Paint over red Algae ??

abnormalnorman

hi.

i was planning on painting my house next week, but noticed there are patches of red Algae on the west and south walls. not too bad but there all the same. the walls have never been painted before. Normal plaster.

would i get away with just giving this red Algae a quick rub of the wire brush, and painting over (probably 3 coats in total)?

or do i need to do the recommended spray with special stuff, leave for 2 days and powerhose ? if i need to do this then I won't get chance to paint it for another few months (as ill be back to work )

Cantona's Collars

Spray it with bleach,leave for a day or so and wash off as much as you can.

You can paint over what's left as the bleach will have killed it. There's stuff in most outdoor paint to stop it growing but you're better off topping the paint up with more that can be bought in any decent hardware store.

listermint

Id check outside for cracks in the render. Also check the Sofia and Fascia above the area for damage. Also check that your gutters are cleaned out. check roof tiles for damage.

The mould is moisture related. It could be peoples breath and poor ventilation or could also be water ingress from outside.

wait4me

I think that these are outside walls if he is suggesting power hosing

Cerco

listermint wrote: »

Id check outside for cracks in the render. Also check the Sofia and Fascia above the area for damage. Also check that your gutters are cleaned out. check roof tiles for damage.

The mould is moisture related. It could be peoples breath and poor ventilation or could also be water ingress from outside.

Interesting! So algae on an outside wall could indicate moisture on the inside of a wall leaching out?

dok_golf

Cerco wrote: »

Interesting! So algae on an outside wall could indicate moisture on the inside of a wall leaching out?

What???

dok_golf

abnormalnorman wrote: »

hi.

i was planning on painting my house next week, but noticed there are patches of red Algae on the west and south walls. not too bad but there all the same. the walls have never been painted before. Normal plaster.

would i get away with just giving this red Algae a quick rub of the wire brush, and painting over (probably 3 coats in total)?

or do i need to do the recommended spray with special stuff, leave for 2 days and powerhose ? if i need to do this then I won't get chance to paint it for another few months (as ill be back to work )

Hit it with a fungicide. Owatrol 007 is cheap and very effective. I can do a 2 storey house in less than an hour with a roller. It will provide peace of mind

abnormalnorman

dok_golf wrote: »

Hit it with a fungicide. Owatrol 007 is cheap and very effective. I can do a 2 storey house in less than an hour with a roller. It will provide peace of mind

Thanks. so i just roll it on. do i need to powerhose after? and how long before i can paint over it?

dok_golf

Roll it on, leave for 24 hrs ( or 48 better). If there is dirt at the bottom of the tray ( after applying fungicide) then power wash. If not, then paint. ( More than likely you'll have to powerwash though)

abnormalnorman

Thanks for the advice all. ill call into solicitor.