Black Specks On Siding?

So you noticed the tiny black dots on your siding and thought that must be bird poop or something right? Not so! That is actually something called Artillery Fungus and it isn’t coming off. Sorry, but it is what it is… Say hello to Artillery Fungus!!

The dark spots you see on your siding is a wood-decaying fungus and it does not care if you have wood, vinyl, or hard-plank siding it will latch onto it. This fungus comes from the mulch in your flower beds. Chances are if you have mulch around your house you have Artillery Fungus growth. It is almost always found in what they call non-composted mulch because the non-composted mulch does not go through the burning process that would typically neutralize the fungus.

To get a little scientific connected to the fruiting bodies are these things called spore masses that are a very dark brown at the tops. The spore masses in nature launch out of the fruiting bodies toward the sun. Around your home, however, the fungus perceives your bright-colored siding as sunlight. The spores subsequently shoot out toward the bottom of the house, mistaking your home as a good place to begin to reproduce.

The tiny black dots that you see resemble an actual shotgun spread pattern. Once it lands on the siding of a home and sits their, it will go into a dormant phase. This stuff is extremely sticky and while you can top the top of the spores off the underside has become nearly impossible to completely remove.

Any type of worthwhile removal process is all but not happening and any result will almost certainly be damaged siding. Pressure washing is definitely not the answer here for Artillery Fungus removal (remember it is a pressure washing wand not a magic wand). Treating the artillery fungus requires the use of a steel cloth, abrasive scrub pad or chemical such as lacquer thinner and all will surely smudge the color on your siding.

BEWARE of any pressure washing company that claims to be able to remove artillery completely. Long story short, this is not happening!

The best way to prevent artillery mold is to keep mulch away from your home. Use rocks or pine tags in place of any mulch. That will guarantee that you do not have Artillery Fungus. Thank you for reading our blog post here. Zap It Wash is a professional pressure washing company with 20 years of real-world experience. We don’t wash on the weekends for beer money. We are a licensed and insured company who can remove mold, mildew, algae, dirt and spider webbing like nobody’s business because that’s how we role.

Have you ever painted over a dirty surface? You MUST clean surfaces prior to painting that will crack or chip if it is applied over dirt and grime that paint adheres too. If you are painting the exterior of your home, the first step is to ensure that you have the exterior surface cleaned so the paint will go on smoothly and last much longer. We can handle this perfectly.

Pressure washing is more thorough and effective than other ways of washing your home, such as hand-scrubbing or brushing the entire surface. Also, washing your home with a pressure washer takes significantly less time than scrubbing by hand and contrary to what you may think scrubbing by hand is not the best way. You can damage the oxidation layer on the surface and when your siding dries it will be blotchy and permanently ruined.

All homeowners take pride in ownership returning after their home is pressure washed professionally. There’s no better feeling to pull into your driveway and see a clean, well taken care of home. Who doesn’t love having the best looking home in the neighborhood? We all do!

While not all pressure washing methods are the same, our process at Zap It Wash is 100% safe for the environment. Our cleansers are tough enough to cut through dirt and grime, but also completely biodegradable and safe for all pets, plants, and wildlife around your home.

At Zap It Wash, we want our local homeowners to know and experience all the benefits of our professional pressure washing abilities. While some are visible, like restoring the appearance of your siding, others are felt over time, like the increase in property value. We’re here to help if you need us.