Green Driveway and patio

[PhilÃÂÂÂ]

Hello

A few years ago, I got a pressure washer and gave it a little try on the back patio. It did a good job, but you have to do the whole lot once you start.

Since I have done this, it gets green very easily and now I have to do it every year at least. I noticed a section I have never done, never gets as bad as the area I have been jetting.

Now, two questions, did I knacker some sort of coating or protection by doing it the first time, and that's why it now has to be done every year??. If so, can I get some sort of liquid I can now spray, paint, pour onto it to protect against the green coming back???

Regards for any help

Phil

[Roger Mills]

Some people pay a lot of money for green drives, and you got yours for free!

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well brick acid keeps the moss and so on away but instead of green..mine goes RED. Different lichen. Looks like dried blood.

So try a bit of acid to alter the Ph. should keep the green away.

[PhilÃÂÂÂ]

Ok, Acid???. I pick this up in Tesco's?? In the Acids isle

[Phil]

2= [e-mail]...

Some brands of bleach are in fact hydrochloric acid. Otherwise, go to your local builder's merchant and ask for brick acid (read the warnings/instructions)

[PhilÃÂÂÂ]

Some brands of bleach are in fact hydrochloric acid. Otherwise, go to your local builder's merchant and ask for brick acid (read the warnings/instructions)

Cheers for that.

Have just come back, and have some Brick Acid. Says trade only. lol. This will be fun, hope my cats keep off it before they burn their feet off.

[Ian_m]

Yes you will have jet washed the top layer away providing a firmer and more dirty collecting finish for algae/moss to grow. I find the liquid patio cleaners best, brush on, cup of tea, brush/wash off, less damaging to patio. I am sure someone once posted that Jeyes fluid does just as well and that they spray/brush each autumn and it keeps the green at bay over winter meaning a simple brush down is all that is necessary in sprint.

Don't use brick acid/cleaner, if your patio is cement slabs and you have cement joints it will etch the cement away.

Lots here.

[ARWadsworth]

Some brands of bleach are in fact hydrochloric acid. Otherwise, go to your local builder's merchant and ask for brick acid (read the warnings/instructions)

It would not be bleach if it was acid. Bleach is alkaline.

Adam

[The Medway Handyman]

Errrm don't think so. Bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite. If you mix it with hydrochloric (or any strong acid) you liberate chlorine gas.

Household bleach diluted about 10-1 will keep algae at bay.

[PhilÃÂÂÂ]

Just to c Stong Acid based brick cleaner. Has a Corrosive sign with a number 8 under it Says it is a acid based cleaner with 16.6% HCL ???

[ARWadsworth]

No mention of the word bleach on the packaging then?

Adam

[The Natural Philosopher]

Builders merchants, in the 'things to mix with concrete' aisle

Or in tescos, as vinegar. Or descaler.

Or vomit on it after eating anything you bought at Tescos.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Doubtful. Vomit is about 20% hydrochloric acid.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Some, not all.