Fungi on my floor. What to do?

[[1ponders]]

Even though my chipboard flooring in the observatory is covered from the weather, the constant rain and cloud has caused fungi to sprout in patches over the floor. Nice colours but not really appropriate in an observatory.

At this stage I'm not sure if I'll seal the floor yet, but are there any simple suggestions for getting rid of it. I don't want to spend $$$ on tins of this preparation followed by that preparation followed by this sealer, and to just be on the safe side you'd better use this as well (my local Mitre 10 paint specialist :rolleyes: ). I just want to know that if I decide to seal the floor, its dead and not going to cause problems.

Thanks

[renormalised]

Eco-observatory...hey Paul:):P

The problem is you not only have to get rid of the fruiting bodies, but also the hyphae, which if they remain, you'll have to use the dear stuff to kill them and seal the floor.

Personally, I would've never used chipboard in the first place....it'd cruddy stuff at the best of times and once moisture gets into it, that spells permanent trouble.

Many fungi hate alkaline environments, so you may be able to get rid of them with slaked lime. But that could ruin the chipboard.

You could try something like "Exit Mold" and see if that works or maybe something with borax in it...mushies and such don't like borax.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks Carl.

Yeah I was wondering how I was going to penetrate to kill the hyphae. I was thinking of a wash with something like a bleach (sodium hypochorlite) and let it soak in for a while. Its pretty alkaline.

[h0ughy]

neat bleach - works inside and outside underneath the observatory. you will have to paint it on - i used a squeege mop and paint tray to get rid of the mould we had in the house on the southern side. Very fumy work Paul

[leon]

Not good, there are diferent types of Chip Board, as you probably know the weather proof stuff is better of coarse, and can get wet with no ill effects.

However the other untreated stuff, is not moist resistant and will swell and rot away in time, at the slightest hint of moisture.

I don't think sealing it at this point is going to be much help either.

Just my 2/cents worth.

Leon

[[1ponders]]

Its the proper sealed flooring chipboard so it hasn't swollen at all, except a small lift at the edges of the stairwell. Nothing serious.

That's why we have a roll off roof Dave. For when we have to do those stinky jobs. :D Bleach it is then

[sheeny]

Having worked in a factory making particleboard flooring, there are two grades: General Purpose and Wet Area. I'm guessing you used the general purpose grade? The Wet Area Grade is treated with fungicide, so if you have used that you may have grounds for recourse from the manufacturer.

We used to always recommend Wet Area Flooring for Queensland regardless of where it was used due to the high absolute humidity and temperatures.

I don't know how to treat it now its there, so I'm probably not much help, but if you bought wet area flooring I'd be going back the manufacturer.

Al.

[jjjnettie]

Feast-Watson make a paint on fungicide you could look into. I'm pretty sure it's spirit based, so it'll dry quick if you're going to seal it afterwards.
Actually now i think about it, all their stains incorporate the fungicide. So if you're going to stain you won't need to pre treat.

[space oddity]

The fungus ,if left, will greatly increase the chance of getting the fungi in your expensive optics. I would have thought pouring bleach on to chip board would be asking for floor destruction. Residual bleach could not be removed easily and when dry could flake off and be a problem for the optics.Bleach tainted chipboard would probably be unlikely to hold on a sealer.
If the chipboard was sold to you as moisture resistant, they need a kick in the a.... If the chipboard was regular stuff, you need to kick yourself and remove the whole floor(take the optics out so the airborne fungi do not settle in ) and wear a mask-there will be a lot of airborne fungi-that amount of fungi could be a major danger to the lungs.
If you can get one, an industrial ozone generator will help with major fungus killing. Rubber will perish, so you will need to protect those cables. Best for the floor to be reasonably dry first. Sounds like you need a dehumidifying system to prevent the problem happening again. The sort of ozone generator you need would have to pump out at least 2 grams of O3 per hour. I have such a machine, but it needs to have an electrode clean if I ever get the chance to do so. The sort of machine you need is typically used to disinfect rooms- eg if a hospital room has had someone with TB, vomit smell, someone has died and body left there too long....etc. I can tell you, ozone does quite a number on fungi. I have defungused a couple on leather jackets in my time(overdid a suede one- dissolved some of it.)
If you are down in Sydney, and are reasonably adept in electronics(to open machine and clean electrodes) and can return the machine after a few months, you are welcome to borrow it. It is moderately heavy- about 10kg with transformer. I have seen ozone generators on ebay new for around $280 plus postage which might be just suitable for your needs (would need extra time though.)

