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Honey
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# Posted: 2 Dec 2010 09:14pm
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I am building my little dream cabin. At this point it is only a 24 X 24 shell with an 8ft. porch. The exterior of the cabin is covered with cypress lap siding. I applied a product made by the company"Flood" to protect the wood and to prevent mold/mildew on the cypress boards. It is an oil base, colorless product that was applied as directed. This product cost me about $28.00 a gallon. The cabin looked beautiful for about the first 6 - 8 months. Unfortunately now the cabin is covered with mold/mildew. The natural wood color barely shows at all. Now all I see is mold/mildew. I tried cleaning it with a clorox/water and JoMax solution; which helped some temporarily. But now the mold/mildew is back worse than ever. Some boards are almost completely grayish black. It is heartbreaking to see how beautiful the cabin was and how awful it looks now. Can anyone tell me how to get rid of the mold completely and get the cypress boards back to their original reddish color? What can I apply to not have to fight this problem again in the future? I live in hot, humid southen Louisiana. I am hoping this is a fixable problem and would appreciate any advice.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 2 Dec 2010 09:39pm
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My understanding of the JoMax is that it removes mold but does not offer a barrier against the return. Have a look at the following O2 Algae and Mold Removal System
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Honey
Member
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# Posted: 2 Dec 2010 09:54pm
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Thank you so much. I will do a little research on your suggestion - O2 Algae and Mold product. I will let you know. Thanks again.
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Rob_O
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# Posted: 2 Dec 2010 10:12pm
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A pressure washer does a very good job of blasting off surface growth. It will make the wood look new again but will not provide any long term protection.
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MtnDon
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# Posted: 2 Dec 2010 11:44pm
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A pressure washer should be used with care on wood if used at all, in my opinion. I have seen wood surfaces that have been pressure washed to the point of having "fur" after it dried. Too much pressure on soft wood can easily tear up the surface fibers.
It should also be noted that recent research has shown that bleach does not kill mold. Bleach bleaches mold and makes it colorless. It can damage the mold but it does not kill it when the mold is on porous surfaces, like wood.
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Anonymous
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2010 06:23am
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I did use a pressure washer to clean the exterior cabin originally. You are right, you have to be very careful not to allow too much pressure or it will damage the cypress. I was very careful, but I did notice a couple of boards that were slightly damaged. I do think though, if you use a pressure washer correctly it can be a valuable tool especially in my case. I was wondering what people put on their log cabin exteriors to make them look so beautiful. The wood looks so well preserved with no mildew or mold. Maybe that would be an option too.
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Honey
Member
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2010 06:26am
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Thank you for trying to help. I really appreciate any advice you can give me concerning this mold problem.
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islandguy
Member
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2010 08:49am
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although its hindsight, maybe a simulated wood product would have been more suitable for the climate. Cement siding for example.
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MtnDon
Member
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2010 10:17am
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I don't have any recommendations for an outdoor finish to keep the natural appearance. I gave up on that years ago. My problem is the opposite of yours, the desert is too dry and the sun too intense. Any wood finished with a clear finish requires lots of maintenance, refinishing in a couple years or so. Too much work for me. I use paint on pretty much everything and Hardie cement board siding.
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Honey
Member
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# Posted: 3 Dec 2010 05:34pm
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Well I won't give up just yet. The natural wood look on my little cabin is what I loved most about it. Maybe one day I will end up painting it, but not until I try a few more products. Thanks again for the advice.
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