Power washing is the key…
Have you ever seen a pristine wall or ceiling marred in a section by irregular, crude, dark and murky-smelling patterns? Then you belong with the over 6 billion people who have also had to deal with mold and mildew.
Mold and mildew, like most of its fungus family, grow on various surfaces. They can multiply at an alarming rate. In a fully ‘colonized’ space, they are a very repugnant sight, and they give a murky, dusty smell. Depending on their specie and development period, they can range from gray to yellow, or dark brown colors.
Effects of Mold and Mildew on the exterior of your home
They can easily migrate to the interior of your home
Mold and mildew can rapidly grow and multiply over almost any surface, as long as moisture and oxygen are present. Also, they can stay suspended in the air for about 30 minutes and can migrate to the interior of your house causing serious allergies like itchy throats, eye reddening, headaches, etc.
n extreme cases, mold and mildew can cause serious respiratory issues to humans with underlying lung diseases.
Degradation of the material surface
Fungi are one of the greatest agents of bio-degradation. The ability of this fungus is similar to that of what termites do to wood, the biological activities of mold and mildew on a surface will gradually deteriorate the structure of that material and can cause.
- Sagging of your roofs,
- Weakening of your porch,
- blockage to your gutters
Molds and mildew are never desirable in the surroundings of our homes, so we must get rid of them. A very viable method of getting rid of mold and mildew is by Power Washing.
Power Washing
This involves using water at high pressure to remove or flush stains out of a surface. The water can be mixed with other cleaning agents, like bleach, detergents, and other chemical cleaners.
Power washing any surface infested with mold and mildew can be a very tricky task. It has to be handled adroitly and cautiously.
Things to put into consideration before power washing;
Clear the Infested Place
Clear the space surrounding the area to be washed. Make sure any form of a linkage to the interior of your house is well sealed and protected. Remember the dislodged organisms could easily migrate into the interior of the home.
Use the required pressure
Adjust the pressure gauge to a pressure level that would not destroy the surface or material. The thickness/depth of the undergrowth of the mold should also determine the pressure level to be used. Thicker layers of mold would require slightly higher pressures.
Be properly kitted
While power washing, the force of the water would disperse the mold and mildew in unpredictable directions. You must cover all parts of your body; especially the nose, eyes, ears, and mouth properly to avoid contamination.
Use the proper cleaning solution
You can make a solution with cleaning agents which should contain a chemical cleaner. Also, while washing, lower pressures should be used when spraying the washing area. Highly diverging spray nozzles should also be used, to cover wider areas.
In conclusion, if you notice a persistent large growth of molds, you should leave the job of power washing to professionals.
