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Well of course you have to get it off now, how do you expect to get it off later?
The big question is how. You can apply a 10/1 mix of water/bleach from a garden sprayer, but do you have water at the site to rinse the bleach off? Do you have the equipment to do the job properly and in a timely fashion?
I think your best bet is to hire a pressure washing contractor, the job would be done in less than a few hours, (and cost about $150ish). Or rent a machine yourself and plan on spending the day…but you gutta have water.
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Well of course you have to get it off now, how do you expect to get it off later?
The big question is how. You can apply a 10/1 mix of water/bleach from a garden sprayer, but do you have water at the site to rinse the bleach off? Do you have the equipment to do the job properly and in a timely fashion?
I think your best bet is to hire a pressure washing contractor, the job would be done in less than a few hours, (and cost about $150ish). Or rent a machine yourself and plan on spending the day...but you gutta have water.
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kerry... black mildew spots are nothing to be alarmed at.. mildew spores are in the air..
with this wet weather we've been having .. it is not nusual..
forget about the mold..after it's dried in the mildew will go dormant and never appear again ..
and lose the attitude.. you haven't demonstrated that you should be calling anyone a loser...
maybe you'd care to elaborate as to why this framer should be described so....
*Ditto Mike,Relax Kerry and forget about the chicken little type advise.Gabe
*I don't know guys, it was started in may. Must be a helluva house. Maybe they're building in the rain forest. Let's have the story.
*I don't know either, Calvin.But I don't think we'll get the whole story on this one. 3 months to frame a house doesn't sound like a 1200 sq. ft. bungalow to me either.Gabe
*I'd still wanna make sure the mold and mildew is dead! Just started the wife on a four year program of shots every week for allergies. She tested positive for EVERYTHING! Probably even this guys house is bothering her now! Jeff
*In response to Ted (in the 2nd post of the same title) who crucified me for calling my framer a loser.....1) We did NOT hire the cheapest or most available framer. 2) Our framer (and the others we talked to) felt the job should take approx. 5 weeks.3) The rain has mostly come at night -- the days have been lovely and mild.4) No, the house is not simple -- but they knew that when they reviewed our plans and expressed an interest in doing our house.The reason for the delay is that the framer has taken on other jobs during our job. A day off here and there adds up! They took 3 weeks off to do a panelized house elsewhere. In hindsight, we should have let them go. During their three week absence, we talked to other framers. Pickings are slim in the middle of July on last minute notice....I'm pleased to say that they've been working for the past few weeks and we've progressed to the point of me now asking what to do about the mildew stains.To all of you who gave me your opinions on the mildew problem, thank you, thank you, thank you. For those of you who are upset that I called my framer a loser (without full explanation), I apologize. I did not mean to offend any craftsman's sensibilities. I appreciated those of you who asked "what's up" with this situation politely. I never intended to get into an electronic sparring match with anyone who thinks ALL consumers are dolts and ALL tradesmen are noble.
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Chicken Little? Man you guys are tough, I'm shattered. ;-)
Kerry's other post was worded a little different>>> "All of the plywood and lumber has black mildew spots on it". I suppose I could have had an investigation as to the degree of the problem, but I just babbled off some info to make his life easier if it is decided that removal is an important enough option. If there is an excessive amont of mildew by all means kill it, it will not go away by covering it up,in fact it loves those conditions.
I should have taken a picture of an attic I had to crawl up into one time, the mildew there was approching an artform, just because you don't see it doesn't mean it is not there. The spores will remain dormant until conditions favor its growth, and sooner or later...
And Kerry, what kind of loser double posts the topic twice? Just kidding, but the loser reference was a little tough. I have had a hard time keeping up because of all of the rain in my area this year, the list of people that hate me is far outweighing the list of people that like me. Ok, I mean everyone hates me. I schedule work far in advance and the commitments don't go away just because I have fallen behind, I expect that your framer has done his best to get all of his contracts completed. I think it has been mentioned that there are two sides.
