Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 28, 2000 04:42pm | #1

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   Anyone ever try Thompson's deck cleaner for a problem such as this?

   Gabe

1. 
   Guest_ | Apr 28, 2000 05:01pm | #2

   *I would go with some sort of deck/wood siding/fence cleaner. I assume you might be able to lightly pressure wash too. I would go this root just to get some of the weather/ construction dirt off before that first coat of sealer is on. We all know once you seal that dirt in...hard to get off then.pm

2. 
   BentNail_Baggins | Apr 28, 2000 05:08pm | #3

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   Go to Log Homes on the Internet and work back for a while to find repeated warnings against using bleach on logs, and suggested altenatives. Or just post a question--very helpful people there.

1. 
   BentNail_Baggins | Apr 28, 2000 05:15pm | #4

   *The log homes site is at http://www.fineloghomes.com.

1. 
   S_L_Havens | Apr 29, 2000 03:35pm | #5

   *Thanks - this is helpful! I really appreciate the referral!

3. 
   Guest_ | Apr 29, 2000 11:48pm | #6

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   Oxalic acid!

   It will remove iron stains but you have to wash the surface with water to remove the iron and oxalic acid or the stains will reappear. Neutralize with borax

   The problem with mildew is that it penetrates into the wood and a bleach like laundry bleach will affect the total color of the wood and this is not recommended for oaks. The best suggestion I would have is to try a weak solution of this on some test samples and see what you get.

1. 
   Guest_ | May 02, 2000 03:30am | #8

   *S.L: A 10% bleach solution should be applied to kill the mold/mildew(bleach&water).Doing this now will prevent much more damaging developments in the future. Apply w/ a pressure washer,use the chemical injection system/tip, then pressure wash all exterior surfaces w/ water @ 2000 psi. This may remove the stains you refer to. If not, CabotStains makes a cleaner/brightener intended for your situation,but the above protocol should still be followed! Best,LRZ.b DECORUM PAINTING

4. 
   S._L._Havens | May 02, 2000 03:30am | #7

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   It's been the wettest late winter/spring in a long time, so of course, this is the year we decide to build a log home. The logs came untreated from the kit manufacturer. The roof is constructed with standard framing techniques, with materials provided by the kit manufacturer, including the typical connectors and fasteners. The problem we have had has to do with weather's effects on the materials over time - in this case 4 months. The constant rain we've had, combined with the warming season change has created terrible mildew and drip staining from the nails and connectors. We're now just about under roof, and finally to the point that we can stain and seal the logs. We wanted to use a fairly light sheer color on the interior and exterior, so we must deal with eliminating the stains first. We know that to get rid of the mildew we use bleach, but we've been told that bleach must be neutralized (with what?), and that some metal stains are worsened when bleach hits them. Is there a better product to use, or is there a certain sequence of application of products that would be best? Does anyone have experience in dealing with this kind of problem?