Question about slabs of beech...

Hi All,

my buddy and i are slabbing some beech and the slabs will mostly be between 3 and 4 inches thick. my question is once we get this stuff stacked and stickered, do we need to run ratcheting straps over it to insure that it won’t bow or crown? or will it naturally remain fairly stable since it will be so thick? of course we do plan on painting the ends to limit checks and cracking. is oil based paint better or will any high quality primer paint work for this?

also since i’m asking questions, is it possible to arrest the growth of mold on wood with a bleach/water solution and then continue to use the furniture (bookshelf and desk) as normal? they were down in our basement and the basement flooded and the mold is pretty much limited to the bottoms of both pieces but we want to be sure the mold can be safely arrested before continuing to use the furniture.

thanks in advance for all the knowledgeable answers,

~isaac

-- Isaac, "It's no coincidence that Jesus was a lumberjock too"