mold prevention in sugarhouse

[gatzow]

I am curious if anyone does any type of mold protection for the walls/ceilings within the sugarhouse. There is so much moisture from evaporation that my ceiling and walls constantly have some type of moisture when cooking. I was out installing my new evaporator and noticed some mold on the wood beams and plywood walls. anyone have tips as to how to protect the house from the moisture and potential for mold to form?

My sugarhouse is really just a 12x14 garden shed. 2x4 construction with plywood walls. Pretty simple design to keep me out of the weather when cooking.

Thanks for thoughts.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Mold spors are a reality of the process. Every year when I open my shack from being locked up tight for 10 months of the year there ore some. Ventilation is a good way to keep it in check. Painting surfaces with a good paint will make cleaning easier. Once I get the doors open, the lights on, fresh air circulating and surfaces cleaned it subsides. The right bleach solution has always worked well for me when I'm doing general cleaning. My porous cement floor is the biggest cleaning job before inspection and that takes power washing followed by strong bleaching and constant cleaning. I use a lot of water so the floor is always wet during full operation.

Sanitizing is secondary to kill germs once your up and running.

[SeanD]

I've had very good results using vinegar for prevention. I fill a garden pump sprayer and climb a ladder up to the wall ties and spray every surface. The pressure from the sprayer makes it easy to hit every nook and cranny. I soak everything and I can see the wood absorbing it. I don't skimp. I really soak everything until it's dripping.

You should protect your eyes and wear cruddy clothes while you do it. The sugar house is going to smell like a pickle house for about a week, but it's worth it. It stops any mold growth in its tracks and makes the wood acidic enough that it slows/prevents new growth the following season. I have some stains from the first years when mold first showed up on the underside of the plywood roof. Since I started spraying down everything after that, all the old stains are grey and the other areas are mold free.

I've also gotten an RO and there's a lot less steam, which helps, too. The next thing for me will be to get a hood.

[antler creek]

what kind of vinegar and do you cut it with water or use it straight. thanks

[SeanD]

Just straight vinegar. The big 1.5 gallon jugs at BJ's are super economical.

[gatzow]

Thanks. I will try it out!