How To Remove Mold And Mildew From Your Deck

Keeping the exterior of your home in great shape involves providing your property with everything it needs to look its best. At the same time, you want to get rid of anything that could cause problems such as weeds and dead leaves as well as both mold and mildew. While the latter duo is definitely not something that you want to find either inside or outside of your home, the spores that lead to this issue are unfortunately pretty common, according to The Washington Post. On top of that, mold and mildew usually grow in places that often get wet, such as your deck.

Once the spores have settled in, they have access to exactly what they need to thrive and spread. In fact, mold and mildew will consume the wood, which means that it can cause some serious issues, including weakening the boards and structural integrity, explains TimberTech. Once the damage has been done, it can be quite costly to fix. For this reason, it is important to take action as soon as possible. Here are the best ways to safely and effectively get rid of mold and mildew.

Whenever you have to go up against mold or mildew, you'll want to make sure to protect yourself to avoid any potential health-related issues. Even if you're outside, you'll still want to wear a mask and gloves while also keeping your hair, clothes, and shoes covered, according to Mold Advisor. When you finish the job, everything that was exposed to mold and mildew should be thrown into the trash. Of course, before that, when you're properly prepped, then you can get to work.

In order to get rid of the mold and mildew that's made its way to your deck, you may want to put a power washer to good use, per Dixon Pressure Washing. However, instead of blasting a steady stream at every board, you'll instead want to focus the pressure on the specific areas where mold and mildew have grown. At the same time, avoid unaffected spots. Due to the fact that a power washer can harm the wood if you use a heavy hand, you'll want to be intentional with where and how you use it.

After you've put in a bit of work, you may find that your deck is wonderfully mold-free and that mildew is a thing of the past. However, if your efforts didn't totally pay off as much as you were hoping, then it might be time to move on to another way to remove mold and mildew from your deck.

Getting rid of mold and mildew isn't always easy, which is why you may need to use a deck cleaner in order to get the job done. While you might assume that means bringing in something stronger like bleach, however, that's not a good idea, according to Deck Stain Help. Although bleach will definitely get rid of the mold, it will also damage the wood boards. Instead, you'll want to find an oxygenated deck cleaner that relies on sodium percarbonate. As a powder cleaner, you'll need to add water before applying it to the area of your deck that has been affected by mold and mildew. In order to help the cleaner do its best work, you can use a deck brush to gently scrub it in.

For those who would prefer to use something a little less intense, then My Chemical-Free House Consulting notes that there are a few non-toxic options such as simple yet powerful white vinegar. This might be a better choice for you if you happen to have children or pets around that you'd like to keep away from potentially strong chemicals.