Hi guys and girls,
Just joined LJN and this is my first post (so be gentle).
I have always cleaned my clients patio's using either chemicals and a hard brush/chemicals and a jet wash or just straight jet washing.
There are clear advantages and disadvantages to all methods and depending on the type of patio (sandstone/concrete/brick etc) I have to play around with the methods vs time available.
I have just taken on a new client that has a polished sand stone patio that is about 3 years old but has had no cleaning done thus far. It will take approx 3 days to jet wash which in itself is not a problem, However it occurred to me that I could possibly use a
floor polishing machine with a slightly abrasive head (clearly testing before hand)
Has anyone tried this method, if so what where the results? did you try it on unpolished stones and or concrete/bricks etc and again what where the results?
Has anyone used a different method using machines other than a jet wash?
Any advice/help or direction would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Simon
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Replies
Just out of curiosity, how are you jet washing? i can only imagine it is a massive patio to take 3 days. Do you just use a lance/gun directly onto the patio?
we use a whirl away, it connects onto the jet hose and cleans pathways/patios perfectly and quickly, covers a lot more area than the gun. You also don't get the tiger pattern from just using a gun.
Thanks for the reply Daniel,
This is a new client and first one with polished sandstone patio. Most of my other clients have far smaller patios/drives etc so a straight forward jet wash does the job over 1-2 days. Several clients have a combination of brick and cement slab patios/drives so quite uneven and this has always been my bug bear over using a whirl away. I guess it's a cost vs time vs no: of jobs issue.
Can I ask how you have found the whirl away on uneven surfaces and also, what size one do you use?
Thanks
Simon
Of hand I can't remember the size, will check tomorrow and get back to you.
It's fine on uneven surfaces, sometimes the jets underneath does hit the floor if its badly uneven. But this has never done any damage to the jets or noticed anything on the surfaces. I also balance it on 2 wheels so I am able to do over the edges of patios etc which saves time.
For the cost they are well worth the investment. I've done countless jobs where clients before have been unhappy bits and pieces have been missed. With the whirl away, just walk up and down in straight lines and its nothing's missed!
A high end domestic machine with a flat surface cleaner (FSC) / Whilaway probably gives the best mechanical clean, but the FSC size is limited by the power of the washer. Due to the angle of the rotating jets you stand less chance of blowing out mortar etc and you get a consistent finish with minimal back ache.
If you can afford a petrol commercial cleaner you can run a much, much larger FSC and cover large areas quicker. They also allow pressure to adjusted so handle delicate surfaces better. Places like Machine Mart is a good source. We have one of their 13hp and 2.5ft FSC and makes car parks etc an easier task.
When we blew up the jet washer last year we hired one of these intergrated / hybrid machines (Here's my Post from the...and were really impressed.
I also know someone who is about to try out a steam clearner, so await their feedback on that....
Thanks Gary,
Very useful information! I guess I need to weigh up the cost vs use etc. Of course, I could try and convince the new customer that this is something she needs to buy for herself. Don't ask, you don't know!
I will have a good search around and try to do some comparions. Would love to hear if the steam cleaner works.
Thanks
Simon
hate jet washing, reuse to do it. I too have often wondered about using a floor polisher/scrubber. Love to know if it works. on smaller patios a stiff broom, handful of sharp sand and a few buckets of water works wonders
After doing 4 hours of pressure washing this afternoon, the thought of doing 3 days would be my worst nightmare :)
Quick question for those using whirlaways - I have been thinking of expanding service to include power washing but hand lances take forever and kill my back stooped over using them. What kind of pressure unit would you need for an 18 inch whirlaway ? I was looking at this within my budget - https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-pls195-heavy-duty-petrol-pre... , would it be up to the job ?
Also black algae splodges never seems to clear effectively - do you offer your customers something like an MMC pro type treatment as well or just say well it's been powerwashed and that's the best it will look ?
Thanks in advance ! PS> If anyone wants to PM me with a typical price range that would be lovely thank you. Don't want to undersell myself nor rip people off either :)
This site is good for giving tips on removing those stubborn back spots..... http://www.pavingexpert.com/maintain_03.htm
Many thanks - interesting reading !