Outdoor Living & Lifestyles - algae and mildew on brick, wood, concrete

I live in the Texas Gulf Coast and mildew and algae growth on my house, patio and driveway is getting out of hand. How do I remove and inhibit future growth of algae and mildew?

There are many good oxygenating bleach cleaners for siding, patio, and driveway. Zinnser's JOMAX House Cleaner and Mildewcide is effective. http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=65

If surfaces lend themselves to pressure washing, the cleaner can be used in the washer. If doing by hand, wet surfaces, and use garden sprayer to apply cleaner. Long handled scrub brush can be used.

Surfaces in shaded areas that stay wet longer tend to be victims of mildew and fungus. These areas tend to be higher maintenance due to the need for frequent cleaning. Removing trees and/or selectively pruning branches to allow more sunlight and air circulation into the areas would be helpful.

Copper is good at controlling mildew and algae especially if you get it on your roof. A strand (or a couple strands spaced every few feet) of bare copper wire run across your roof can keep the shingles looking clean. The new copper wire really shines in the sun but after a few weeks it tarnishes to almost black and is much less noticable.

Many newer shingles contain copper to make them resistant to algae and mildew growth.

Zinc and copper are both good way to prevent mold and mildew on shingles. The strip of zonc/copper is pplaced under the top row of shingles leaving an inch or two exposed to the weather. It prevents mildew but takes a long time to kill existing mildew.