I recieved an e-mail about this so I thought it was good to start a conversation over here.
See attached pictures.
This is going to be a combination of three things. One or many or even a combo of the below.
1. Fungal Surface Degradation,
The weep holes allow for excessive moisture to be carried onto one spot and the fungus and mildew will grow more heavily there. The filament root system of the growth will actually eat down into and remove the paint or finish on the surface exposing lighter or even gray stucco, etc. below. These look like stains but are actually erosion left in the shape of the fungal stain.
There is no fix for this except for repainting the surface and in the future do not allow the fungal stains to get to the point of causing damages.
2. Metal Oxidation from Frames,
As the inside of the frames get moist from condensation they will oxidize. This oxidation the drains from the weep holes and settles onto the surface below.
A product like F9 Barq can help with removing 95% of the stain.
3. Hard Water Stain or Mineral Stain,
This is when adhesives or other building products leech off mineral or other waste products and they settle in the window frame box. Then seep out from the weep holes.
A product like F9 Efflo will likely remove these stains.
Window weep holes can be problematic and customers rarely understand the mechanics behind these stains. They only wonder why you a professional cannot remove the stains from their building. However, these are damages you uncover not damages you have caused. The real culprit here is the customer that procrastinated to have regular cleanings done and only engaged you when things were too bad to ignore.
# 2 and #3 answer should be flopped. Barc 9 for rust stains and efflo 9 for oxidation stains or efflorencence.
Troy Layman said
May 30, 2016
Great info AC. Big point to add is to make sure you tell your customers there may be hidden damage under these stains and this damage isn't something to be fixed by cleaning, but by painting or other processes. Telling customers this up front is easier than trying to explain it after the cleaning and looking like you are back peddling.
AC Lockyer said
May 30, 2016
Michael Derose wrote:
# 2 and #3 answer should be flopped. Barc 9 for rust stains and efflo 9 for oxidation stains or efflorencence.
Mike,
Rust stains are actually iron oxide. Oxidation of metals is best handled by F9 Barq. Mineral stains by F9 Efflo.
Thanks,
AC
Michael Derose said
May 31, 2016
Ok so f9 for rust and irrigation stain removal. We use it all the time. Thanks.
Tim Teed said
May 31, 2016
We clean mostly the rough surfaced stucco on residential homes. We pretty much know what we can and can not clean. The black stains where gutter butt the chimney clean very well. Around the window frames and shutters we tell homeowners it will lighten but not completely clean like a vinyl siding would. We tell them it is like getting a stain on your shirt. Every stain does not come out.
I recieved an e-mail about this so I thought it was good to start a conversation over here.
See attached pictures.
This is going to be a combination of three things. One or many or even a combo of the below.
1. Fungal Surface Degradation,
The weep holes allow for excessive moisture to be carried onto one spot and the fungus and mildew will grow more heavily there. The filament root system of the growth will actually eat down into and remove the paint or finish on the surface exposing lighter or even gray stucco, etc. below. These look like stains but are actually erosion left in the shape of the fungal stain.
There is no fix for this except for repainting the surface and in the future do not allow the fungal stains to get to the point of causing damages.
2. Metal Oxidation from Frames,
As the inside of the frames get moist from condensation they will oxidize. This oxidation the drains from the weep holes and settles onto the surface below.
A product like F9 Barq can help with removing 95% of the stain.
3. Hard Water Stain or Mineral Stain,
This is when adhesives or other building products leech off mineral or other waste products and they settle in the window frame box. Then seep out from the weep holes.
A product like F9 Efflo will likely remove these stains.
Window weep holes can be problematic and customers rarely understand the mechanics behind these stains. They only wonder why you a professional cannot remove the stains from their building. However, these are damages you uncover not damages you have caused. The real culprit here is the customer that procrastinated to have regular cleanings done and only engaged you when things were too bad to ignore.
AC
Mike,
Rust stains are actually iron oxide. Oxidation of metals is best handled by F9 Barq. Mineral stains by F9 Efflo.
Thanks,
AC