2 coats of urethane on the boards after staining them.

Storing them in a damp dark location and exposing them to spores causes mildew.
Keep them in a dry location exposed to the light of the day in the future.
Just as simple as that.

dg

Mold needs 3 things to grow..

1. moisture
2. pourous surface to grow on
3. lack of light

Since wood is a great thing to grow mold, the best thing you can do is try to keep in dry.

Having a good coat of urethane or other sealant is our best barrier of protection. I had mildew on my bedwood when I did my engine swap. I just resanded and started over.

Don't put "plain" urethane on them or it will crack and then turn black. Be sure its "spar" urethane like Helmsman Spare urethane.....or check out Mar-K's site on their test of different finishes.... .and I'd do 3 or 4 coats and be sure to soak the ends overnight standing in a pan of the finish. Hope this helps get you what your looking for.

Best formula to remove mold is to spray it with plain old household bleach. If you keep it outside under a tree sitting in a pile of wet leaves you'll get a lot of mold.