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Qtrmeg,
Chicken little thing wasn't directed specifically at your advise, it was a comment to relax. Lumber that has been outside and off the ground, even thought it has been exposed to rain etc. may be severely discoloured but highly unlikely with anymore mold than what we see on the average load of lumber being delivered to sites these days.
I find that a lot of posts are made in panic because of some comment made to the poster at site and everyone blows it out of proportions before we know all the facts.
Gabe
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No big deal Gabe, I wasn't really shattered, just being a smart a$$. Actually, the more you guys pick on me the better I will like it around here, I am way overdue for an attitude adjustment.
Later, another Matt G. (yes, really)
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i Another
one?!
Oh geezz....
Qtrmeg, you've been here six days. Welcome aboard. Time to get to the shed and buy a round!
Rich Beckman
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I am wondering about making a transition from floor tile to hardwood. Is this normally done with just a grout line or can it be done with some sort of metal edging?
*Reply to 12Wayne,The transition is normally covered with a threshold matching the wood floor. If the tile is on a higher level than the wood floor it is best to undercut the threshold to lap over the tile while still sitting firmly on the wood floor.
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Thanks Rich, ya that shed idea sounds like a plan, I have been known to have a drink or two...
Actually I just finished reading some of Erik's thread about his client with the big mouth and I have to think I would need a lot more than a drink or two to deal with those idiots.
Ps. I almost got lost over the tile/threshold thing, what was the topic here again? ;-)
*The topic? The topic isi alwaysto vent or not to vent!Rich Beckman
*Good luck! Two things:1) Mildew probably needs to be removed, depending on how bad and which boards. If it's on the siding, for example, you'll wash it before the finish stain or paint is applied. There are a variety of products, including bleach, that should get rid of the mildew. Washing is key, and I think the pressure washer is a good idea - maybe your framers will pay for it to make amends.2) I sympathize with your situation. Once you've chosen someone, it's a choice you live with, because the options aren't pretty. For example, when we built our cabin (the 3 year project that turned into the 5 year project that now is an 11 year project), we hired an electrician who came highly recommended, but he'd show up just enough to keep us hopeful the job would be completed before the turn of the century. Then, part way through the job, he declared bankruptcy. Not only did we feel he owed us either money or time (our 1/2 $ down was supposed to pay for materials, and we were more than$300 short of the necessary materials needed to finish when he left the job), but the worst was that no one wanted to take on a job that was already started, and certainly not for the $$ amount we had left to pay our bankrupt electrician. (Well, I could go on, here, especially when I get to the part where he stiffed all these people, reorganized, and is now back in business, but I don't want to get worked up into a frenzy.) But, for us it ended up all right. One of my husband's friends had a brother-in-law that was an electricity teacher at a local vo-tech school, and he needed a new scope for his hunting rifle. So, he came up for two days for the cost of the scope, and not only did he finish the job, he used my husband as a helper and taught him as they went along. This has literally saved us hundreds of dollars in the past 6 years, as my husband has done wiring/lighting/fixture installation etc with this knowledge. Plus, he also knows what he can't do. So, while this may not make you feel better, I do understand and sympathize. The problem is that in the building trades, a bad decision can be made on both ends, and the fallout can be pretty painful.
*Kerry,If the wood is just darkened from weather, no big deal.If it is mold or mildew have it washed off before sealing up.It will go dormant (not dead) during the winter, but it reactivates whenever the humidity gets above 65%, some reactivate at 50%. I posted extensively on this in an earlier thread.Allergies and respiratory problems await if the house has too few air changes per hour. Unless you run central air for the rest of your life.-Rob
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Our framer started framing at the end of May. He's a loser and is still working on it (they just finished sheeting the roof). We've had alot of rain and now there are black mildew spots on the wood. Do we need to spray bleach or doing something else to this before continuing on with the house? Kerry