When I returned from Arizona there was a large pile of crushed rock beside my front porch. I could not think of why someone would pour crushed rock there or what it was for. On closer examination there was a hole under the stoop. It was becoming clear that an animal was carving out a den under the front porch. In removing the gravel I found that 6 five gallon buckets full had been removed from under the front porch. Occasionally over the years, chipmunks had made their homes under the porch but they only removed about two cups of gravel.
I was not sure what animal was preparing to move in. It could be an opossum, a racoon, a skunk, or a rabbit. I did not want to poke around the hole in case a family of skunks had moved in. I poured two buckets of gravel over the hole so the animal could not come and go easily. I watched every few hours and after two days I saw a fat brown rabbit sitting about four feet away from the gravel I had poured into the hole. I was then quite certain that the animal preparing to move in was not a skunk.
I shoveled as much of the gravel back into the hole as I could. I then bought two bags of cement to make a more permanent seal. I mixed the cement and poured it into the opening. So far the rabbit has not returned, but if he does I don’t think he will be able to get under my porch without a jackhammer.
Rough moving sliding screen door
My neighbor has a sliding screen door that did not slide smoothly because the bottom track was damaged. I was able to find a replacement track on Amazon. It comes as a six-foot length and simply needs to be cut to the proper length and set into the channel in the door sill.
Mold and Algae Stains on Siding
We have had a very wet spring that has left dark stains on the siding of many houses. The stains are mold and/or algae. It grows best on the north side of the house because that side is away from the sun.
There is a product that will solve this problem easily. It is a product called Wet and Forget. It removes moss, mold, mildew, and algae stains gently over time from roofs, concrete, brick, siding, tennis courts, awnings, boat sails, and wood decks without scrubbing or pressure washing.
To use the product dilute 1 part Wet & Forget to 5 parts water. Apply it with a garden sprayer. You should apply Wet & Forget to a dry surface to get the best penetration. Total saturation of the surface with Wet & Forget is essential to obtain good results with the moss, mold, mildew or algae stains. It’s best applied on a cool dry day with no rain for four to five hours after application. Morning or evening is best. This will ensure that the surface being treated stays wet for an extended period.
After the first application, use Wet & Forget as a maintenance tool. Re-apply at the first sign of re-growth. If an area is particularly bad, another application should be made approximately one month from the first application. Vertical surfaces that don’t have good exposure to the elements might require some assistance using either a water hose or a light brushing.
Wet & Forget’s gentle cleaning action takes time but won’t damage any exterior surface. Just apply Wet & Forget to any exterior surface and forget about it. Mother Nature does the rest. The wind and rain gently clean the surface.
With a pH of 8, Wet & Forget is close to neutral. Most moss, mold, mildew and algae removal products are either highly acidic (pH 1) like vinegar or highly caustic (pH 12) like bleach. Caustic or acidic products can damage the surface being cleaned. Wet & Forget is very gentle and safe to apply to any outdoor surface.Results can be seen within days for those less contaminated areas and over several months for more distressed areas.
Wet & Forget has been used residentially and commercially for over 30 years in New Zealand and Australia. It has only been available in the United States since 2005. It has been used successfully on big jobs like the building exteriors at Sea World in Florida. It can be purchased at Ace Hardware. I have used it and it worked very well. It is quick and easy to apply.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
