Oil Base & Mildew

Friday, March 23, 2007

One of the most common problems that many homeowners are not aware of is that mildew is attracted to most oil base paints. Oil base use to be the number 1 product of choice for all exterior projects, but in recent years, more paint stores and contractors are discouraging their clients from using oil base paint. The oils always look the nicest when used by a professional, but they just breakdown quickly and attract mildew. The best thing for a home’s exterior or bathroom areas is to switch to a mildew resistant paint and/or acrylic products. All water-base (acrylic) paints do not attract mildew.

There are several things that can be done if you have a mildew problem:

Clean The Surface

Clean the surfaces with a mixture of bleach and water. If you are concerned about delicate landscaping, you can probably purchase a biodegradable mildew remover from your local hardware store. However, Bleach and Water still work the best. To avoid damaging your plants, you can quickly rinse them with water. Sometimes, little or now scrubbing is needed on the painted surface.

Sand the Surface

If the surfaces are smooth or have an oil enamel, clean them first and then give them a very good sanding before applying any top coats.

Sealers & Top Coats

There are a number of excellent top coats or sealers to help prevent mildew from returning. There is a clear sealer called Mildew Sealer available in San Diego that helps seal any mildew problem (even if you could not remove all the mildew first). The second product of choice is called, Perma-White from Zinsser. We have had great success using the Perma-White product and highly recommend giving it a try. This product acts as a sealer and a top coat. It can even be painted directly over an oil base finish whereas most other acrylic paints need a primer.

If you are not a Do It Yourself homeowner and have questions about your mildew issues, please for assistance.