I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the slabs back to life.

On 23/08/14 16:48, curious wrote:
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years old.

Wash and seal with what? Did they come to your doorstep?


Just has a quick google,

10 Lt of K-SEAL total patio covers 50 to 70 sq metres, cost less than
£70 including 10 Lt of detergent and other bits/

http://www.kingfisheruk.com/item_77KIT_k-seal_total_kit


--
Adrian C

On 23/08/2014 16:48, curious wrote:
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the slabs back to life.

What is going to be used to clean the paving by the company you got a
quote from, and how are they going to do it?

£950 seems a bit steep to me.

I have about 2/3rds of what you have and I cleaned mine using bleach or
Jeyes fluid, then a pressure washer. I didn't seal them afterwards, as
that is only a temporary fix to stop weeds etc.
My block paved drive was sealed by the company who laid the blocks, and
it only lasted a couple of years at most, before moss and weeds started
to show between the blocks.

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:48:28 -0700, curious wrote:

I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15
years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job
afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning
does bring the slabs back to life.

I've just had about 25 sq metres of block paving pressure washed and
re-sanded (but not sealed) for £220. It comes up like new and lasts a couple
of months! The weeds are already sprouting in the joints.

--

TOJ.

"curious" wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.

My mum had a smaller patio and she used a gadget sold by Lakeland to clean
between the blocks. Basically a rotary wire brush on a handle (thinks; angle
grinder with wire brush, all gaffer taped to a broomhandle). Then a scrub
down using Jeyes fluid solution and a stiff broom. It always looked neat and
tidy.

I was just thinking they obviously don't want the job. The one problem some
notice is that if the slabs are coloured, its usually not that thick, and
after 15 years blasting with pressure washer might result in a kind of
mottled mess.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Adrian C" wrote in message
...
On 23/08/14 16:48, curious wrote:
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15
years old.

Wash and seal with what? Did they come to your doorstep?


Just has a quick google,

10 Lt of K-SEAL total patio covers 50 to 70 sq metres, cost less than £70
including 10 Lt of detergent and other bits/

http://www.kingfisheruk.com/item_77KIT_k-seal_total_kit


--
Adrian C

"curious" wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.

This is a DIY forum.
Go out and buy a pressure washer, £200 But get the best you can afford,
makes the job a lot quicker.
Pressure wash it once a year. It looks loke new afterwards..
It is black algea growing on the surface. Mostly grows in Winter so do it in
the Spring.
Also gets the weeds out,

The sealant doesn't last long especially if you have to drive over the same
spot all the time.
Looks like **** when it has worn off in tramlines.

The sealer doesn't stop the algea but makes the paviours look brighter
colours.
Ie like when they're wet.

You wont stop the weeds, after time the soil washes down the cracks and
seeds geminate in it. I think one has to be realistic here, and say, even if
completely re made you only get a short break from having to kill weeds.
Nature fights back!

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"The Other John" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:48:28 -0700, curious wrote:

I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15
years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job
afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning
does bring the slabs back to life.

I've just had about 25 sq metres of block paving pressure washed and
re-sanded (but not sealed) for £220. It comes up like new and lasts a
couple
of months! The weeds are already sprouting in the joints.

--

TOJ.

"curious" wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.

For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can be free depending
where you live.
Knocks back 90% of them.
Failing that it.s weedkiller once a year.

On 23/08/2014 17:11, Nick wrote:
"curious" wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.

My mum had a smaller patio and she used a gadget sold by Lakeland to clean
between the blocks. Basically a rotary wire brush on a handle (thinks; angle
grinder with wire brush, all gaffer taped to a broomhandle). Then a scrub
down using Jeyes fluid solution and a stiff broom. It always looked neat and
tidy.



I used an engineers file and ground the pointed (handle) end to a
sharper point, then taped it up good 'n proper to a broom handle with
the pointed end facing down. Scraped the weeds out and then a slosh over
with some Jeyes Fluid. Now they look like new, even.

