My HOA sent me a letter complaining about the mildew on the sides of my house. Looking around my neighborhood and the rest of the Copperfield/Copperlakes area, I am not alone with this problem. My house is very tall and the siding is only on the second story sides. How do most people take care of this? Can I clean it myself and if so how? Do I need to hire it out? If so, who? and how much should I expect to pay? Is this a yearly type thing?

Please help!

Dunno about long term fixes, but rent a pressure washer and do it yourself, and u can knock it out in a saturday morning.

http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=65

I remember my parents using this a long time ago and it worked like magic.

That looks like a good product, Twix. A homemade solution would probably involve some bleach diluted in water. Either way, you don't need pressure washing.

If it weren't a great time of year for mold, I would be a little concerned about that area being wet a lot. That same dampness that mildew likes can also be an invitation to other problems. If there are plants growing near it, I would maybe trim them back.

Using a pressure washer does several things.

1) you actually look forward to doing it.

2) no ladders required to get the top areas.

3) no need to scrub or wipe down.

and its like $20 to run down and rent one for the day.



[This message has been edited by Texaggie7nine (edited 11/16/2007 1:49p).]

Thanks folks. I have a pressure washer but apparently it isn't completely up to the job of getting my second story.

The mildew is up high with no plants nearby, and almost every light colored home in the area seems to have some, so it isn't uncommon here apparently.

I tried some stuff I bought a Lowes, but it doesn't really seem to be working. Think I might try diluted bleach next, but I have a flowerbed under one side.

I guess a rented power washer might have more umph, and I'll need it, I've got 11 foot ceilings on both stories, so this is up there quite a ways...

I helped out my brother who had a 2 story with it. We used a step ladder to get up into the top.

We used a 10 percent bleach 90 percent water mix and that does the job. We get mildew each year at the farm. We just soak it with the bleach water mix in one of those plant pesticide sprayers, let it sit about 30 minutes then pressure wash it like crazy.

Consan Triple Action 20 works too

I had that problem and had some guys that left a card on my door do it. He did it for pretty cheap and it looks good.

I also had a power washer with the extender but they did it way better than I could have.

He speaks no English but does great work.