moldy velux windows

eas

hi

I've noticed some ugly mold on the inside of my velux window (on the wood frame) - can anyone recomend something to clean/kill the mold? Are there products for this or should I throw some anti-fungal detugent in a bucket and just wash it off?

anyone?

thanks in advance

Wertz

This is a tough one...come across this before.
The trouble with the mildew and mould that cause this is that even after you kill them, the black stains remain in the velux frame since they were mostly never sealed when they fit them (preserved maybe, but not sealed).
Bleach, strong solution (3 parts hot water to 1 part bleach) and paint it on with a small brush or sponge it on and leave to sit...the first run will kill the mould. Wipe it off and do the same again and again.
A fine grit sanding pad will take some of the very top layer off the wood while it's wet.
If it's still really bad then a tool like a shave hook might help but be careful you don't score the timber or remove a chunk...
Allow to dry and dry sand it as well.

It will stil be noticable, it's almost impossible to get that stain out, if it'sa been on it for any long period, but you can hide it by applying something like Bondex in a suitable woodstain colour.
You can get it in matt finish if you want to try and keep the look of the velux finish.

vallo

So, should you varnish a velux window frame when you are installing it?

Wertz

I don't know if they seal them now or apply some sort of finish, but I know most of the older ones were only preserved (they'd really be the only sort people would ask you to clean/paint/varnish).
If your house seems to be getting a lot of condensation and you have velux's installed then mold may become a problem and it might be an idea to varnish them up...I can't say for certain about the current velux range, perhaps they come in a range of finishes these days. I've definitely seen newish ones with a shiny finish of some type...


[edit] Nope, a quick look at the velux site reckons they now apply something called EverFinish, some type of polyurethane. Should be good enough for the lifetime of the window (within reason)

http://www.velux.ie/Products/RoofWindowSystem/.htm?pid=H001

2 stroke

First cure the cause of the condensation which causes the mould, either you have a source of dampness or you probably have older windows which werent insulated as good as they do today or your insulation may be broken down. the good news is velux do a callout service where they can change the glass and service the seals. rather expensive for 1 window but if you are doing more than 1 at a time is quite a bit cheaper.

Wertz

Condensation is inevitable to some degree, when you have the outside of a window at 0 degrees (like tonight) and the central heating coming on and off, people breathing, cooking going on, showers/baths, etc.
In some older homes it's almost impossible to do away with interior humidity and unless you have the highest grade of insulated glazing, there will always be enough heat tranfer to lead to some condensation.