Block Paving (Again)

[Tony Angelino]

Evening all, after looking back through via the search function for block paving related threads there doesn't seem to be any definitive guide for cleaning general grime off block paving.

Ours has been down since before we moved in and has the usual crap on/in it (muck, grime, moss growing in cracks etc) and never really had a clean. This morning we have had a half arsed attempt at cleaning it with the jet washer (water only) and metal brush for the cracks (brush only used in the horizontal gaps and not the vertical ones as we run out of time today). We thought we had done a reasonable job but when the blocks have dries its become pretty obvious that we've missed loads more than we've cleaned and it looks more of a mess than before we started. Pics make it look slightly worse than it actually is.

Can anybody give me any pointers please? Any chemicals/cleaners etc? Any tips or tricks we can use or is it just a matter of slogging through it?

thanks in advance.

[skilly1]

Using the patio cleaing head makes a huge difference, plus easier and faster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_IXlVI-mFE

[Tony Angelino]

skilly1 said:

Using the patio cleaing head makes a huge difference, plus easier and faster:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_IXlVI-mFE

Looks just what we need. It;s a borrowed Karcher we are using. I'm off to check eBay now.....

thanks

[Piersman2]

Buy a pressure washer and look forward to hours of being wet and covered in dirt, sand, moss and other assorted weeds bits.

Mine had been down for 5 years and was getting to look a bit like yours. I paid my two lads to pressure wash it, brick by brick. It took them 3 days, but was worth spending the time on, it came up like new and returned the front of the house to brand new condition.

Just go over it with the kiln dried sand when it has dried out and done.

[Evolved]

Hire a pro high pressure drive way cleaner. It'll make short work of it and bring it up like new, you'll have to resand after but the results will be worth it.

[Wacky Racer]

A bag of KILN DRIED silica sand from Wickes at less than a fiver goes a L O N G way....

[jules_s]

I'd give Patio Magic a go..

[Tony Angelino]

Thanks, we're using a borrowed washer so buying one could be the way - would probably get more use out of it for windows, decking etc. Drive is about 50m2 and decking is about 30m2 so would something like this be powerful enough or do I need to be spending on something more powerful (or is that a daft question!):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B009QX8AO...

Can the Patio Magic be used with this?

And daft question, the kiln dried sand is for sweeping into the cracks after cleaning and drying?

ta

[Wacky Racer]

Tony Angelino said:

And daft question, the kiln dried sand is for sweeping into the cracks after cleaning and drying?

Yes, simply throw a few handfuls around and brush it in.

Some recommend finishing with sealer, but I've never bothered.

[Sir Bagalot]

Wacky Racer said:

Some recommend finishing with sealer, but I've never bothered.

I didn't bother neither.

2.5 years later it needs redoing.

This time I'll be sealing it

[Kinkell]

Blaster nozzle on pressure washer does the job. Brush kiln dried sand into clean joints and then you can seal the sand and surface. Patio magic will help maintain the look by killing the new moss which is actually unkillable.

[Kneetrembler]

Evolved said:

Hire a pro high pressure drive way cleaner. It'll make short work of it and bring it up like new, you'll have to resand after but the results will be worth it.

Thats what I did with mine, had a professional guy in with his steam cleaning head on his machine and one very large driveway and pation steamed in a morning and all looking like new, just needs re-sanding now.

[LeadFarmer]

Applying Resiblok sealant to a newly laid block paved driveway prevents any cleaning or weeding being required.

[Wacky Racer]

LeadFarmer said:

Applying Resiblok sealant to a newly laid block paved driveway prevents any cleaning or weeding being required.

I'll give it a try then.

http://www.resiblock.com/

[Evolved]

Just looked at the price of that resiblock and if my maths are correct (may not be), it's the same price to coat as it would be to buy the blocks again.


My new driveway is around 100m2, so with a coverage of 10mtr per 25l, it'd cost £2k just to seal it.
Are those number correct?

Edited by Evolved on Monday 23 May 06:17

[worsy]

I've got one of these http://www.powerbrush.co.uk/index_files/Powerbrush... to keep my drive nice. You can hire them too.

[MDMA .]

Evolved said:

Just looked at the price of that resiblock and if my maths are correct (may not be), it's the same price to coat as it would be to buy the blocks again.


My new driveway is around 100m2, so with a coverage of 10mtr per 25l, it'd cost £2k just to seal it.
Are those number correct?

Edited by Evolved on Monday 23 May 06:17

application reads : 25 litres will do 50sq.m. @ 2 coats. so you will need 2 x 25L tubs @ 211.75 per tub, 423.50 in total.

expensive for sealer. cheaper ones out there. buy direct from a paint specialist. pattern concrete / block sealer can be had for a lot less.

[Evolved]

MDMA . said:

application reads : 25 litres will do 50sq.m. @ 2 coats. so you will need 2 x 25L tubs @ 211.75 per tub, 423.50 in total.

expensive for sealer. cheaper ones out there. buy direct from a paint specialist. pattern concrete / block sealer can be had for a lot less.

Where did you read that? Thought it sounded rubbish for coverage.

It is still dear though like you say, especially as if need to buy the sandstone sealer for the back as well.

[Tony Angelino]

Gone for the Karcher K2 Compact from Amazon with patio cleaner and Dirtblaster, it arrives tomorrow. Think I will give the Karcher wood and patio cleaner a go first of all, before moving onto the more hardcore cleaning suggestions. The jet wash I used yesterday was a borrowed Karcher KB5050 that's fairly old so hopefully this with the patio cleaner will give us enough power to do the job.

Planning to have a good crack at the block paving on Friday and then the patio. Will try do some 'after' pics when I've had a go.

[Tony Angelino]

Karcher K2 is a cracking piece of kit, one of the attachments almost doubles the pressure and that blasted the moss and other crap out of the block paving joints with ease. Didn't find the patio attachment much use on the block paving, but it worked much better on the stone flags at the back of the house. Took a bit of a while to get the hang of it, you have to sort of hover it over the patio and not use the brushes to scrub.

Below is the pic from tonight after brushing in KD sand: