[Doug Crf]

The eaves around our house are starting to discolor like may be starting to get woodrot or mold.Does any one have a tip on what I can do.I was thinking on painting the eaves but I think I will just be hiding the problem and it will come through the paint or continue to rot or mold under the paint.
I am wondering if it might just be stains,I probley need to climb up there and check it out.
Is there a type of paint that can be used to stop wood rot or mold?
Thanks Doug

[labman]

If a knife or nail shows the wood is solid, likely it is mildew or algae. Wash it with water with bleach added. Then apply a mildew resistant paint.

If it is soft, better remove the wood and replace it. Best idea is prefinished aluminum. I did my trim 20 years ago and haven't touched it since.

[kp2171]

Same happened with the house we bought 2 yrs ago... the eaves looked water damaged or mildewed when purchased, but there was no water getting to the undereaves, even in the hardest rains... and nothing lightened the wood either... not bleach, not oxalic acid...

Ended up stripping the outer layer off with an aggressive drill attachment that has rows of carbon filaments that spin... looks like a torture device.

Anyway, it gouges the wood in some places more than I'd like, but not so much that I couldn't tolerate it. After two new coats of stain the undereaves look great. Well see how they weather over time.

The one disadvantage to this method is it is killer on the back and cleans inch by inch. Took three separate days to run the length of the house and my back HATED me for it. Add that to the fun of wearing safety glasses and a mask in the summer heat and I was all funned out in no time. So we only did a main section that is public. Next summer will spend too many hours cleaning the rest of the undereaves.

But it did look great.