Hi, I am wondering if anyone could please help identify the white powder substance that is appearing on the shelves on my shed?
I think it may be some type of acid? It appears to be eating away at the metal of my shelves. I have previously brushed the shelves down to clear this before but it has returned, so I suspect I may need to use some sort of cleaner?
There was a leak in the roof for a few months and some tools became rusty as a result. The leak has been sorted but I wonder if it could be related to the powder substance.
Thank you both, great information. I plan to clean the shelves down over winter, I will try some baking soda, then give them a coat of whatever I have lying around to seal the wood.
Definitely seal it with a good moisture-resistant sealant like polyurethane or an outdoor deck sealer rather than just "whatever you have lying around" - this will actally prevent the moisture from causing the same problem again in the future.
Thanks, I still haven't sealed the wood yet 😅 But I have, since, been looking into something like this instead https://www.thompsonsweatherproofing.co.uk/waterproofing/one-coat-water-seal/ - I also considered a PVA glue mix but I wasn't sure it was durable enough.