moldy rafters on woodshed

[Creamer]

I think it has to be airflow. As the wood dries the moisture usually goes up. What you are telling us is that it is getting stuck in the corners and in the middle there more natural circulation it is not moldy. Is the back wall right up to the roof or is it down a little with an overhang that lets the air blow through along the roof? Is the wood stacked next to the back and end walls or is there room for air to get around it?

 

[Zerk]

The wood was stacked against back wall. I took it down today


Other sheds no mold. Is there really that much moisture from green wood? I would think rain would be more an issue.

I did have some in front 9 foot ceiling. Also I just started refilling this spring. Mostly dried before that. I just finished shed for drywood.



Also is it really an issue? Did we always have some black on the wood? Mold has become a crisis. But I am worried long term. I don't want to rebuild when I am 70.

 

[oosik]

Well, lets see. If you store the firewood directly on the ground, in the shed - over the long haul - you might loose the chunks that are in direct contact with the ground. For a couple years I put pallets(and NOT field pallets) in the shed to keep the wood off the ground. This worked OK but was a real PITA to get the wood to stack well. So then I removed the pallets and as I burned the wood I left the bottom chunks(those in direct contact with the ground) in the shed and just stacked the new stuff on top of the old & moldy, rotting chunks. This was the best way and made stacking a whole lot easier.

And YES - there is a whole lot of moisture in green wood. My firewood was 100% Ponderosa pine. This is by no means scientific but after drying for two years a chunk of my pine had lost 40% of its weight to water loss. I actually marked and weighed three chunks when green and again two years later.

My wood shed would hold 8 full chords - two years supply - and that represented a lot of water leaving the wood.

 

[Ford850]

Green wood will produce a slow steady release of moisture for many months, and that's what mold and mildew needs. Rain or snow comes and goes, but dries out in between.
You said this was on the rafters, and they are treated lumber? My sheds and pole barn all have various shades of black stains and mildew on the rafters. Some from the sweating that is normal through the freeze/thaw cycles in the spring. If you have normal stains or light mildew like I see on mine, I think it is normal. Some of my treated wood is the worst. Maybe you can post some pictures.

 

[Zerk]

I painted over it. I didn't clean first, so not sure if it will stick.

If it comes back will watch. A little black may not effect anything not sure.

 

[oosik]

I think that unless you use a strong disinfectant frequently just about all wood storage will have some mold. And perhaps even then, you will probably get some
mold. The mold I would get was a light sky blue color. It would streak thru the chunks of firewood and sometime on the rafters. I never worried about it because I never saw it anywhere else.

 

[Oldpath05]

Never heard of mold on a woodshed being a problem, what'd people do hundred years ago?

 

[Zerk]

Never heard of mold on a woodshed being a problem, what'd people do hundred years ago?

I agree it might not be a problem. But in general I hate the reply what did they do before. No treated lumber. Maybe they rebuilt more often.

Not to mention they used to die, after being with a sporting women, before the shot.

 

[Oldpath05]

I agree it might not be a problem. But in general I hate the reply what did they do before. No treated lumber. Maybe they rebuilt more often.

Not to mention they used to die, after being with a sporting women, before the shot.

I didn't quite phrase that right the first time, do over> I never heard of mold growing on a out side woodshed, must be a serious air flow problem or lack of sun problem. The fix is easy> cut down the surrounding trees and or take the 12 gauge and shoot a bunch of holes in the walls, I prefer the 12 gauge.

Sporting women wouldn't of shorten my life a hounded+years ago, it would be the hard work of filling up the wood shed, ax and buck saw would of done me in, then what, got to take care of the horses, milk the cows, slop the hogs......probably a lot more, I'll stay welding for a dollar.

 

[Zerk]

I don't think the mold was on the outside, maybe one of the rafters in the shade. Mostly it was in the shade, under the roof.

My thought was the trees would help keep snow and rain out.

The front faces south with no trees in front of it, but still black in shade. Maybe nothing. Wood has not even been stacked that high yet. I emptied it last fall.