Jet washing
Most patios are not worn out, they are just wearing four winters of algae. Wash that off and you usually find the stone underneath is fine.
Best timeMarch to November
Patios, driveways, paths, decking and fence panels. The green film that makes a patio lethal in October is the first thing to go, and under it there is normally a surface in much better condition than anyone expected.
I match the pressure to what I am washing. Concrete and block paving will take plenty. Indian sandstone, old brick and timber decking will not, and going at those hard leaves scars and furred-up grain that no amount of washing puts back. If a surface is soft or the pointing is loose, I will tell you before I start rather than after.
Block paving loses jointing sand in the wash, so it needs brushing back in afterwards or the blocks start to move. Ask me about that when we talk the job through and we will sort out who is doing it.
Jet washing, before and after
Drag the handle, or use the arrow keys.
Questions people ask
- Will it damage my patio?
- Not if the pressure suits the surface. The damage people have seen is nearly always soft sandstone, old pointing or decking hit at full whack. I drop the pressure and change the tip for those, and if something is too far gone to wash safely I will say so.
- Do you need my water and electricity?
- Yes, an outside tap and an ordinary socket. It is not a heavy draw on either, but without a tap there is nothing to wash with.
- How long will a driveway take?
- It depends on the size and how bad it has got. Send me a photo and I will give you a proper answer before I come, rather than a number that turns out to be wrong on the day.
- Will the green come straight back?
- Not straight back. How long you get depends on shade and drainage more than anything else: a sunny open drive can look good for a couple of years, a damp shaded path under trees will start to turn again the following winter.