You could spend hours washing your house or commercial building and the hard landscape areas (such as concrete, decking and fences) only to find that in a month or 2, mould and grime have returned, especially in the areas that are damp and do not get a lot of sun.

Soft washing the surfaces with a wash-down product removes the unsightly surface mould and grime but because it doesn’t kill the spores, and the moulds will quickly multiply and regrow.

Learning how to treat mould is the best way to beat it and prevent it from coming back for longer.

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Managing and preventing mould around the exterior of your home with moss and mould treatment product

Moss and mould products are the best way to keep nasty fungus away because they work to kill the mould spores preventing re-growth. The product is also residual and remains on the surface so continues to work for a longer period of time.

There are several types of moulds that grow around the outside of homes and buildings and these are black, green and pink/orange mould. Once things get really bad, moss and lichen can begin to grow too.

If you have just soft washed the cladding on your house or building apply the moss and mould treatment product to the areas that are prone to mould. The same goes for decks, paths, concrete, fences and any other surfaces outside that have mould or are prone to mould.

It is a good idea to re-treat the areas once or twice a year depending on how prone to mould the area is. When it comes to painted or coated surfaces moulds hold moisture on the surface longer, promoting further growth which increases the risk of damage to the the integrity of painted surfaces.

Pink/orange mould is the worst type when it comes to compromising the paint and a normal house wash cleaning product alone will not remove it. If you want to remove it instantly you will need to apply a concentrated mix of moss and mould killer, gently scrub the area before treating it again with the moss and mould killer.

Alternatively, you can just treat it and it will clean up over the next week or two. If it is particularly bad, you may need to apply a booster treatment after the first few weeks if it is not cleaning up.

As a rule of thumb treating mould-prone areas and getting ahead of the mould before it gets bad is recommended.

The best time to apply a mould treatment product is Autumn and winter and if needed again, in Spring. These seasons are typically when we get less sun and more rainfall. Throw in a few warm days into the mix and moulds will flourish, growing even faster.

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Areas you can treat with moss and mould killer

The product can be applied to a vast array of surfaces. Just check that the product you have brought does not contain bleach and that it is suitable for the surfaces you are going to apply it to. Common areas it can be used for are:

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Instructions for treating mould-prone areas

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Step 1 – Get organised with the right equipment; we recommend:

● Hose

● Moss and mould treatment product which you can buy at your local hardware store. If you are buying a concentrated product you will need a mechanism to apply the product such as

● You may also need a ladder for applying the cleaning product to higher-up areas.

● Safety glasses and gloves.

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Step 2 – Get your house prepared

● Ensure that there is no washing on the line or it may get product on it

● If there are potted plants or furniture close to the house, it is a good idea to move these away from the house. Also, remove any shoes, doormats, or anything else that you don’t want to get wet.

● Go around and check all windows and doors are tightly closed. If your windows and doors are old (particularly if they are wooden). It’s a good idea to put towels down in case they leak.

● If you have cats or dogs, ensure they are inside or in a place where they feel safe. Water blasters can be noisy, and this can be pretty scary so making sure your fur baby feels safe and secure is something we do strongly advise. The same thing goes for any other animals like cats, caged feather babies (birds) or those oh so cute guinea pigs or bunny rabbits.

● If you have fishponds close to the house, you should cover these.

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Step 3  - Apply the cleaning product  

You will find instructions and tips on how to wash cladding here

Step 4 – Apply the treatment product.  

Mix up your moss and mould product. If you have brought the product ready-mixed attach the applicator to the house as per the instructions on the bottle.

Apply the product to the area with a pump sprayer or the applicator that comes with the bottle in even strokes. Start at the top if you are treating, cladding, fences or retaining walls etc and work your way down. Leave the product on the surfaces to work its magic. It can take 1 to 14 days to work. If the area is particularly bad you may need to apply a booster treatment if it has not cleaned up properly after 14 days.

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TIPS

Applying the product

When it comes to purchasing and applying the treatment product you have a few options:

Option one is buying the product with an applicator attached to the bottle. This attaches to the hose and most applicators will enable you to reach up to 2 stories high without a ladder. Check the instructions on the label to check how high the brand’s applicator will enable you to get.

Option two is to use a spray pump bottle to apply the product. This won’t give you the reach mentioned in option one, however, if you only have small areas to treat and you do not need a lot of height reach a spray pump bottle might be all you need.

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Check concentration rates in the ingredients

You can buy the product in larger concentrated quantities such as 4 and 5 Litres and mix this with water which will be a lot cheaper and provide you with a lot more product. If you purchase the product in a bottle with an applicator attached to it you can just keep refilling the bottle from your larger concentrated container.

Some treatment products are more diluted than others so check the price per litre of the diluted solution. E.g the purchase price divided by the amount of diluted solution when it’s made up.

Whether you are buying the product ready-mixed, off- the-shelf or buying a concentrated option check the percentage of the active ingredient when the product it made up and ready

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