On 23/08/14 18:46, Brian Gaff wrote:
You wont stop the weeds, after time the soil washes down the cracks and
seeds geminate in it. I think one has to be realistic here, and say, even if
completely re made you only get a short break from having to kill weeds.
Nature fights back!

+1


--
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. €“ Erwin Knoll

"curious" wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.


It's too expensive by about £750.
If he's jetwashing it, it will take 2 hours max.
If he's using mossaway or other chemical cleaners, again it will be a few
hours work.
The sealant also takes two hours over this area, all for one person.

Whichever way you look at it, it's a days wages for one man, and if he's
using chemicals, £25 max, then another £25 for the sealant, leaving him £150
wages if he were to charge the going rate.
It seems he wants £900 a day for labour, and unless he's a brain surgeon who
is taking time off his regular job to do it, i think it's way too much.

If you know how to use a watering can and a sweeping brush, there's no
reason you can't do it yourself, all the materials are readilly available,
and if he's using a jet wash, these are cheap to buy, and only a few quid to
hire.

My advice, spend £900 taking your wife on holiday and the other fifty quid
on the cleaning and sealant, she'll appreciate this more

On 23/08/2014 18:43, Brian Gaff wrote:
I was just thinking they obviously don't want the job. The one problem some
notice is that if the slabs are coloured, its usually not that thick, and
after 15 years blasting with pressure washer might result in a kind of
mottled mess.
Brian

Brian,

When I was laying them in our garden, the colour was absolutely 100%
right the way through. You could see this very clearly wherever they
needed to be cut. Of course, it might depend on make and the specific
range of blocks used.

--
Rod

Have used pressure washer and patio cleaner every other year to clean the patio / yard. The cold caller said his steam washer and sealer would bring it up like new I was just wondering how that could make 15 year old paving slabs look like new.

On 23/08/14 19:34, curious wrote:
Have used pressure washer and patio cleaner every other year to clean
the patio / yard. The cold caller said his steam washer and sealer
would bring it up like new I was just wondering how that could make
15 year old paving slabs look like new.


Run.... Have you ever seen Rogue Traders?

--
Adrian C

In message , Nick
writes
My mum had a smaller patio and she used a gadget sold by Lakeland to
clean between the blocks. Basically a rotary wire brush on a handle
(thinks; angle grinder with wire brush, all gaffer taped to a
broomhandle). Then a scrub down using Jeyes fluid solution and a stiff
broom. It always looked neat and tidy.


Somewhere, in the last few days, I've looked at a device which looked
like about a 2' long stick with a wire brush on one side and a little
metal scraper on the other side both at the far end.

I picked it up, saw the price and thought I could make one myself.

It might have been in Aldi. Ooh it was

http://tinyurl.com/mqkjtg6
--
Bill

On 23/08/2014 19:34, curious wrote:
Have used pressure washer and patio cleaner every other year to clean
the patio / yard. The cold caller said his steam washer and sealer
would bring it up like new I was just wondering how that could make
15 year old paving slabs look like new.

The only situation where a steam or hot water washer gives better
results is where grease,oil or fat is involved. The heat would make no
difference when cleaning slabs.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 23/08/2014 17:08, The Other John wrote:
On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:48:28 -0700, curious wrote:

I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15
years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job
afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning
does bring the slabs back to life.

I've just had about 25 sq metres of block paving pressure washed and
re-sanded (but not sealed) for £220. It comes up like new and lasts a couple
of months! The weeds are already sprouting in the joints.

Anyone tried this?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Dansand-No-Weed-Block-Paving-Sand/p/119555?CAWELAID=120135120001174461&CAGPSPN=pla&utm _source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campai gn=Google+Shopping+-+Building+Materials&tmcampid=104&tmad=c&tmplaceref =&tmcustom=mkwid|pDInpiPa_dc|pcrid|43364522812|&gc lid=CjwKEAjw9-CfBRD8lt_w86zJiDUSJAADZA38yHSRxbi4ZcV9pbLm_BmuTQ3D gOZYj8VTEB-8RBjAjhoCm0rw_wcB

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On 23/08/2014 20:15, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Anyone tried this?

