Help! mold...

[agl]

I am renovating an old Skåne farmhouse and have had to replace parts of the oak frame with new ones during the fall. I found oak in the right dimensions but it was fresh wood. Now I see that parts of the new wood have been affected by some sort of mold-fungus. What should I do? The house has been unheated and uninsulated during the renovation but will soon be insulated and heated year-round. Will this automatically dry it out or should we treat it with some fungicide, and if so, what? Or does all the wood need to be replaced again???

Thankful for any help!

 

[matshermansson]

Mold is a nuisance.

You can try Boracol. It is effective for several years.
I don't know how it affects the wood. Check it out.

Whether the affected area will be warm or not doesn't matter. It's the humidity that is crucial. If it's humid and warm, it's paradise for mold.

The best is if it is dry, under 60% relative humidity.

Mats

 

[agl]

Thank you so much! I will check it out. We will insulate with wood fiber to ensure that it is diffusion-open. So any moisture can migrate out. But the mold is already there since it has been very humid. Will it disappear once it becomes drier?

 

[matshermansson]

It doesn't disappear unless you remove it mechanically.

But if you ensure that the living conditions for the mold disappear, it cannot live and grow.

If it is extensive and you are worried, you should replace the damaged wood.

Check with a specialist if you are unsure.

Mats

 

[Tompa01]

One more thing to consider. Oak takes a long time to dry, which means it can release moisture for a while, so don't be in too much of a hurry to enclose the wood without ventilation.

Tompa

 

[agl]

Thank you, we will consider that. However, I wonder if it's not enough that the insulation lets moisture through, or do we have to wait entirely to insulate? We will use wood fiber so we don't have to have any plastic in the walls of this old house.

 

[matshermansson]

The fiber should absorb moisture. It should work just like wood shavings on the roof.
Absorb moisture in the winter and dry in the summer.

Mats