We just purchased a cabin that is just framed in and the outer sheeting (pressboard plywood) is on. The roof is on and there are overhangs which has helped protect some of the wood. It has been exposed to the elements as is for 6 years. Some of it has turned a little black, as wood does exposed with no finish on it, but the wood is strong and not flaking or rotted. It is out in the open so well exposed to winter snow and summer sun. We need to decide if we should replace the sheeting before putting the siding on. We have had several opinions - keep it and replace it and now we don't know what to do. A builder said there is so much glue in the sheeting that if it is mold it would not have penetrated it. Not sure I believe that.
I am allergic to mold. Because of this we are wondering what we should do? Some have said scrub with bleach, some have said replace. I also thought of power washing, but was told this would tear the pressboard apart. I thought of sandblasting with a home sand blaster I saw for removing paint, thinking this may be able to be adjusted. Just looking for opinions and ideas. Also thought of painting it to seal it. Is this a bad idea? Does it need to breathe?
The cabin has half log pine siding waiting to be installed over the sheeting. We plan to use Tyvek under it. Although I just don't want to take a chance with mold, we would also like to avoid the labor and expense of tearing off all the exterior walls and replacing them. We are torn as to what to do. The interior will have insulation, drywall and probably some sort of wood paneling or planking for the walls. We want it well insulated against the winter weather and summer heat. The cabin is in an area where it is exposed to heavy snow and very cold temperatures in the winter, as well as sand and hot and sometimes humid in the summer.
Any thoughts welcome...
Thank you
Autumn