Slppy green algae on block paving, removal

[p.mc]

Hi all

I was about to jet my patio but the pressure washer broke. Is there another way of ridding this stuff without jetting; and preferably the less labour intensive methods please?

[Tim Watts]

p.mc wibbled on Thursday 25 March 2010 14:20

Diluted bleach and a broom?

[Me Here]

Chuck sand on it, sweep with stiff broom.

[JimK]

rocksalt plus normal foot traffic?

watch the runoff onto your daffs tho...

JimK

[Corporal Jones]

You could try this, not particularly cheap but it goes a long way.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No.

it needs some sort of mechanical action, as even if you kill it, its still a slimy (and now toxic) mess..

[The Medway Handyman]

Yup, works a treat. Bottle of cheap Tesco bleach in a bucket of water & a stiff broom. Patio will smell like a toilet for a day, watch the run off onto grass/plants though.

[Jules Richardson]

hmm, last year's favourite tool, the angle grinder? :-)

I sympathise - doing the patio with a pressure washer was always a right pain in the bum. Thankfully we just don't seem to get algae here - maybe it's a humidity thing.

[<me9]

Bleach or Jeyes fluid.

[Owain]

Like a *clean* toilet, though. Could be worse.

Owain

[TheOldFellow]

and you may be glad. Pressure washing stone often leaves it more susceptible to algae in future as it leaves a rough surface that they like.

R.

[JimK]

indeed, a la sandblasting off decades of "grim" soot based northern- ness from countless town halls, church steeples etc - AIUI often leaves a surface that deteriorates *more* quickly than if it was left alone. Something to do with the soot creating "harder" compunds with the top few thou of the stone....

cynically one could also observe that the same firms that recommend and then do the sandblasting are also the "specialist stone masons" that then magically appear at vast expense to repair the damage that their "cleaning" initiated/caused....mmmmm....

Cheers JimK

[p.mc]

You're right. I had pressure washed the block paving at the side of the house in the summer, and the first overwinter the algae appeared.

[p.mc]

I wonder if I cover the area with coal ash or wood ash it wood help prevent this happening so often. I read gardeners use this for getting rid of moss so I wondered if a covering of the former would do the job.