FAQs on the proper way to clean up mold-contaminated wood or wood surfaces, set #2.

This article series offers advice on cleaning mold found on surfaces of un-finished wooden building materials such as framing lumber (rafters, floor joists, wall studs), and building roof, wall, and floor sheathing such as plywood, tongue-and groove pine boards, and other structural wood surfaces in buildings.

How to remove mold from wood framing, plywood sheathing, tongue and groove subfloor or roof decking

These questions & answers about the proper procedures & methods to clean moldy wood surfaces in, on or around buildings were posted originally at MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD - be sure to review the advice given there.

The object in cleaning mold from a wood surface is to remove all fungal material from the surface of the wood: fungal spores, hyphae, and conidiophores (the spore producing structures of mold). It is not necessary to remove all stains from wood.

[Click to enlarge any image]

On 2018-11-30 by (mod) - green mold on wood framing

Never the less you need to remove the mold and fix the cause of its growth. About doctor's you need to be guided by your primary care physician.

The mold we see looks like a very small area and problem but you need a more thorough inspection.

Mold exposure is not likely to directly cause diabetes. At least that's not a correlation I've seen in the mold-related illness guides and texts we have at hand.

On 2018-11-30 by Susan E. White

If you have Penicillium/Aspergillus in your basement & Cladosporium upstairs, the penicillum/asp become a vapor.

It was blowing through the heater vents into son's room & gave bothh f us bhorrible migraines & sudden onset Diabetes, plus my brain carotid artery, despite statin use jumped from 50% in 2017 to 69% on my r. dominant side one year later.

I have a child with autism I am still raising, I'm dissappearing & I cannot afford all of the super expensive mold removal doctors as I am now on Disability from work due to this problem.

[Photo shown above]

On 2018-10-11 by (mod) - stains left by mold remediation company

It may not be cost-feasible to completely remove stains left after mold "treatment"

It is also possible that the treatment was incomplete - you'd need to sample the suspect surfaces to have a better idea of the answer to that speculation

Spray and pay are not necessarily an effective mold remediation approach; for example what about moldy insulation? Or mold hidden in cavities, or mold that was not located and removed?

You could paint the stained area with a fungicidal sealant too though that itself is a telltale that there was a mold problem.

Best is to fully-disclose what happened, what was done, and what documentation assures that there is no remaining problem.

A buyer who is scared of a home where mold was found and removed is at risk of buying a moldier home where the mold problem hasn't been recognized.

On 2018-10-11 1 by donna

Had mold removed via "proprietary enzyme" by a company. The mold was widespread on strand-type plywood. There are stains from the mold left behind. What is a good way to remove the staining?

I am concerned for re-sale that it still looks like an active issue. Is there a product or method for removing the residue/staining? It is in an attic space (full height ceiling)
Thanks!!!!

On 2018-08-17 by (mod) - Clean the surface thoroughly with any household cleaner.

Clean the surface thoroughly with any household cleaner. You can use a spray bleach cleaner if you like but any cleaner even Windex is fine. The surface is Thoroughly dry painted with a bunch of Sidle sealant or spray or even with a lacquer primer sealer.

That will reduce the probability of moisture inviting future mold growth.

If there was leakage into the floor structure and Below you may have a concern underneath that area. For example a wet basement ceiling or wet sound insulation or heat loss insulation in a basement or crawl space ceilibg.

On 2018-08-17 by Barb

We just found black mold on the plywood when we removed our old dishwasher..we knew it had been leaking.

We want to get rid of as much as we can before installing the new one. Since it's such a tight area, how would you recommend dealing with this?

On 2018-06-26 by (mod) - pink mold? on OSB Subflooring

Any household cleaner is fine what's important is to find and fix the cause of the mold growth that is moisture or leaks.

Look for hidden rot or insect damge as well.

On 2018-06-26 by Marty

I am building a house and found what i think to be pink mold. What is the best way to clean this?

It is all over my flooring in the upstairs of the home due to the tar paper blowing off the house during a bad storm.

My home builder just wants to scrub and spray it away. Is that good enough? Thanks for any help!

On 2018-06-21 22:46:52.404583 by (mod) -

Any household cleaner.

On 2018-06-21 22:24:57.870014 by Serena

My furnace leaked and we did not catch it in time which resulted in a black "mold" spot on the plywood floor. How can this be removed?

On 2018-04-13 16:33:43.502000 by (mod) -

Try a deck cleaner.

Be sure to let everything dry thoroughly before insulating and closing in walls and ceilings.

On 2018-04-13 14:38:06.214758 by Kelly

I've read your site. Thanks so much for all of the information! We are in the process of framing our house and it took a long time. It is in Florida and now a good bit of the sheathing and framing has mold. I think you are recommending to just power wash the boards? Is so, should we add some kind of detergent? If so...what kind of detergent and should we also add bleach? Thanks so much for any help you could offer.

On 2018-02-18 03:06:49.972146 by (mod) -

Moisture and raw exposed wood are mold friendly.

Try power washing with deck cleaner, let dry COMPLELY, followed by a lacquer primer sealer and a mold-resistant paint.

On 2018-02-15 08:58:56.081278 by Ian

I have an open on 3 sides conservative type extension on my house. The roof is timber rafters set to approx 20 degree, covered with exterior grade plywood and felt roof shingles. Black Mould is now growing on the underside of the plywood. What causes this and what is the cure and what is the best way to clean it.

