Mouildy garden furniture
 

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

Trevor

East Yorkshire

"Trevor Appleton" wrote in message
...
Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches
of rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old)
oak table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

Trevor

East Yorkshire




that's why I went for a Black aluminium set.

also I thought Oak weathered and turned a light grey.

You sure it's Oak.

"Trevor Appleton" wrote in message
...
Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

Trevor
East Yorkshire

I've no idea why I wanted to say vinegar to you, but it was the first thing that
popped into my head !!

Went of googling and came up with the following:
http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/home/164
http://frugalliving.about.com/cs/tips/a/vinclean_2.htm

HTH Jenny

Trevor Appleton wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Are they under trees or something?

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it
b) Keep it away

Something is wrong. There is no way sooty mould can colonise oak unless
there is sugary sap being dripped or sprayed onto it. Even mine that get
liberally coated in bat droppings show no signs of mould at all after
two years in a similar north yorks environment (but slightly damper).

Eventually wood goes silver grey through UV damage and lichens start to
colonise it but you should not have sooty mould.

Regards,
Martin Brown

"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
Trevor Appleton wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16
inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Neat bleach works. Wear old clothes, keep pets and people away, and paint
every inch
with neat bleach. You may have to apply more than one coat. Best not to
apply in direct
sunlight as it dries the bleach out too quicky.

Andy.

On Sun, 7 Aug 2005 18:23:08 +0100, "Trevor Appleton"
wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

I'm wondering whether the problem might be down to a finish applied
to the Oak during manufacture of the furniture. Linseed oil is
typically used to treat such items, and it's about the worst finish
for wood that's exposed to the elements - the formation of a black
mould being pretty typical.

You can use a homemade wood cleaner/restorer, based on a recipe I use
in the workshop for professionally reconditioning wood, though if the
furniture has been varnished you might find you need to sandpaper it
first. Try it on an unobtrusive spot first and see how you get along.

4 parts groundnut ( or peanut ) oil
4 parts white malt vinegar
4 parts turps
1 parts methylated spirit

Nb: A Grolsch bottle makes an ideal container for this mixture!

A few drops of strong ammonia will help the 'cut' of the mix - but
household bleach will do. Feel free to add a few drops of essential
oils if you want to make the process a little more 'aromatic'
Bergamot oil is excellent, and Vetivert will impart a pleasant
'wood-smoke' scent to the mix.

Shake well, and apply as needed with plenty of elbow grease. For heavy
grime, use fine wire wool ( triple '0' gauge wool should be about
right for garden furniture ).
This mix works very well for indoor furniture too, though I would
recommend quadruple '0' gauge wire wool for application.

As regards prevention, you have two choices. An oil finish or a wax
finish.
Oil finishes seldom give satisfactory results on exterior wood (
unless you're scrupulous in the preparation of the surface...and who's
that scrupulous when it comes to garden furniture? ), and a drying oil
finish on Oak will cause it to darken over time...thus negating that
lovely 'silver' finish that Oak gives with age ( this is why mediaeval
oak furniture is nearly always black ).
Also, because of the relatively large pores in Oak you might find that
a drying oil finish - such as Tung oil etc. - leaves a 'bobbly'
surface, as oil leaches out of the pores and hardens in the sunlight.
Non drying oils give a better finish, but will need re-applying at
least annually - and this should be done in hot weather. Apply
sparingly and wipe of any excess for a couple of days afterwards.

Beeswax has long been known for its protective qualities, and a stiff
beeswax polish will work very well with Oak - though you might well
find that an annual clean with the above mixture will suffice.
You might find stiff beeswax polish hard to come by, in which case you
can knock it up yourself by dissolving beeswax in turps. Grating the
wax first will speed up the process. The mix ratio is down to trial
and error - try a few spoonfuls of grated wax to one spoonful of turps
and see how it goes. Add more turps as required to thin, or leave the
mix in the sun to thicken.
Apply the wax ( choose a hot day, when the wood is warm ) with fine
gauge wire wool to ensure it gets right into the grain, then cut the
excess off with clean wire wool before buffing to a finish with a
coarse cloth. It's pretty tough work - which is why most people slap
on a bottle of Tung or Danish oil and hope for the best.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

In article ,
"Spider" writes:
|
| Is your oak furniture parked under an overhanging bush or tree that is
| blighted with aphids? The aphids secrete honeydew which, after deposition,
| is colonised by Sooty Mould. If this is the case, it may be better to move
| the furniture away from the over-growth, otherwise the mould will
| persist/return whatever you use to eradicate it. Since it is a mould, try
| using a proprietory garden mould cleaner; then scrub with soapy water.

Why not save money and skip the mould cleaner? Washing up liquid
and soap are cheaper, less toxic and equally good. Using a bit
of sand on the scrubbing brush helps with obstinate mould.

Otherwise, I agree.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from "andrewpreece" contains these words:
"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
Trevor Appleton wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16
inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Neat bleach works. Wear old clothes, keep pets and people away, and paint
every inch
with neat bleach. You may have to apply more than one coat. Best not to
apply in direct
sunlight as it dries the bleach out too quicky.

