try these steps for either vinyl siding or decking (as I did) *latex paint - when paint is wet: start with 100% rubbing alcohol and dilute with tap water at max 50/50 on a white cotton rag and wipe surface when paint is dry: use 100% acetone (e.g., nail polish remover) and dilute with tap water at max 50/50, with same type rag vigorously wipe then - since paint will have been spread around (looking like a stain) - use Goo Gone (what I had) and finish the rest until clean, should be now nearly spotless *oil-based paint - for wet or dry oil-based paint, start with 100% acetone (e.g., nail polish remover) and dilute with tap water at max 50/50 on a white cotton rag, vigorously wipe surface if stain from paint is still apparent, use Goo Gone and finish the rest until clean, nearly spotless I tried a lot of different solutions, literally, except for those that research had informed would be ineffective for what I was doing or would damage the surface (powerwashing, abrasive scrubbing with fine steel / plastic type scrubbers) This post was edited by craig1721 on Sat, Oct 18, 14 at 16:05

Hello...Had to do the same as you and recaulk shower walls to bathtub and used a good commercial bathroom cleaner and a scotch brite pad and scrubbed well. Rinse clean and then dried with a towel, I then used 100% acetone on a rag to clean the region to be caulked, but check first to make sure the acetone won't dissolve your tub surround material! Use a q-tip in a tiny out of the way spot and rub surface to see if it attacks the plastic...if it dulls it or comes off on the q-tip then use alcohol instead. I did this twice, then blowed dried the joint well with hot hair dryer to make sure no water was present. Then used a bathroom grade 100% silicone caulk which prevents mildew from forming. Read the labels carefully as many silicone products don't retard mildew growth...it should say bathroom on the label. Best regards, Mark in Buffalo

Digging up this old post in the hopes the OP sees it and can update with product used and what degree of success, or anyone else with updated info. As OP stated info online is conflicting at best. We have 3 cypress porches around our house, decking with hidden fasteners and T&G ceilings, Douglas fir posts.. We have had no issue with mold/mildew on any of the ceilings. The decking and posts however have been a disaster, posts almost black, decking not quite as bad but bad. We are in western NC mountains at the edge of a temperate rain forest. Decks and posts were treated at install with Penofin Red Label Clear - seemed like a great idea at the time. Ceilings were treated with Australian timber Oil Clear but I don't know if it's the product that has kept them mold/mildew free or because they don't get wet like the decks and posts. We scrubbed decks and posts last weekend with a detergent/TSP/bleach mix, then power washed with clear water. Decks look great, posts are significantly better, might need another round. Do we use the Australian Timber Oil and hope it works as well as it has on the ceilings? Research has turned up some people saying that oil products actually give the mold/mildew something to feed on and acrylic products are better. There's not a lot of info out there for cypress but it's still a rabbit hole. Leaving them untreated is not an option given our climate. They need some protection from water and significant southern sun. If anyone has specific product recommendations I'd appreciate it. We have some unused boards and can test if need be.

Most windows are better than Andersen. They're overpriced garbage living off of their name. I've been installing Softlite windows for over 20 years. I have also installed Marvin, Simonton, Thermal (now out of business), Crestline, Alside and a few other of brand windows. I personally use Alside windows for my business but mainly subcontract for a company that uses Softlite. Softlite would be my second choice out of all of them. Marvin's are probably the best windows of the bunch but definitely not worth the extra cost. Especially if you plan to move in 15 years. New construction type windows are great but can cause a world id issues if not installed 100%correctly. It also adds a major headache and a lot of expense in the future for the new owners or you if you end up staying. If it were me, I would save some cash and have the builders build buck frames and use replacement type windows. Since you're starting with a clean slate you can usually get a better fit and better insulated opening doing it that way.