Having spent a couple of days getting wet whilst trying to clean the
summer's accumulation of green/black algae/gunge/dirt from the concrete
patio slabs with a pressure hose, I'm sure there must be an easier way.

Apart from paying someone else to do it, is there either an easier or
more permanent way to achieve the "new whiteish-grey slab" look?

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

Thanks al

--
Roger T

RdotTONKINatZETNETdotCOdotUK

"RogerT" wrote in message
.uk...
Having spent a couple of days getting wet whilst trying to clean the
summer's accumulation of green/black algae/gunge/dirt from the concrete
patio slabs with a pressure hose, I'm sure there must be an easier way.

Apart from paying someone else to do it, is there either an easier or
more permanent way to achieve the "new whiteish-grey slab" look?

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

Thanks al


Have you tried pointing the nozzle away from you?

IME you can take erode the top off slabs, it depends what they are made of.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

RogerT wrote:
Having spent a couple of days getting wet whilst trying to clean the
summer's accumulation of green/black algae/gunge/dirt from the
concrete patio slabs with a pressure hose, I'm sure there must be an
easier way.

Not really, although doing it with a stiff brush and some fairly strong
detergent will have the same outcome, I don't think it's much easier if you
have a large are to do.


Apart from paying someone else to do it, is there either an easier or
more permanent way to achieve the "new whiteish-grey slab" look?

see above, you need washing soda or something else alkali and fairly strong,
I don't reccomend caustic soda though, although they will look like brand
new when finished, the chemical, toxicity and danger implications outweigh
the benefits.

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

No, they are concrete and unless they are already damaged in some way, water
is not going to have any effect on them, well not in your lifetime anyway,
unless you plan on outliving the Galapagos Tortoise on todays news.

"Phil L" wrote in message
k...
..

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

No, they are concrete and unless they are already damaged in some way,
water is not going to have any effect on them, well not in your lifetime
anyway, unless you plan on outliving the Galapagos Tortoise on todays
news.

I have eroded concrete from a path ...oopsy :-(, so I dont see why you
couldnt erode concrete slabs either, it just depends what sort they are, and
how powerful the washer is. Some of the cheaper slabs are pretty soft.

--
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com

RogerT wrote:
Having spent a couple of days getting wet whilst trying to clean the
summer's accumulation of green/black algae/gunge/dirt from the
concrete patio slabs with a pressure hose, I'm sure there must be an
easier way.

Apart from paying someone else to do it, is there either an easier or
more permanent way to achieve the "new whiteish-grey slab" look?

For loose dirt a stiff yard brush and some elbow grease.

For algae we've used Algon over the last year. We find we need to do it
every 6 months - (limited) details here http://www.algonorganics.co.uk/ -
can be picked up in garden centres.

It's about £5.99 for 5 litres, you dilute it in water and spray it on and
leave it. Has worked well on our north facing slabbed back garden.

It's 'organic' - I think it smells quite vinegary. I was out on Sunday
giving it's autumn spray, and they've cleaned up well, but more importantly
aren't slippy any more.

It's not a permanent solution, but nothing is - if you've got a darkish damp
area you're going to get algae.

--
NK
Follow spamtrap instructions to reply

Tumbleweed wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
k...
.

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

No, they are concrete and unless they are already damaged in some
way, water is not going to have any effect on them, well not in your
lifetime anyway, unless you plan on outliving the Galapagos Tortoise
on todays news.

I have eroded concrete from a path ...oopsy :-(, so I dont see why you
couldnt erode concrete slabs either, it just depends what sort they
are, and how powerful the washer is. Some of the cheaper slabs are
pretty soft.

The concrete on your path was probably exposed to frost prior to setting to
it's full strength, does it come up in small thin sheets?
Even the cheapest slabs are done in a mould, they are vibrated to remove air
bubbles, then are usually placed somewhere warmish but damp for a while
afterwards to allow the concrete to set, it takes upwards of ten days, any
frost in this time can cause small crystals of ice to form in the
surface(usually) , ice expands as you know and tiny hairline cracks form,
the jetwash does the rest...you can repair your path with a thin layer of
sand/cement and some unibond, preferably in late summer/autumn.

"Phil L" wrote in message
k...
Tumbleweed wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
k...
.

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

No, they are concrete and unless they are already damaged in some
way, water is not going to have any effect on them, well not in your
lifetime anyway, unless you plan on outliving the Galapagos Tortoise
on todays news.

I have eroded concrete from a path ...oopsy :-(, so I dont see why you
couldnt erode concrete slabs either, it just depends what sort they
are, and how powerful the washer is. Some of the cheaper slabs are
pretty soft.

The concrete on your path was probably exposed to frost prior to setting
to it's full strength, does it come up in small thin sheets?

No. If you get the jet of the water nozzle just right and close enough, its
just that its powerful enough to do damage. I dont think mine would be
powerful enough to damage pavement slabs for example, but those slabs for
the garden that are about £3 each, if you break those open they look pretty
fragile to me, I'm sure it would go through those. Dont have one to
experiment with though.

Tw

"Phil L" wrote in message
k...
RogerT wrote:
Having spent a couple of days getting wet whilst trying to clean the
summer's accumulation of green/black algae/gunge/dirt from the
concrete patio slabs with a pressure hose, I'm sure there must be an
easier way.

Not really, although doing it with a stiff brush and some fairly strong
detergent will have the same outcome, I don't think it's much easier if you
have a large are to do.


Apart from paying someone else to do it, is there either an easier or
more permanent way to achieve the "new whiteish-grey slab" look?

see above, you need washing soda or something else alkali and fairly strong,
I don't reccomend caustic soda though, although they will look like brand
new when finished, the chemical, toxicity and danger implications outweigh
the benefits.

Does the use of a pressure hose take the surface off the slabs and
eventually damage them beyond use?

No, they are concrete and unless they are already damaged in some way, water
is not going to have any effect on them, well not in your lifetime anyway,
unless you plan on outliving the Galapagos Tortoise on todays news.

Saw the tortoise eating hibiscus flowers..........maybe I'll start growing some
:~))
Jenny