Green Fuzz on Blue Painted Wood

[DCOutdoors 14]

Okay, I am washing an old (1902) wood house with blue paint and brick around the bottom. It does not have black mold, but rather green algae... I guess that is what it is... Uh, at least reasonable sure... So, what is the best way to get it clean without taking ALL of the paint off? I did all of the flat work today... bricks and concrete. Tomorrow is the house and garage. The green stuff came off of the bricks fairly easy.

Edited December 15, 2012 by DCOutdoors

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

If it is in the paint, you may need to re-paint it because the paint will have degraded.

This is a two part job where you will need to return once it is dry and apply the paint.

OR

You can bow out of that part and inform the customer ahead of time what is going to

happen and give them the opportunity to entertain a price from you or their original

painter.

Rod!~

[DCOutdoors 14]

If it is in the paint, you may need to re-paint it because the paint will have degraded.

This is a two part job where you will need to return once it is dry and apply the paint.

OR

You can bow out of that part and inform the customer ahead of time what is going to

happen and give them the opportunity to entertain a price from you or their original

painter.

Rod!~

Thanks Rod. Would light pressure and a brush work without taking to much paint off?

[John T 744]

Hey David if you can snap a picture it always better for some to look at it also help give some advise on it.

What we have done is clean painted houses that have the green algae on the paint(not in the paint because like Rod says it pretty much a different animal) with a house wash mixture.

It's either going to be an easy and home run of a job or it can be a nightmare if it's the paint itself. Try a test spot and do this. Wet the spot first. Then splash some bleach mixed with water and a soap so it sticks to the house a little bit. Do this away from the sun. Let the chemical sit on the house for about 10 minutes and then hose it off. If it comes out clean then your pretty much good to go.

Then if it works you can pick a side of the house away from the sun and rinse it good including the landscaping. Then bottom up spray your house soap mixture on that side of the house. Then rinse the windows with water and the landscaping again. In 10 minutes aprox from when you put the soap on now rinse top down to clean it off. Then do each side like that and work away from the Sun as much as possible. Do not let soap dry on windows or house siding.

You should be good to go like this but can't say for sure because I can't see the painted surface but your test spot should give you alot of insight.

Lastly especially with Vinyl houses, you can on your own do 2 sides if the house at a time when you get the hang of it. You start by wetting both sides then rinse landscaping then put soap on side 1 then side 2 bottom up. Rinse windows and landscaping again then go to side 1 and powerwash(really power rinse) top down and rinse landscaping at bottom then go to side 2 and do the same. Then side 3 & be careful with side 4 if it's facing the sun, but by keeping things wet you'll be a speed demon with excellent results before you know it.

p/s- it took me 5 yrs to learn this back in the day when I met the Beth & Rods thru the net and then when thy started The Grime Scene - Pressure Wash Welcome to The Grime Scene Before them it was pressure and never knew about soaps,strippers etc etc etc.

Good luck

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

A WORD OF WARNING:

If the house is that old and is painted, chances are damn good there is or was lead paint on it. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a test kit. Test the house. If it is positive for lead paint and you are not certified, stop where you are.

http://www.epa.gov/lead/

Beth

Edited December 16, 2012 by Beth n Rod
added URL

[DCOutdoors 14]

A WORD OF WARNING:

If the house is that old and is painted, chances are damn good there is or was lead paint on it. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and get a test kit. Test the house. If it is positive for lead paint and you are not certified, stop where you are.

Lead | Lead | US EPA

Beth

Okay, excellent advice and it is advice I need to remember for the next old house I do! I did the house today with very little paint removal but the paint looks like the house was painted within the last 15 years so I would hope the whole lead thing wouldn't be an issue. Again, I can't stress how much I appreciate the advice. I am a firm believer in learning from the experts and doing the job right. I just don't have "right" embedded in my memory YET. I know you and Rod have been around as has John T (who has no problem telling me when I am wrong and how to do it right) and appreciate how you freely share your knowledge and strive to raise the standards of this industry. Wow, that sounds like I am brown-nosing... Anyway - did the house and the customer was happy. I made sure to tell him in advance all of the things that will probably go wrong so there was no shock when everything I said came to pass.

Thanks again and keep sharing.