Cleaning Mold from Painted Decks

Water Mold Fire Restoration, 800-905-0277, wants you to know that no matter what material your deck is made of, pressure-treated lumber, pine, redwood, or cedar, mold and mildew will grow on it if the conditions are right. The first thing that most people will do when they see mold on their deck is to grab a pressure washer and attempt to start blasting the mold and mildew off of their deck. But your case, your deck is not stained, it’s painted and you can’t just blast away at the mold for fear of also removing the painted finish. Cleaning mold from a painted deck takes a little more thought, a little more care and a little less brute force.

Mold Is Nasty, Ugly, and Dangerous

There are millions of types of mold that inhabit our planet. Some are used for our good, but most are nothing but headaches (sometimes literally) to people whose homes they affect. The wood that most of our decks are made of is cellulose material. Cellulose and water, when combined, provide the food necessary for molds to develop and grow.

Mold is not only unsightly; it can be dangerous in ore ways than one. By now almost everyone knows that mold has the potential to make some of us sick. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that allergic reactions are common when people are exposed to mold, especially when they are exposed to it over extended periods of time. The reactions aren’t always immediate or severe, but they may be if the person exposed to the mold is particularly sensitive to it.

Mold is known to cause physical discomforts like sneezing, coughing, and eye irritation. If you come into physical contact with mold it may cause skin rashes. Inhaling mold’s spores can cause respiratory illnesses like asthma or worse.

In addition to mold’s many health risks, having it on your painted deck’s surface can cause you to experience slip and fall accidents. Mold can be slippery in and of itself, butthen add to it a little morning dew or some light rain to it. When you step out onto a moldy, slippery deck, you risk loosing your balance, falling, and spraining an ankle or breaking a bone (“Help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”)

Chlorine Bleach Is Not Necessarily the Answer

In the case of a painted deck, the best thingnot to use is chlorine bleach and a pressure washer. With a pressure washer, you would have to been extremely careful not to place the nozzle too close to the painted surface at any time or you could start removing paint in addition to any mold or mildew.

Chlorine bleach is a cleaning product designed for use only on hard, non-porous surfaces like glass, plastic, and metal. There are several reasons why you shouldn’t use chlorine bleach on your painted deck:

• Wood is a porous material (liquids can pass through a porous material) and mold can grow its roots down into the wood
• Chlorine bleach may fade your deck’s paint color
• The chemical chlorine is scientifically designed NOT to penetrate; it will only clean the surface of any material it is used on
• Bleach is toxic to plants – it will kill them and it’s also not safe for you to inhale the chlorine bleach fumes

The Best Way to Remove Mold From a Painted Deck

There are many different deck-cleaning products available at the major home improvement retailers. Before choosing one you need to make sure it is safe to use on painted decks. Our suggestion is instead of using a product with a lot of chemicals in them, why not try using a homemade deck cleaner that will remove mold and mildew without damaging the deck’s painted finish. And the good news is it will probably cost you less money.

Before starting any mixing or cleaning project you should protect yourself. Put on eye protection and rubber gloves just in case you would accidentally splash something on to yourself or into your eyes.

Start by pouring 2 gallons of warm water into a 5-gallon bucket Use a larger-sized bucket so that it is easy to get a deck cleaning brush or broom into it. Add 2 cups of powdered oxygen bleach (OxiClean is an example of oxygen bleach and oxygen bleach, unlike chlorine bleach is safe for nearby landscaping). Stir until the powdered bleach is completely dissolved. Next add ¼ cup of liquid dishwashing soap and give it just a couple of swirls to blend it into the solution.

Dip a deck brush (a deck brush is better than a broom to scrub with) and thoroughly apply the cleaning solution. Scrub it into a lather and allow the solution to dwell for about 15 minutes. This dwell time will give the oxygen bleach time to do its work. After that, simply hose the deck off with a garden hose.

PS. If your deck contains a large amount of mildew or mold stains, you can add 1 cup of powdered borax to the solution. Borax is also safe to use around landscaping.

Keeping Your Painted Deck Clean and Mold Free

The easiest way to keep your deck clean is to sweep it regularly, at least once or twice a week. This will keep your deck dirt and debris free, before it can be ground in. If sweeping isn’t your thing, use a leaf blower instead.

Leafs, grass clippings and twigs become an attraction to mold, especially if they get rained on. Keeping these items off and away will make your deck remain clean mold and mildew free, and enjoyable for the entire season.

When Mold Is an Issue, Call the Pros

Maybe you have mold inside your home in addition to having it on your deck. You can always call on Water Mold Fire Restoration, 800-905-0277, for any mold problems around your house. We have certified mold specialists who will respond 24/7. Our initial inspection is free of charge. If you would prefer to contact us by email, you can do so at help@watermoldfire.net.