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Old 12-24-2020, 12:11 AM   #1
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Mold on Particle Board - Treatment?

Hi guys!

The particle board floor under my washer/dryer got wet from a leaking water pump. There was standing water on it

Some of it is back with what I would guess is mold. Assuming, once it dries out, it's still solid enough, what would be a good thing to treat it with?
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Old 12-24-2020, 12:38 AM   #2
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A good cleaning with TSP, then prime and paint would be my route if it's only some surface mould and is still solid.
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Old 12-24-2020, 08:43 AM   #3
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Particle board is miserable stuff to work with once it gets wet (saturated). I hope it isn't damaged to the point of needing replacement. Then you're into removing cabinets and who knows what.

After you get it dried out and mold issue resolved, why not take some sheet metal and make a pan under the washer to contain any future leak?
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Old 12-24-2020, 11:52 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by windsorbill View Post
Particle board is miserable stuff to work with once it gets wet (saturated). I hope it isn't damaged to the point of needing replacement. Then you're into removing cabinets and who knows what.

After you get it dried out and mold issue resolved, why not take some sheet metal and make a pan under the washer to contain any future leak?
The minute I read the post, I had the same idea as above. Dry and treat the particle board as best you can, then reinforce with a pan. Maybe have a sheet metal shop make the pan with raised sides and welded or crimped corners. Make a template out of cardboard to make sure the pan can be installed as one piece.
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Old 12-24-2020, 12:07 PM   #5
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If the board is still good, and that's a big if I would spray it down lightly with a solution of about a quart of water and a cap full of bleach. Then I would paint it with some spray paint of whatever color you choose. Several heavy coats to ensure it is now water proof. If the board is starting to come apart but is not too bad yet you can coat it with fiberglass (polyester) resin thinned with acetone to help firm things up. You can also do this just to be on the safe side even if the board is holding up. I would then go the route have someone bend up a pan like has been suggested in previous comments. A local furnace man that has a box break should be able to do this in an hour or less. Good luck
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Old 12-24-2020, 01:10 PM   #6
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Is it particle board or OSB? Once particle board gets saturated it pretty much shot.
OSB can be treated with bleach and water or several off the shelf products such as X-14. I agree with installing a drip pan.
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Old 12-24-2020, 02:06 PM   #7
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It's this stuff. It looks like a bunch of pieces of junk that was lying around that were smershed into a 'board'
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Old 12-24-2020, 02:13 PM   #8
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That is OSB

Poke it with an ice pick or screw driver to se if is still solid. If so a bleach solution will kill the mold.

Let dry thoroughly.
Coat with Kilz. https://www.kilz.com/primer/kilz-mol...kaAk3pEALw_wcB

The drip pan is a very good Idea.
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Old 12-24-2020, 02:15 PM   #9
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Fortunately that's OSB, much more forgiving being wet than particle board. Dry it out and treat with bleach and water, I think you'll be ok. Then make a pan or fiberglass it in with a drain of some sort.
Hey, you needed another project, right?
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Old 12-24-2020, 02:34 PM   #10
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Yes, OSB. However, I just read a post (an old one, I believe) that said WRV used a product that had a different resin/glue than typical OSB for home construction that was more impervious to water penetration. Though your coach may not be an Alpine, this product was used by other RV manufacturers as well. I certainly cannot tell if what you have is this other type, but it definitely is not "particle board."
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Old 12-24-2020, 03:00 PM   #11
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Hey, you needed another project, right?
Sure, and maybe I'll find some Corona in my stocking this year to cap it off

Well, it's good to hear that it may not be the end of the world. Once it's dry, and this will likely take days, I'll poke it and see.

On the drain pan front, it looks good. A quick search on Amazon shows a lot of them in all different sizes. And they aren't much money either. So it looks like I should be able to just order one in that fits.

I changed out the plastic valves for real brass ones and bought stainless hoses as well. So it's much nicer (already) then it was. I think I'll put two new pieces of plywood under it and I should be able to case a lot of the shaking going on in there. So it will be better when it's done, anyway. And if there's a drain pan in there I will feel a lot better

I always put a load in and leave. Much thanks to everyone for the advice and sympathy
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Old 12-24-2020, 03:15 PM   #12
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I would have that cut out, new piece in it's place. I did similar when I removed the carpet from mine and found a water leak did like what is shown in your pic. There was little structure left once I cut and removed it. I used a Lap Joint for the new piece so it had good mechanical strength. Construction adhesive and screws.

The problem I see with yours is the wood is in bad shape beyond the cabinet interior. So, you might need to remove that cabinet to get all of it out or at least so you can attach to strong original OSB.

I like the idea of a drain pan. Just need to figure out where to drop the drain so gravity empties the tray. And put a duckbill on it so no critters enter. You should easily see where to drain once you cut the old stuff out. Use a circular saw and set the depth to ONLY go through the wood (or even a tad less). On mine, there was a rubber membrane right under the wood. Going deeper would cut that important membrane.
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Old 12-24-2020, 05:52 PM   #13
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Lowes and Home Depot have spray bottles of mold killer!
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Old 12-24-2020, 06:06 PM   #14
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If the board is still good, and that's a big if I would spray it down lightly with a solution of about a quart of water and a cap full of bleach. Then I would paint it with some spray paint of whatever color you choose. Several heavy coats to ensure it is now water proof. If the board is starting to come apart but is not too bad yet you can coat it with fiberglass (polyester) resin thinned with acetone to help firm things up. You can also do this just to be on the safe side even if the board is holding up. I would then go the route have someone bend up a pan like has been suggested in previous comments. A local furnace man that has a box break should be able to do this in an hour or less. Good luck
Fiberglass resin (polyester or epoxy) was my first thought.
When applying to wood you can thin the resin w/o hardener using acetone and paint it on. The thinned resin soaks into the wood and provides a good bond. Then brush or roll on a normal (or slightly "hot") mix including hardener. The top coat will cure the thinned coat and bond it well to the wood.
If that is remnants of carpet around the edges. I would cut them back and add a small edge piece of solid wood to act as a dam to prevent any future leaks to seep under the walls and into the carpet. Do that before adding the resin coats above.
I just finished doing this on exposed plywood used to build a custom storage box in my DEF bay to take advantage of unused open space. Scrap pkywood I had around was cheap vs buying waterproof material to use for construction.
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