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A customer of mine had a new redwood deck/railing built just over a month ago with kiln-dried lumber. An oil-base stain (slight pigment) was applied, and since then small mold spots have covered the entire structure (all horizontal surfaces). They live in the mild SF east bay area, here in CA. My question is this: I am aware that a bleach solution will kill mold, but at what expense to the finish, etc? Any help would sure be appreciated, thank you.
Cheers, Wm.
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You're discribing a broblem with mildew that I have had good results removing and preventing from returning by using a product called "Mildex" which I think Pittsburg Paints is responsible for.
I know it doesn't seem like a wash would be able to prevent the problem from re-occuring but just try it and the manufacturer won't have to stand behind the warrantee because it works!
P.S. Protect the plant.
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A customer of mine had a new redwood deck/railing built just over a month ago with kiln-dried lumber. An oil-base stain (slight pigment) was applied, and since then small mold spots have covered the entire structure (all horizontal surfaces). They live in the mild SF east bay area, here in CA. My question is this: I am aware that a bleach solution will kill mold, but at what expense to the finish, etc? Any help would sure be appreciated, thank you.
Cheers, Wm.
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Most deck cleaners contain bleach of some sort, including Mildex, which is produced by Guardsman (of Goof-Off fame). In the words of Guardsman, " Mildex Plus is a professional strength chlorine based mildew stain remover that removes mildew and eliminates the cause of the mildew." So, if you still wish to avoid bleach, consider some of the "Hints From Heloise" approaches. Vinegar, for instance, will remove mildew, though not as aggressively as does bleach. Most liquid cleaners in the Top Job or Pine-Sol category will work, as well, but, again, not as quickly as bleach.
By the way, I got a kick out of the Guardsman Web site and their products. They have an elastomeric spray that's applied to plaster cracks after they're repaired so that the crack never shows again. Also a wall patch designed for holes caused by door knobs. Neat stuff.