More - exterior surface mold

[Wetstuff]

I have been working like a fool for parts of the last couple of weeks to take a 2002 exterior that has not seen any care, with the exception of one small test someone must have done ..then walked away, likely at the size of the task. I can see a finish line about a week away. I've cleaned, and cleaned again, and gone thru three fine grits to get to the compound/wool buffer stage - only to be set back by finding more mold after bringing up gloss.

Unlike the typical boat, this surface is thinly gel-coated so the surface cannot be made perfectly flat; the matt cloth is clearly visible. And, you cannot simply pad or sand the craters.

This time I tried something that did not need a 3M pad: Peroxide. It's the same stuff I used to completely remove the water stain in the fuzzy ceiling. It's 40% sold by Sally Beauty Supply (much stronger, it will burn your skin) in a creme that does not dry so quickly.

Still, it dries, so I attempted to use Saran Wrap (like I did inside) to keep it. Fail. It's too much a chore to handle the wrap in a breeze and it did not stick to the surface very well.

But, it worked without all the @#*" labor needed to pad the whole thing. The second pic shows the before under the window sill - I left it on overnight and simply washed it off. That section is clean now.


Jim

[Wetstuff]

I am on to Mystic compound with a 7" wool pad. But, as soon as an area looks good - more of that dingy yellow in the grain of the fiberglass matt is visible. Rather than fiddle with a 2" brush, I've switched to a roller to cover a larger area. This peroxide went on at 5pm - I'll see what I get overnight.

Jim

[BobC]

I wonder if, instead of Saran Wrap, you could tape a piece of polyethylene drop cloth over the area, sealing the edges with tape to retard the drying. You could do a larger area and it would stay in place.

[Wetstuff]

Good idea, Bob. Ya, you'd imagine that would retard evaporation. This roller application w/o covering seems to be working Ok also. Leaving it overnight here is an automatic humidity bath. ....this 'buffing' job is far more challenging than I anticipated.

Jim