Every deck owner occasionally has to deal with cleaning green algae, mold, and mildew from a wooden deck. If you let it grow, your backyard will not only seem messy and uninviting, but green decking may become slick and dangerous and even weaken the deck’s foundation. Learning how to get green stains off pressure treated wood allows you to keep your home’s deck and patio furniture spotless and safe.
Decks frequently grow green algae, mold, and mildew due to moisture becoming trapped in the wood; therefore, cleaning green algae off wood is essential. It’s important to understand what to watch the wood for and how to get rid of green algae on wood from a wood deck if you hope to build a deck or already own one.
Use simple home hacks with familiar products like distilled white vinegar and oxygen bleach or power washing to keep your pressure treated patio and furniture looking good all year round.
How to Get Rid of Green Algae on Wood
Learning how to get green stains off pressure treated wood doesn’t have to be challenging. Some DIY enthusiasts make the mistake of thinking pressure treatment will save their wood boards from green stains; unfortunately, this isn’t true.
Remove unsightly marks to make your patio a pleasant place to be. While pressure treated wood does tend to last longer, it still falls victim to algae, mold, and mildew, causing green staining. Check out helpful home remedies for cleaning green algae off wood.
The Importance of Getting Green Stains Off Treated Wood
Green mold, mildew, or algae growth appear on wood in wet, shaded regions. Green mold ranges from black to green and will stain pressure treated wood. It often starts as dark spots before becoming fuzzy or slimy. Fungi and algae coexist on many surfaces.
Mildew typically starts as yellow spots, then changes to a grayish-white color with a brown or green tint. Mold attacks the inside of a wood deck board, not just the surface, whereas mildew remains on the wood surface and covers it. They both develop in comparable damp, dark circumstances.
Paint pressure treated wood and untreated wood to help prevent discoloration. Use an appropriate primer before you paint or stain pressure treated lumber. Painting pressure treated decking adds a personal touch and protects the wood fiber.
Though chromate copper arsenate or CCA treated wood is less susceptible to mold and algae, it has health and safety implications and is not an ideal solution or choice to replace your wood deck boards.
How to Get Green Stains Off Pressure Treated Wood
Distilled white vinegar is an outstanding cleaning fluid to remove green stains from a lighter-colored wooden deck like one built from Southern pine wood. The acetic acid in white vinegar penetrates the timber and wipes out mold, mildew, and algae at the roots.
Pour the vinegar mixture into a spray canister after you mix your own deck cleaning solution. Apply it liberally to the entire deck or areas with mold or mildew. To prevent the vinegar solution from drying out, work on a section at a time if the mold area is extensive. Use a scrub brush or broom with firm bristles to eliminate the fungus. Rinse the wood in clean water.
Cleaning Green Algae Off Wood With Your Pressure Washer
Clean the green mold off your deck with a power washer and detergent. If you don’t have a power washer at home, rent or borrow one. After clearing the deck surface of any leaves, twigs, or dirt, remove all furniture and appliances.
Read the owner’s instructions before adding a cleaning agent or detergent to the power washer. Use the recommended soap-dispensing nozzle, start pressure washing at the furthest edge or corner, and spread the solution evenly across the planks. Thoroughly clean the deck.
The Best Way to Get Green Stains Out of Wood
Oxygen bleach is a biodegradable and environmentally safe way to kill bacteria and fungi. Mix an oxygen bleach-based cleaner to get rid of green stains.
Use a mop, bucket, spray bottle, or pump sprayer to apply this mixture that kills green algae on a wood deck. Work the cleaner into the wood surface with a scrub brush, and let it sit for 15 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. This is also an excellent treatment against wood mites and termites, although you will need to add a few steps to the process for ultimate success.
People have used chlorine bleach for years to get rid of mold and mildew, but using it outside is discouraged because of environmental issues. You can eliminate the fungus using conventional bleach, but the lignin holding the wood fiber together sustains damage from the chemical.
Removing Green Mold From Wood With Deck Cleaner
If you prefer to use a store-bought product, pick up a wood cleaner from the hardware store. Choose a safe product like Simple Green Wood Surface Cleaner to remove green streaks from your deck without putting your family or wildlife at risk.
Be sure to choose a cleaner appropriate for the type of wood and wood finish on your patio, just like the way to remove water stains from wood floors and deck boards. Read the product label and follow the directions to ensure you get the best result without damaging your wooden deck.
Find out how to get rid of green algae on wood to keep your pressure treated deck and outdoor furniture clean and presentable. Slippery, slimy, or fuzzy green stains on your patio boards and furniture are offputting.
Whether you have a pale Southern yellow pine deck or a darker deck stain finish, it’s prudent to understand how to remove a green wood stain.
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