Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

[Glocke12]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

Ok, so here is a picture of the spot..its the black in the center. Its less obvious now, and the large spotting area around it is from the vinegar/water/soap solution that KC recomended I use.



Do you guys think it is safe to store like this or should I try cleaning it further?

[yogiyoda]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

When i talked to Kodiak previously, I was told that treatment would kill the mold but not remove the stains. So I would think that if you treat it properly, and store it dry you should be fine. But again, you may want communicate with Kodiak to get their suggestions.

[ecichlid]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

I own a painting business. We have treated hundreds of exteriors for mildew during the wash, prior to painting. I have told many homeowners that mildew is like a grape stain on a shirt, you can clean the shirt, but a bit of the stain will remain. Mildew is much the same, the important thing is to treat it. Of course, the best mildewcide is bleach, but I would bet that can be used on your canvas tent or it would have already been recommended by the mfg.

My bet is your mildew treatment is good. You will either have to live with the mildew stain or get a new tent.

[Glocke12]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

I own a painting business. We have treated hundreds of exteriors for mildew during the wash, prior to painting. I have told many homeowners that mildew is like a grape stain on a shirt, you can clean the shirt, but a bit of the stain will remain. Mildew is much the same, the important thing is to treat it. Of course, the best mildewcide is bleach, but I would bet that can be used on your canvas tent or it would have already been recommended by the mfg.

My bet is your mildew treatment is good. You will either have to live with the mildew stain or get a new tent.

I ended up leaving the tent up for a couple of weeks, more or less to get it to dry out completely...since it would rain almost every 2nd or 3rd day, it took awhile to dry...In the end the spot ended up fading, presumably from the sun...

Spotting doesn't really bother me that much to be honest, I was just dismayed and alarmed at the speed with which the mold formed...Literally it was a period of 5-6 hours that it took for that spot to form..

Tent is folded up now, and probably won't see any use until the spring. Keeping my fingers crossed it makes the winter without further mildewing.

[ppine]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

I have two canvas tents and have been using the material for 40 years. I never get mold or mildew, but I am very careful about storing tents absolutely dry. I often end up spreading them out in the garage for several days to get the last of the moisture out of them.

I bought an old tipi once that had been improperly stored. It rotted out after a couple of years.

[tplife]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

Left untreated the mold will continue to grow and eventually eat away the cotton fiber. An investment of around $35 at Cabela's may be warranted for yearly treatments with Canvak. It's sold to maintain waterproofing, but its magic is in its chemistry, it contains a pesticide that controls/prevents mold and mildew.

[ecichlid]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

Left untreated the mold will continue to grow and eventually eat away the cotton fiber. An investment of around $35 at Cabela's may be warranted for yearly treatments with Canvak. It's sold to maintain waterproofing, but its magic is in its chemistry, it contains a pesticide that controls/prevents mold and mildew.

Great advice!

[ppine]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

In order to kill mold and mildew fresh air and sunlight are all you need. Some places don't see much sunlight and maybe an herbicide is necessary. A pesticide won't do much good.

[ppine]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

It sounds like the pole sleeves hold moisture and are a source of some problems. There is a large sleeve on the ridge of my wall tent, but it is a large opening of around 5 inches so that when the tent is up there is room for air to circulate and dry out. It also occurs to me that a wood stove is the perfect drying agent to remove moisture and prevent mold and mildew even in the wettest weather. Do Kodiak's come with a stove hole? If they do build a fire at least once in awhile to dry out the canvas.

[MacGyver]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

You don't necessarily need a stovejack to dry a tent out. When I had my canvas tent and it was wet or humid outside, I would half set it up in the basement, spread open just enough to put a space heater and a fan inside. Half a day or less and it was good to go.

[ecichlid]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

In order to kill mold and mildew fresh air and sunlight are all you need. Some places don't see much sunlight and maybe an herbicide is necessary. A pesticide won't do much good.

You want a "mildewcide".

[astrowolf67]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

On our new flex bow, that we got back in the spring, and, have yet to use, the metal poles had a light coating of oil on them. We've set the tent up a couple of times, and, while we managed to prevent staining of the fabric, my hands had black on them from handling the poles. Are you sure what you are seeing is mold, and not black from the metal poles?

David

[Happy Joe]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

We made a good apartment renovating last summer. But after the winter frosts, the moldiness appeared in the wall corners. There was normal heating, plastic windows, concrete house. No matter what we did in winter, nothing helped. Can you tell me, maybe we need to do something now, so we won't suffer next season? I read on the Internet that Rmr 86 helps quite well, but I asked friends, and nobody used it. Are there maybe people who bought this product?

I have only had one mildewed tent, it was due to being packed away damp.
I have no experience with chemicals to kill mildew (other than bleach; use only with extreme caution on tents and such, it cannot be good for the material).
However, in my experience mildew is only a problem in excessively moist/humid conditions. When I have had issues with wet smelling basements a dehumidifier and ventilation has helped.
If I were to have mildew issues in buildings above ground I would first look for leaks into the building. Moisture is, very likely, the primary issue and it must be getting in some where, or be a result of condensation.

...Hope it helps!

[adeelkhan]

Re: Ok...so it doesnt take long for mold/mildew to form on canvas

Well, I am looking for flat for sale in scheme 33 Karachi. If any one here who can help me out in this please reach me out. TIA!