Cleaning Mold on Oh...
 
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Cleaning Mold on Ohia wood fence

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(@freedyvr)
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Living in Hawaii certainly has its benefits, but one of the drawbacks is maintaining exterior surfaces, particularly wood.  We purchased a home with a stunning Ohia wood fenced lanai.  Unfortunately, it was initially covered in polyurethane which had not been maintained, was yellow and flaking, and required complete removal.  That took about 2 months of weekends spent stripping (used CitriStrip), sanding and cleaning. 

On recommendation from a local carpenter I utilized Penofin oil to seal the wood which resulted in the first 2 pictures.  I was really pleased with the outcome and for the first 2 years I washed and cleaned the wood and re-applied the oil on a 6 month basis.  We receive a lot of rain on the windward side, and sun as well.  Unfortunately, in the past 3-6 months, black mold appears to have taken root.  I have used MoldControl to try and keep it at bay on an almost monthly basis, but with limited results.  Furthermore, in order for the MoldControl to be effective I have to leave it on quite a while and when removed, it ends up basically stripping the wood.  I was hoping Penofin would be sufficient along with routine maintenance, but it doesn't appear to have the mold-killing capacity to keep up with the rate of growth and I physically don't have the time to redo the entire process every 3 months.  

My goal is to have a natural appearance while reducing mold growth.  Based on reading some other forums and recommendations, I plan on doing the following:

1) Kill the mold using "Restore a Deck" or something similar (effectively start over)

       - Do you recommend using a mold killer or Deck Cleaner to perform this step?

2) Use a brightener (again, Restore a Deck or similar)

3) Seal using a stain or equivalent

       - Do you have any recommendations regarding how I might be able to achieve greater protection from mold while reducing (or at least minimizing) the large-scale maintenance?  I suspect a semi-transparent stain might do the trick, so you can still see grain, but increase the amount of protection.  Is there a particular brand that has good mold-resistance properties?

4) Treat with a non-stripping mold killer every 3 months or as needed

      - Do you have any recommendations for mold killers that aren't as abrasive?

 


   
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Scott Paul ~ Restoring Wood & Decks Since 1993
(@administrator)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 3341
 

TWP 100 Series or Defy Extreme would give the best results from mildew occurring. Problem is these products are not available in Hawaii. Not sure what is available there that is decent.

BTW, Penofin turns dark brown or black for almost everyone. One reason (smell is terrible too) that we never use the stain.


   
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