Mold Trouble
Mold growth is a persistent issue when it comes to molding and blackening decks, particularly for bamboo and wood products. This common problem has been a cause of concern for many homeowners over time. To prevent mold growth and keep your deck looking its best, it is important to choose an anti mold deck product.
By selecting an anti mold deck, you can rest assured that your deck will remain clean and beautiful for longer periods.
Combining over a decade of outdoor bamboo decking production and actual installation, mold growth is a significant challenge for every bamboo factory and enterprise, hindering the industry’s progress. Many research institutes and factories have attempted to improve the mold and weather resistance of outdoor decking, but most anti-mold methods have been unsuccessful in protecting bamboo from decay and mold.
This article will introduce the market’s commonly used heat treated anti-mold wood bamboo products and surface coated anti-mold wood bamboo products and whether they can truly achieve long-term effective anti-mold. How does ANOS® break through and achieve effective anti-mold?
Is Long-Term Effective Mold Protection Possible For Deck With Anti-Mold Coating?
One of the deck’s biggest enemies is mold, as the deck is constantly exposed to sunlight and rain, its anti-mold coating can easily be damaged, moisture can penetrate into the sealant of bamboo and wood, causing them to fail prematurely. Therefore, bamboo and wood products with anti-mold coating on the surface cannot achieve long-term effective mold protection.
Can Heat-Treated Bamboo Products Really Effectively Prevent Molding?
Let’s take a look at the latest research on “the mechanism of mold in bamboo material caused by high-temperature heat treatment” by Professor He of the Bamboo Material Research Institute of Nanjing Forestry University.
- Research Purposes
Investigating the mold performance and mechanism of heat-treated bamboo material, providing a theoretical basis for the research of anti-mold of heat-treated bamboo material, further expanding the application field of bamboo products, and improving the high-value utilization of bamboo products.
- Research Method
We conducted high temperature heat treatment on natural bamboo material of a certain specification at temperatures of 160℃, 180℃, 200℃, and 220℃ for 2h, 4h, 6h, and 8h respectively.
We determined the mold of heat-treated bamboo material using the target fungus of aspergillus niger and also examined the reducing sugar, total sugar, pH value, surface wetness and water absorption of the bamboo material to characterize the mechanism of mold in the heat-treated bamboo material.
- Research Result
The study found that after treating bamboo at 60℃, 180℃, 200℃, and 220℃ for 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, and 8 hours respectively, the infected area reached 75% and the infection level was 4 in a 28-day mold test. And treated at 220℃ for 8 hours, the infected area remained at around 50% and the infection level was 2.
The results indicate that although heat treatment improves the moisture absorption of bamboo, the residual sugars and suitable pH levels still provide ample conditions for the growth of black mold. Therefore, high-temperature heat treatment does not significantly improve the anti-mold effect of bamboo.
How ANOS® Anti Mold Deck Achieves Superior Mold Resistance for Bamboo Products
From Failure To Success: ANOS® Breakthrough In Bamboo Mold Prevention
The reason wood and bamboo is prone to mildew and decay is due to the presence of large amounts of lignin and sugars such as starch in the bamboo, which provide the conditions for the growth and reproduction of mold bacteria. Studies have shown that bamboo that has been heat-treated still contains large amounts of starch and sugars, and has a large number of hydroxyl groups that have good moisture absorption properties and provide a good moist environment for mold.
ANOS® has summarized the reasons for the failure of various research results and through the persistent research and testing efforts of our R&D team, accurately identified the mechanism of bamboo mildew and blocked the path of mold bacteria from destroying bamboo from the inside. The traditional outdoor bamboo process has been technically upgraded, resulting in the development of the dark ANOS® Polar Bamboo series and the light N-Ceram series bamboo products.
Experimental testing and actual installation have confirmed that the ANOS® Polar Bamboo series and N-Ceram series bamboo products have significantly improved in anti-mold and microbe resistance compared to traditional bamboo products and are more suitable for extreme harsh outdoor environments.
1, ANOS® Polar Bamboo Series
ANOS® Polar Bamboo series outdoor bamboo product is bamboo that has been subjected to high temperature heat treatment and then further deeply treated to remove residual nutrients through physical means. By destroying the nutrients necessary for the metabolism of microorganisms such as mold, the growth and reproduction of these microorganisms are suppressed, significantly improving the anti-mold and corrosion resistance of the bamboo. Therefore, even when installed in extremely damp and harsh environments, the ANOS® Polar Bamboo series bamboo product can still display excellent performance in preventing mold, microorganisms, and termite damage.
2, ANOS® N-Ceram Bamboo Series
ANOS® N-Ceram outdoor bamboo series uses a special process to modify the internal nutritional substances of bamboo and seal the free hydroxyls inside the bamboo, making it difficult for mold and microorganisms to consume the nutrients and survive. After sealing the free hydroxyls inside the bamboo, the bamboo’s moisture absorption is reduced, and the humidity environment suitable for the survival of microorganisms is also changed. The weather resistance, biological durability, fire resistance, and strength of the ANOS® N-Ceram outdoor bamboo series treated by special processes have been greatly improved. It is also suitable for harsh environments and provides more product choices for friends who prefer light-colored bamboo product.
ANOS® Polar Bamboo and N-Ceram Outdoor Bamboo products not only undergo the aforementioned special process, but also have a hydrophobic and abrasion-resistant protection layer and UV protection layer built on the surface of the bamboo products. This reduces the impact of moisture and UV degradation on the bamboo products. After using ANOS® bamboo in outdoor environments, its performance in various aspects is significantly better than that of traditional outdoor bamboo products. It exhibits excellent mold resistance, dimensional stability, biodegradability, fire resistance, and weather resistance. The most obvious benefit is the improvement of the lifespan compared to ordinary outdoor bamboo products such as commonly used heat-treated anti-mold bamboo products and surface-coated anti-mold bamboo products, and customer satisfaction is also significantly improved.
Overcoming Deck Mold: Strategies for Effective Prevention and Solution.
Ignoring mold is not an option as it can rot bamboo and wood and jeopardize the integrity and lifespan of your deck. If your deck is just a traditional deck without a deep anti-mold treatment, here are some effective ways to eliminate mold:
Clean the dirt on the deck and remove the mold from the surface, then re-apply a sealant to the surface of the deck. Composite decks can also be protected with appropriate sealants.
To prevent mold from reoccurring, regular maintenance is necessary. Apply mold inhibitor every 6-12 months to the surface of your deck to prevent mold growth.
If you don’t want to maintain your deck so frequently, high-quality ANOS bamboo deck will be your best choice.
References
How To Judge The Quality Of Bamboo Deck
How ANOS® Bamboo Surpasses Other Strand Woven Bamboo？
How to Correctly Choose Bamboo Products in Different Climates？