Only use the plain hypochlorite ones - some of them have added caustic soda.

I'd suggest copper sulphate solution.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

4 parts groundnut ( or peanut ) oil
4 parts white malt vinegar
4 parts turps
1 parts methylated spirit

Nb: A Grolsch bottle makes an ideal container for this mixture!

But it must have the label removed. I have a feeling that if it has
braille marks on the glass it's illegal to use it for anything else at
all.

--
Rusty
Emus to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "andrewpreece" contains these words:


"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
Trevor Appleton wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16
inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Neat bleach works. Wear old clothes, keep pets and people away, and paint
every inch
with neat bleach. You may have to apply more than one coat. Best not to
apply in direct
sunlight as it dries the bleach out too quicky.

Just remember not to sit on it in good clothes afterwards.

Janet

The message
from "Trevor Appleton" contains
these words:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16
inches of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

If someone misguidedly treated it with oil, it can make black mould
grow. Or, could it be sited under a tree that's gently raining aphid
sugar/shit on it? That also goes black and sticky.

Scrub with soapy water and a scrubbing brush, rinse with hose, dry in
sun. Don't apply oil or varnish.

Janet.

"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 7 Aug 2005 18:23:08 +0100, "Trevor Appleton"
wrote:

Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches
of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

I'm wondering whether the problem might be down to a finish applied
to the Oak during manufacture of the furniture. Linseed oil is
typically used to treat such items, and it's about the worst finish
for wood that's exposed to the elements - the formation of a black
mould being pretty typical.

You can use a homemade wood cleaner/restorer, based on a recipe I use
in the workshop for professionally reconditioning wood, though if the
furniture has been varnished you might find you need to sandpaper it
first. Try it on an unobtrusive spot first and see how you get along.

4 parts groundnut ( or peanut ) oil
4 parts white malt vinegar
4 parts turps
1 parts methylated spirit

Nb: A Grolsch bottle makes an ideal container for this mixture!

A few drops of strong ammonia will help the 'cut' of the mix - but
household bleach will do. Feel free to add a few drops of essential
oils if you want to make the process a little more 'aromatic'
Bergamot oil is excellent, and Vetivert will impart a pleasant
'wood-smoke' scent to the mix.

Shake well, and apply as needed with plenty of elbow grease. For heavy
grime, use fine wire wool ( triple '0' gauge wool should be about
right for garden furniture ).
This mix works very well for indoor furniture too, though I would
recommend quadruple '0' gauge wire wool for application.

As regards prevention, you have two choices. An oil finish or a wax
finish.
Oil finishes seldom give satisfactory results on exterior wood (
unless you're scrupulous in the preparation of the surface...and who's
that scrupulous when it comes to garden furniture? ), and a drying oil
finish on Oak will cause it to darken over time...thus negating that
lovely 'silver' finish that Oak gives with age ( this is why mediaeval
oak furniture is nearly always black ).
Also, because of the relatively large pores in Oak you might find that
a drying oil finish - such as Tung oil etc. - leaves a 'bobbly'
surface, as oil leaches out of the pores and hardens in the sunlight.
Non drying oils give a better finish, but will need re-applying at
least annually - and this should be done in hot weather. Apply
sparingly and wipe of any excess for a couple of days afterwards.

Beeswax has long been known for its protective qualities, and a stiff
beeswax polish will work very well with Oak - though you might well
find that an annual clean with the above mixture will suffice.
You might find stiff beeswax polish hard to come by, in which case you
can knock it up yourself by dissolving beeswax in turps. Grating the
wax first will speed up the process. The mix ratio is down to trial
and error - try a few spoonfuls of grated wax to one spoonful of turps
and see how it goes. Add more turps as required to thin, or leave the
mix in the sun to thicken.
Apply the wax ( choose a hot day, when the wood is warm ) with fine
gauge wire wool to ensure it gets right into the grain, then cut the
excess off with clean wire wool before buffing to a finish with a
coarse cloth. It's pretty tough work - which is why most people slap
on a bottle of Tung or Danish oil and hope for the best.

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk


Many thanks for the very detailed reply.

Nb: A Grolsch bottle makes an ideal container for this mixture!




Whats 'A Grolsch bottle '?

"Spider" wrote in message
...

Trevor Appleton wrote in message
...
Here we are in one of the driest parts of the country with only 16 inches
of
rain in the 50 weeks up to two weeks ago, and our new ( 2 month old) oak
table and chairs are black with mould.

Any suggestions how to :

a) Get rid of it

b) Keep it away

Trevor

East Yorkshire



Hi Trevor,

Is your oak furniture parked under an overhanging bush or tree that is
blighted with aphids? The aphids secrete honeydew which, after
deposition,
is colonised by Sooty Mould. If this is the case, it may be better to
move
the furniture away from the over-growth, otherwise the mould will
persist/return whatever you use to eradicate it. Since it is a mould, try
using a proprietory garden mould cleaner; then scrub with soapy water.

Hope this helps.
Spider



No definitely no tree or vegetation. Full sun 1300-1600.

Thanks to all for advice ...will give it a go when I get back from the
Norwegian Mountains!!