Would you buy moldy wood from a store, especially if there were clean timbers right above them? And how would you feel if an employee refused to sell you the non-moldy pieces if you requested them?
That’s what Nala (@thisisnalasworld) said happened to her during a recent trip to Lowe’s.
She recorded a brief interaction with a Lowe’s employee where she pointed out the mold and, after she wasn’t allowed to purchase the clean pieces, she opted to head on over to Home Depot instead.
“These were covered in black mold and thick white mold. Worker said to pressure wash it off,” they wrote in a text overlay followed by a face palm emoji.
“They refused to let me buy the clean non-moldy wood,” she wrote.
Outside, she narrates, “So I went to buy wood at Lowe’s, it’s all covered in black mold and there’s some that’s not covered in black mold, but they refuse to give me that one because it’s up high.”
“So basically Lowe’s is making so you have to buy wood with black mold on it for your projects or you don’t buy it at all,” she continues. “That’s dumb and it’s a health hazard.”
Her video shows her panning over a stockpile of wood at Home Depot—it doesn’t appear to have any mold spores on it. “Home Depot had a ton of non moldy wood in stock! This was what was outside they had over 300 more of these inside all clean no mold,” she wrote in an overlay.
She adds, “They’re same price as Lowe’s.” The price tag hanging on the wall above the timber pile reads $6.48 per 8-foot rod.
@thisisnalasworld #thisisnalasworld #fyp #lowes #homedepot #mold #badwood #blackmold ♬ original sound – Nala
Hazards of moldy wood
According to carpentry business Mountain Woodworker, engaging in projects with moldy would can, in severe cases, prove to be fatal: “While many people may be allergic to mold, other people with respiratory issues may also react to these fungi. Reactions can be mild or so severe that they result in death. It is important to know what your sensitivity level, not only to certain types of woods, but also to molds.”
Users on a Lumberjocks thread said that messing around with molds in woodworking projects is no joke” “Breathed mold spores can cause respiratory problems. My wife is highly sensitive to molds. Others can tell how they deal with mold on lumber.”
The company Advanta Clean also seemed to reject the Lowe’s employee’s suggestions that mold removal from wood was as simple as “pressure washing” it: “Removing mold from wood is not easy – and can take longer to get rid of. And It is considered more challenging because: Wood is porous, meaning all removal of spores is challenging. It involves a long process.”
Then there are the structural issues that could arise from utilizing moldy wood in build, as Nimbus Homes writes: “Mould can have detrimental effects on wood. When wood is attacked by mould, it becomes structurally weak as the mould infiltrates its fibres. This can lead to the wood becoming unstable.”
Viewers weigh in
TikTokers who saw Nala’s post didn’t seem to think the Lowe’s worker’s pressure washing suggestion really made any sense: “If you can, ‘just wash it off’ why aren’t they doing that so it looks good for display.”
Another wrote that seeing all of these Moldy Lowe’s wood videos has ultimately made them want to just show at Home Depot: “@Lowe’s second mold video. Ut oh. Home Depot is looking better and better.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Lowe’s and Nala via email for further comment.
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