Can I use lumber that has mold on it?

Tom Baugues

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Lafayette, Indiana
I got some left over lumber that my father had in his woodworking shop. Some of it had gotten damp and I can see some mold on it. I'm just going to use it for some framework for another project. None of it will be showing or get finish applied to it. Will the mold continue to grow? Should I scrub each piece clean? It is solid oak.
 

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Mold not good. It needs air and moisture to grow. When it dries, it floats in the air to be inhaled causing all sorts of problems. I'd scrub it clean, bleach it, and then seal it.
 
Being I'm allergic to mold, I'd probably toss/burn it, not worth getting even a sinus infection over it. Carols advice to make sure it's killed and sealed before messing with it, then still use a mask while working with it too would be my route if I had to use it.
 
Wear a mask an scrub it clean with some dawn. Or if you are worried about it use "Concrobium mold Control" https://www.homedepot.com/p/Concrobium-32-oz-Mold-Control-025326/100654126
This stuff encapsulates and kills the mold, then use the cleaner, I found it works well. If you have a steam cleaner use that, kills the mold. Many consider the bleach more dangerous to use. Remember it is the spores that make mold dangerous. Most mold exists all over, just needs the right environment to grow. Dan
 
I'm hardly an expert at such matters, but that looks to me to be mildew. If true, it's just a surface contamination and can be removed but still following the precautions mentioned above. Bleach will kill it, so using some and then planing the wood down a little might be all you need. But if you're at all concerned about it, making it firewood might be the best approach. Mildew, after all, is a form of mold.
 
another vote for mildew,, if it needs to be thinner run it threw the planer to size and the chips will be gone to the DC i have used much worse, but now days run a mask when sanding it if it looks bad or spalted wood..
 
Ok, thanks everyone for the advice. Sounds like bleach/water mix may be the solution. I’ll try that. I have some amber shellac I don’t like to use due do the color that I can use to seal the wood with as well.


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