Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Spring Cleaning the Cabin Exteriour

Changing from blue to yellow in 2011.
Okay, it isn't spring yet, but the weather on the west coast has been milder than usual. In a year's time, mildew has accumulated on our cabin walls, especially on the shady side.

The last time we painted was in 2011 after our bathroom and porch addition. We used CIL solid wood stain from Canadian Tire and it's still in excellent condition (except for the ugly mildew of course). We estimate the paint will last five years. Maybe this time will be longer since it took three coats of yellow to cover the blue.

Mildew stains on wood siding.
Mildew can be easily removed.

STEP 1: Mix cleaning solution with four parts water and one part bleach.

STEP 2: Moisten a small area and let it sit for several minutes. Wear old clothes! Bleach stains!!

STEP 3: Using a brush (I find a broom works well except in tight corners) and more solution, scrub the area until the mildew is killed and the dark stains disappear. Do a small area at a time.


STEP 4: Rinse with fresh water. A garden hose works well, but I didn't have one. A bucket of fresh water and my trusty broom gave everything a good rinse.


STEP 5: Let dry and enjoy your refreshed paint job.

Not wanting to be wasteful, I used the remaining bleach solution to clean several areas on the deck that were slimy and slippery with algae.

Don't use a strong bleach solution because it can be harmful to plants and animals. Keep runoff to a minimum in all cases. Some websites recommend using products like OxiClean because it breaks down and is less harmful to the environment. I have not tried it though.

How do you handle mildew and algae problems indoors and out? -- Margy

11 comments:

  1. We powerwash - hubby got half way thru on the weekend and our powerwasher blew a part so the rest will have to wait. I still haven't mowed though :)

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    1. Wayne says he'll "mow the front yard" while I wash the cabin. Somehow I don't think I'm getting the better of the deal. - Margy

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  2. We powerwash walls and for moss on the roof we use Tide laundry soap - it is biodegradable and washes off the roof with the rain - taking the moss with it. We never powerwash the roof - our contractor told us that powerwashing the roof just forces the moss and mold up under the shingles and causes more damage.

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    1. I've heard Tide is a good choice for moss on roofs. I don't want all the suds to wash off the deck though. - Margy

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  3. You did a great job. Oxyclean is a pretty good product. I use that sometimes cleaning our balcony floors if I don't have any PST in the house.

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    1. I didn't read about the Oxyclean until I did some research for the post. I may try it for the next wall and do a comparison. - Margy

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  4. Thanks for the links to two excellent blogs-I try not to subscribe to too much but I signed up for both.

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    1. I find the best blogs from my followers, and those I follow. It's better than Google. - Margy

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  5. This is amazing! Well done!

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  6. Looks great! I love getting my spring cleaning done each year. :) Thanks for sharing at the Homestead Blog Hop!

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy