UKC

I've just been preparing some wooden kitchen cabinet doors to be painted, most of them look fine (like this - tinyurl.com/cabmould1) but some of them have deep black mold in the grain of the wood (like this - tinyurl.com/cabmould2). Lower cupboards that were once used for storing veg but decided to get damp.

I've scrubbed the hell out of them with sugar soap but I can't get it clean and I don't want it to bleed though to the paint. I thought about sanding them down (bleurgh) and then spraying them with bleach but I'm worried if it's mold it'll still be in there...waiting.

Any suggestions? I've vaguely heard people talk about using shellac to seal stuff before painting but have never used it, would that work? Does it get sold under a different name in the likes of homebase/wickes or would I just have to order it online?

I'm using a paint that doesn't require sanding btw

Thanks

Ben

P.S. I hope restraining myself from making would/wood puns is appreciated

In reply to Sharp:
You could use knotting fluid. Any mould in the wood shouldn't be able to spread in dry wood so as long as the wood is nice and dry then treated it should be fine.

In reply to Sharp:
There's some paint called Bin that I used successfully for a similar job. I think it contains shellac. I can't recall the company that makes it, but a decent paint shop will know it. Covers anything and dries in minutes.

In reply to Hooo: Just ordered some of that, zinsser bin shellac paint. I'd rather have used something clear but it seems to tick all the boxes regarding mold resistance so will give it a shot.

In reply to Sharp:

You could use some mold killer to kill the mold and stop it growing out through the paint. Bleach only kills mold on the surface and will regrow again.

In reply to Sharp: We have just moved out of a very mouldy house. It is very easy to deal with. Bleach is the only way forward. Get a spray bottle, half fill with bleach and then top up with water. Spray onto the affected area and leave it for a few hours. The ingrained mould should have disappeared. You can also get rid of mould from silicone sealant by simply pouring neat bleach onto it and leaving for a few hours. I can also tell you that mould will grow quite happily on all manner of anti-mould products.

In reply to richyfenn:


We have used anti-mould killer. From what I can see, it is just branded bleach sold at a premium price. Mould will grow back on areas treated with bleach or anti-mould spray. It will even regrow on areas painted with anti-mould paint that have been treated with anti-mould spray!

In reply to ByEek: hmm, I might bleach it first anyway while I'm waiting fir delivery.

Sounds like quite a strong mix, is that thick or thin bleach you're using?

In reply to Sharp:
If it's dry it will not grow, even "dry rot"requires ~20% moisture. So if you dry it then seal it it will be fine.