Mouldy Plywood

[Victorious]

Someone kindly donated some 1088 ply to "Victorious" smile.gif
6 full sheets but all with a fine covering of very dark powder-like mould.
How best to treat it before I use it?

[Buddy Sharpton]

Try vacuuming off, then wiping done with Clorox solution to kill spores, Follow up with soap and water if if seems to clean up more stain. If any is left, sanding might get it clear enough for a bright finish. With enamel paint, the Clorox bit should suffice.

[ken mcclure]

Brushing/vacuuming is important. Clean out your vacuum afterwards or it will grow mold inside. While you are doing this, wear a respirator. There are some molds that are very hazardous to your health.

Make sure the bleach solution is mild, and rinse it well. It could change the wood color significantly.

As an alternative, if you can do it outside spray it down with alcohol. Rubbing alcohol will do. All you need to do is get it wet enough to kill the mold that's growing.

Nothing you do is going to kill spores. They're pretty much impervious to anything short of a direct nuclear blast. The mold that's growing, on the other hand, is not a hardy species.

[Victorious]

Thanks for the info.
I hope to use the ply as part of the deck, in which case it will be epoxied on all sides and colour will not be an issue.
Deck is planned to be 12mm ply with traditional 18mm strait laid pitch pine deck on top.