[[1ponders]]

Thanks for the offer, but I don't think I'll need to go that far just yet.

The flooring is the weather resistant type, of that I'm sure. I don't think the problem is deep. It appears to only be surface or just below. The floor has never been wet or even damp since the roof went on, it appears to be from just the humidity in the air from the cloud and rain we've had for the past 6 months. It has great ventilation.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=30065&page=4

[allan gould]

Rip out the chipboard and replace with the rubberised camping sheets which interlock. No problems then - except under the chair for the laptop Ive put down a small square of ply to stop the chair legs from marking it.

[[1ponders]]

Can't do that Allan. Its not on a slab but on posts and joists, so the floors gotta stay.

[multiweb]

Vinegar?

[[1ponders]]

I'm starting to think along old fashion remedies Marc. I'm currently thinking of just washing the floor with a water and bicarb mix and then neutralizing it the next day with a vinegar and water mix, then a wash down and dry.

[multiweb]

Well it's bang for the buck and works with porous ceramic tiles on flooring and I don't think it would damage wood fibre. You just wanna kill the thing then seal it right?

[acropolite]

Paul, from what I understand fungii spores are omnipresent, what causes them to grow is moisture and warmth, IMO, treating the fungii without reducing the moisture levels will be a waste of time. If it's growing on the floor then chances are it's taking hold elsewhere.

Tin sheds are notoriuos for moisture buildup, I'd be installing a small reverse cycle AC and running it during moist periods to dehumidify the air. If that doesn't appeal then some form of dehumidifier to reduce the moisture content.
Remember the C14 at Mapleton....

As a last resort, you could always move to a drier climate, Tasmania perhaps...:poke:

[[1ponders]]

Yes spores are everywhere. Check your optics :lol:

At this stage there are two long small openings where the roll off roof meet the top of the observatory. These are yet to be filled in, so aircon is not an option and I really don't want to go that far. Doing a bit more research and it appears that the mould is only surface mould and it doesn't penetrate much beyond the surface/air boundary. A simple surface treatment should do the job. So that's where I'll start for the time being and take if from there.

:thumbsup:

[sheeny]

I don't want to make things more difficult for you Paul, but have you checked underneath the floor as well? If you have a fungi problem inside (on top of the floor) then its very likely you have one underneath too.

If you do have a fungi problem underneath, I suggest you kill it and seal that as well otherwise it will come though eventually.:(

Al.

[[1ponders]]

bottom is pristine Al. No sign of fungus. there is good clearance from the ground over the whole area.

[h0ughy]

well i am really glad your bottom is free form fungus :rofl: it would be indeed a task to scrape it off and apply antifungal topical treatment:P;)

[renormalised]

I'd recommend Canestan Cream:):P

[allan gould]

Sorry Paul, I didnt realise that it was your actual floor. Thought it was an overlay of chip board.
I would seal it with a bathroom paint that has a fungicide in it. Initially I would spray with bleach, let it dry maybe with some assistance with airflow/heating and then apply the paint with fungicide in it.

[jjjnettie]

:scared2:

there's a penguin knocking on my door as I write

[sheeny]

That's good news. It would suggest your underfloor space is either cooler and/or drier than inside. Might be worth thinking about changing ventilation or perhaps double skinning the roof to drop the temperature?:shrug: With any luck you'll be able to treat the fungi and seal the floor and that'll be that, but if you get recurring fungi problems, it might be worth a thought.:)

Al.