On 2017-07-25 14:35:00.638682 by (mod) -

Thank you for pointing out my error and omission, Karen. I will fix the article above.

Meanwhile please take a look at MOLD CLEANUP, BLEACH - https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Bleach_Mold_Contamination.php where the concerns with relying on bleach or any other "mold killing" approach are explained.

Let me know what you think of that article and let me know what questions remain and I'll be glad to pursue those further.

Daniel

On 2017-07-25 12:04:43.011004 by Karen Vargas

the article said see our warnings about using bleach but I couldn't find the info

On 2017-07-25 by (mod) adding link to warnings about relying on bleach for mold remediation

Thank you for pointing out my error and omission, Karen. I will fix the article above.

Meanwhile please take a look at MOLD CLEANUP, BLEACH - https://inspectapedia.com/mold/Bleach_Mold_Contamination.php where the concerns with relying on bleach or any other "mold killing" approach are explained.

Let me know what you think of that article and let me know what questions remain and I'll be glad to pursue those further.

On 2017-07-25 by Karen Vargas

the article said see our warnings about using bleach but I couldn't find the info

On 2017-03-27 by (mod) Photos show extensive mold on numerous surfaces including drywall that will have to be remove

Photos show extensive mold on numerous surfaces including drywall that will have to be removed - such moldy soft- or paper-based materials can not be cleaned.

On 2017-03-27 by Ash Sinclair

Thank you very much for such a speedy and informative response Mr F. I've sent you and email with a number of photos of the wendy house. Its dry in there now. Look forward to hearing your verdict on whether this is a dangerous mould.
Regards, Ash

On 2017-03-26 by (mod) - danger of black spots in child's Wendy house

Ash:

First I'd want to know that the problem is mold vs. something else, since cleaning requirements may be different for not-mould.

You're welcome to use the page top or bottom CONTACT link to send us photos for comment.

I would NOT sand the surfaces in most cases as that's a huge amount of work and makes a dusty mouldy mess, though that can be appropriate for some wood surfaces.

Use the search box just above to
Search InspectApedia for HOW TO CLEAN UP MOLD
and also search for

FUNGICIDAL SEALANT USE GUIDE to read about the sealant you're asking about. Basically, clean moldy surfaces, when dry, depending on the area and use and material, it can make sense to spray with a sealant - that isolates a few remaing spores and more important seals the wood against future moisture uptake - thus reducing the attractive of those surfaces to mold growth.

Be SURE you find and fix the causes of high indoor moisture or leaks.

On 2017-03-26 by Ash Sinclair

We've just opened up our childs wendy house after it being closed all winter and it is covered internally with black spots - black spot mould? Any idea how to make it safe / clean for the kids to play in. Ideally we hoped to paint it this spring in internal white emulsion.

Any tips on how we get rid of any danger from the mould and how we can prep the wood surface (its semi rough) for painting? My dad suggested sanding it but I think from your blurb above that would risk spreading the mould and I also worry about toxicity for dad and kids. Thanks in advance for your advice.

On 2016-09-21 by (mod) If the area stays dry it won't invite mold growth.

Den:

Not much, no. If the area stays dry it won't invite mold growth. If the mold reservoir itself was cleaned off - removed, then that's enough.

On 2016-09-20 by Den

A leak in a pipe joint beneath my stairs went unnoticed for some months. The drywall and insulation were soaked, have been discarded.

Mold was mostly on the outer surface though some specks were seen inside, on the brick wall behind. The light framing onto which the drywall was nailed seems sturdy and had been washed with bleach. I think I am good to go, re-insulating and re-installing drywall.

Pipe joint is fixed. Should I be concerned about mold growing back inside the wall?

On 2016-05-02 by Anonymous

I have an outdoor storage shed with mold inside on all the walls, door, ceiling. I plan to use my pressure washer to clean it then let it dry out for a few days then put it up for sale as I am selling my property and the new owner does not want the shed. What do I need to know and what type of safety wear do you recommend? thanks in advance

On 2016-01-27 by Sammi

HI, i have thin laminate flooring down over the wooden boards in my bathroom. Last week i noticed the toilet has been leaking slightly, so i put a towel under it and called my landlord.

Its a week down the line and noone has turned up to fix the toilet, so its still leaking and drenching the towels i put down. Today i lifted the laminate up and was so shocked to discover most of the wooden flooring has turned a milky white/blue and some of it has turned fully black. I wish i could post a picture its really awful. I presume this is from moisture trapped between the laminate and the wooden floor from the leaking toilet.... Any advice on the CHEAPEST and QUICKEST way to fix this would really be appreciated , thanks guys :) x

...

Continue reading at MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FRAMING & PLYWOOD, topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Mold Cleanup Articles

• MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FLOORING
• BLACK COSMETIC MOLD - not all black mold is harmful
• FUNGICIDAL SEALANT USE GUIDE - sprays and sealants used after proper cleaning reduce further risks
• MOLD CLEANUP, BLEACH - not an adequate mold remediation approach
• MOLD CLEANUP - WOOD FLOORING - how to remove mold from wood flooring surfaces
• MOLD REMOVAL, MEDIA BLASTING - good approach for irregular or hard-to-clean surfaces
• SIDING, WOOD CLEANERS, STAINS, PAINTS how to remove stains on siding & how to choose the proper paint or stain coating

Suggested citation for this web page

MOLD CLEANUP of WOOD, FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to MOLD CONTAMINATION & REMEDIATION

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---