Log Home Mold and Mildew

Log home mold and mildew are signs that moisture could be getting under the stain and causing the logs to deteriorate. They are also signs that you might be getting water infiltration through a check, joint or the stain is failing.

The north side of any log home is the main side you will find them growing on so take a little extra time on that side looking for signs. The problem is that the logs are staying wet to long and giving the mold and mildew spores a chance to grow. The logs aren't getting any direct sunlight on them which would help to dry them out and prevent this growth.

Other areas to watch would be where you have any shrubs, bushes or small trees that are growing to close to your home. You need to leave plenty of room between the home and any vegetation you have. This allows the air to circulate over the logs to help them dry.

Once log home mold and mildew starts to grow it will eventually ruin the stain and could lead to the logs developing Log Rot. What happens is the mold and mildew will get under the stain and lift it off of the log. Once this happens it is just a matter of time before the stain peels off leaving the logs without any protection from the weather.

If you find you have an area such as this you need to repair it as soon as possible. The fungus and the ruined stain need to be removed from the logs. After the area has been cleaned it needs to be treated to kill any remaining mold or mildew spores that might be living deep inside the wood.

Some applicators use bleach to kill the spores. This may be fine to kill the spores that are living on the surface but it won't get the ones that are living deep in the wood.

Bleach can also be kind of tricky to work with if you aren't use to it. If you don't get all of the bleach rinsed off of the logs the remaining bleach can eventually lift the new stain off. Then you are right back where you started from.

I don't use bleach for killing any log home mold and mildew that I might find while working on a log home. There are half a dozen products that I choose from to use, depending on what my stain application is going to be. The one thing that all of these products have in common is that they are all obsorbed deep into the wood to kill any living spores.

If the home owner is going with an oil based stain I have to use a product that is going to be compatible with it. The same goes if a water based stain is going to be used, what ever I use to kill the mold and mildew has to be compatible with the stain.

It's not hard to get rid of a mold or mildew problem if you develope one. On the same note try not to get one. Remember keep the vegetation trimmed back and make sure that you keep an eye on the north side of your home. If you think you have some signs of growth. DON'T WAIT!! Get after it.

If you want more information about log home mold and mildew or about the products I use to kill them please fill out the Information Contact Form below.

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