Cleaning concrete
 

I've got about a thousand (at least) sf of concrete driveways and walkways.
It is dyed very light red, like a faded rose.. The builder did a sloppy
job. They splattered some regular concrete mud here and there, and it
dried. Now I have regular concrete on top of dyed stuff. This concrete is
years old.

I went out there with a power washer and a wire brush and a scraper, and
knocked down some of the worst places. And I have a million curlie que
lines where the power washer washed. Still, some of the areas are gray with
the topical application of concrete. The wire brush didn't do anything.
The scraper knocked off the blobs, and helped the most. The power washer
blasted off what it could, but there's still lots of spots it wouldn't
remove.

Is there any way to generally clean the concrete? I would think I would
have to special treat the problem areas, but if I do that, won't they look
spotted and obviously altered like the power washer lines? Probably do two
or three applications, the first to the spots, the second in general.

I have grass bordering on one portion, so acid wouldn't be a good deal
unless I am very careful, or am just willing to sacrifice some grass.

What would you do?

Steve

Cleaning concrete
 

On Jul 7, 11:48?pm, "SteveB" wrote:
I've got about a thousand (at least) sf of concrete driveways and walkways.
It is dyed very light red, like a faded rose.. The builder did a sloppy
job. They splattered some regular concrete mud here and there, and it
dried. Now I have regular concrete on top of dyed stuff. This concrete is
years old.

I went out there with a power washer and a wire brush and a scraper, and
knocked down some of the worst places. And I have a million curlie que
lines where the power washer washed. Still, some of the areas are gray with
the topical application of concrete. The wire brush didn't do anything.
The scraper knocked off the blobs, and helped the most. The power washer
blasted off what it could, but there's still lots of spots it wouldn't
remove.

Is there any way to generally clean the concrete? I would think I would
have to special treat the problem areas, but if I do that, won't they look
spotted and obviously altered like the power washer lines? Probably do two
or three applications, the first to the spots, the second in general.

I have grass bordering on one portion, so acid wouldn't be a good deal
unless I am very careful, or am just willing to sacrifice some grass.

What would you do?

Steve

theres nothing you can do to make it perfect:( after a few years the
concrete under the splatters no longer matches the unsplatered areas.

learn to live with it or try staining the regular concrete splatters

Cleaning concrete
 

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:48:19 -0600, SteveB wrote:

I've got about a thousand (at least) sf of concrete driveways and
walkways.
It is dyed very light red, like a faded rose.. The builder did a sloppy
job. They splattered some regular concrete mud here and there, and it
dried. Now I have regular concrete on top of dyed stuff. This concrete
is
years old.

I went out there with a power washer and a wire brush and a scraper, and
knocked down some of the worst places. And I have a million curlie que
lines where the power washer washed. Still, some of the areas are gray
with
the topical application of concrete. The wire brush didn't do anything.
The scraper knocked off the blobs, and helped the most. The power washer
blasted off what it could, but there's still lots of spots it wouldn't
remove.

Is there any way to generally clean the concrete? I would think I would
have to special treat the problem areas, but if I do that, won't they
look
spotted and obviously altered like the power washer lines? Probably do
two
or three applications, the first to the spots, the second in general.

I have grass bordering on one portion, so acid wouldn't be a good deal
unless I am very careful, or am just willing to sacrifice some grass.

What would you do?


Did you try a rotary nozzle for your power washer? They work great on
concrete and can be quite addictive to use. After I cleaned my driveway I
went over to my mom's and did hers, my girlfriend's, the neighbor's etc...


No. I just bought a new Husky, and will look in the packet to see if one's
included. I've never heard of one before now. Sounds interesting. Thanks.

Steve

Cleaning concrete
 

from what I understans about rotary is that if you've got x psi pressure,
you can use a rotary nozzle and you're supposed to then have an equaivalent
1.4x psi pressure, or so. Don't know notin else
"SteveB" wrote in message
...

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:48:19 -0600, SteveB wrote:

I've got about a thousand (at least) sf of concrete driveways and
walkways.
It is dyed very light red, like a faded rose.. The builder did a sloppy
job. They splattered some regular concrete mud here and there, and it
dried. Now I have regular concrete on top of dyed stuff. This concrete
is
years old.

I went out there with a power washer and a wire brush and a scraper, and
knocked down some of the worst places. And I have a million curlie que
lines where the power washer washed. Still, some of the areas are gray
with
the topical application of concrete. The wire brush didn't do anything.
The scraper knocked off the blobs, and helped the most. The power
washer
blasted off what it could, but there's still lots of spots it wouldn't
remove.

Is there any way to generally clean the concrete? I would think I would
have to special treat the problem areas, but if I do that, won't they
look
spotted and obviously altered like the power washer lines? Probably do
two
or three applications, the first to the spots, the second in general.

I have grass bordering on one portion, so acid wouldn't be a good deal
unless I am very careful, or am just willing to sacrifice some grass.

What would you do?


Did you try a rotary nozzle for your power washer? They work great on
concrete and can be quite addictive to use. After I cleaned my driveway I
went over to my mom's and did hers, my girlfriend's, the neighbor's
etc...


No. I just bought a new Husky, and will look in the packet to see if
one's included. I've never heard of one before now. Sounds interesting.
Thanks.

Steve

Cleaning concrete
 

does one of these rotary nozzles actually cover more area? Does it sort of
fill the gaps between the squiggles?

"Meat Plow" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:48:19 -0600, SteveB wrote:

I've got about a thousand (at least) sf of concrete driveways and
walkways.
It is dyed very light red, like a faded rose.. The builder did a sloppy
job. They splattered some regular concrete mud here and there, and it
dried. Now I have regular concrete on top of dyed stuff. This concrete
is
years old.

I went out there with a power washer and a wire brush and a scraper, and
knocked down some of the worst places. And I have a million curlie que
lines where the power washer washed. Still, some of the areas are gray
with
the topical application of concrete. The wire brush didn't do anything.
The scraper knocked off the blobs, and helped the most. The power washer
blasted off what it could, but there's still lots of spots it wouldn't
remove.

Is there any way to generally clean the concrete? I would think I would
have to special treat the problem areas, but if I do that, won't they
look
spotted and obviously altered like the power washer lines? Probably do
two
or three applications, the first to the spots, the second in general.

I have grass bordering on one portion, so acid wouldn't be a good deal
unless I am very careful, or am just willing to sacrifice some grass.

What would you do?


Did you try a rotary nozzle for your power washer? They work great on
concrete and can be quite addictive to use. After I cleaned my driveway I
went over to my mom's and did hers, my girlfriend's, the neighbor's etc...

Cleaning concrete
 

In article ,
"bent" wrote:

does one of these rotary nozzles actually cover more area? Does it sort of
fill the gaps between the squiggles?

Yes, it covers more area while holding the nozzle stationary. So it
fills the gaps, or rather, doesn't create squiggles and gaps. Of course,
it doesn't violate any of Newton's laws.