Treating your home for Mildew
Posted on Mar 24, 2007
One of the most common home maintenance problems that we in Texas face is mildew. Many people are not aware that mildew likes oil base paints. Oil base (alkyd resin) paints were once the only choice for exterior projects, but in the last 35 years or so, most paint manufacturers, retailers and contractors have discouraged their customers from using oil base paints on the exterior wood surfaces of their homes.
The reasons? Oil paints are non-elastic, hence subject to cracking and peeling, and more to the point of this discussion, they are more likely to encourage mildew growth than acrylic or latex based paints. So, if your home is painted with an oil base paint, the best thing is to switch to a mildew resistant acrylic or latex paint when your home is in need of painting.
If you aren't ready to paint, or you're not sure if your home needs to be painted because you can't see through the black mildew and mold growth, just kill the mildew and find out. This can be a "Do It Yourself" job, if you like. Just follow the easy steps listed below:
Mildew Removal
1. Prepare a solution of bleach and water in a pump-up garden sprayer. A ratio of 1 to 1 works best.
2. Add about 1/2 capful of liquid laundry detergent to that mixture. Be sure to add the detergent last, so it won't foam up when you add the water.
3. Apply the solution liberally to all areas. Treat all painted surfaces, even if you can't see any mildew. If there is mildew anywhere on the house invisible mildew spores are probably on every surface. Kill 'em all!
4. Allow the mixture to remain on the surface for about 10 minutes, and rinse. No Scrubbing Required!
The detergent helps make the surface slippery so spider webs, dead insects and other surface contaminants will rinse off easily with the hose and a spray nozzle. To avoid damaging your plants, you can quickly rinse them with water.
This is a process that everyone should do or have done at least once each year. Doing so will prolong the life of the paint coating on your home and you will be shocked at how good it looks afterward.
We begin each exterior paint project with cleaning the surfaces in this manner. Sometimes after we have bleached and washed a customer's home, the customer will ask us if the house really needs to be painted. Sometimes it doesn't!
If you aren't a "Do It Yourselfer" or just don't have the time, call us to do it for you!
The reasons? Oil paints are non-elastic, hence subject to cracking and peeling, and more to the point of this discussion, they are more likely to encourage mildew growth than acrylic or latex based paints. So, if your home is painted with an oil base paint, the best thing is to switch to a mildew resistant acrylic or latex paint when your home is in need of painting.
If you aren't ready to paint, or you're not sure if your home needs to be painted because you can't see through the black mildew and mold growth, just kill the mildew and find out. This can be a "Do It Yourself" job, if you like. Just follow the easy steps listed below:
Mildew Removal
1. Prepare a solution of bleach and water in a pump-up garden sprayer. A ratio of 1 to 1 works best.
2. Add about 1/2 capful of liquid laundry detergent to that mixture. Be sure to add the detergent last, so it won't foam up when you add the water.
3. Apply the solution liberally to all areas. Treat all painted surfaces, even if you can't see any mildew. If there is mildew anywhere on the house invisible mildew spores are probably on every surface. Kill 'em all!
4. Allow the mixture to remain on the surface for about 10 minutes, and rinse. No Scrubbing Required!
The detergent helps make the surface slippery so spider webs, dead insects and other surface contaminants will rinse off easily with the hose and a spray nozzle. To avoid damaging your plants, you can quickly rinse them with water.
This is a process that everyone should do or have done at least once each year. Doing so will prolong the life of the paint coating on your home and you will be shocked at how good it looks afterward.
We begin each exterior paint project with cleaning the surfaces in this manner. Sometimes after we have bleached and washed a customer's home, the customer will ask us if the house really needs to be painted. Sometimes it doesn't!
If you aren't a "Do It Yourselfer" or just don't have the time, call us to do it for you!