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Dansand-No-Weed-Block-Paving-Sand/p/119555?CAWELAID=120135120001174461&CAGPSPN=pla&utm _source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campai gn=Google+Shopping+-+Building+Materials&tmcampid=104&tmad=c&tmplaceref =&tmcustom=mkwid|pDInpiPa_dc|pcrid|43364522812|&gc lid=CjwKEAjw9-CfBRD8lt_w86zJiDUSJAADZA38yHSRxbi4ZcV9pbLm_BmuTQ3D gOZYj8VTEB-8RBjAjhoCm0rw_wcB

The one reviewer seems to be less than impressed...

"Bought two bags of this to replace the sand in our block paved drive.
Had previously power washed the whole area so needed to put kiln dried
sand in. Purchased the much more expensive version with the weed
inhibitor added to it. Within eight days (!) of spending the whole
afternoon brushing this in I had weeds coming through. Absolute waste of
money - DO NOT BUY!!"

--
F

On 23/08/2014 18:56, Phil L wrote:
wrote in message
...
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years
old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.
Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the
slabs back to life.


It's too expensive by about £750.
If he's jetwashing it, it will take 2 hours max.
If he's using mossaway or other chemical cleaners, again it will be a few
hours work.
The sealant also takes two hours over this area, all for one person.

Whichever way you look at it, it's a days wages for one man, and if he's
using chemicals, £25 max, then another £25 for the sealant, leaving him £150
wages if he were to charge the going rate.
It seems he wants £900 a day for labour, and unless he's a brain surgeon who
is taking time off his regular job to do it, i think it's way too much.

If you know how to use a watering can and a sweeping brush, there's no
reason you can't do it yourself, all the materials are readilly available,
and if he's using a jet wash, these are cheap to buy, and only a few quid to
hire.

My advice, spend £900 taking your wife on holiday and the other fifty quid
on the cleaning and sealant, she'll appreciate this more


Yes there is what women want and reality :-)
Replace them all and you will be back to square one in a couple of
years, if that.
Get it done professionaly (cleaned) and expect a yearly bill of a few
hundred pounds to keep them looking good.
OR
Buy the cheapest power washer for what £60 and do them yourself once a
year, cheaper will do the job but take longer than a more expensive
powerful one.

I used the power washer to blast out the old grout, redone the grout and
use a weedkiller twice a year (takes 10 mins) and use some bleach twice
a year from a watering can to control the moss again a 10 min job.

In message , Adrian C
writes
On 23/08/14 19:34, curious wrote:
Have used pressure washer and patio cleaner every other year to clean
the patio / yard. The cold caller said his steam washer and sealer
would bring it up like new I was just wondering how that could make
15 year old paving slabs look like new.


Run.... Have you ever seen Rogue Traders?

If you are up for a bit of fun you may like to tell them that you, or a
member of your family, are making a documentary on house renovation and
might like to video their work. See if they come back.

I've even had itinerant, travelling, gardeners disappear when they saw
that the garden was overlooked with CCTV.




--
Bill

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 21:03:22 +0100, ss wrote:

SNIP
I used the power washer to blast out the old grout, redone the grout and
use a weedkiller twice a year (takes 10 mins) and use some bleach twice
a year from a watering can to control the moss again a 10 min job.

What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?

Mike
--

On 24/08/14 00:13, wrote:
What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?

Generally the same as you find at most seaside resorts seems to work


--
Everything you read in newspapers is absolutely true, except for the
rare story of which you happen to have first-hand knowledge. €“ Erwin Knoll

On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:26:42 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 24/08/14 00:13, wrote:
What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?

Generally the same as you find at most seaside resorts seems to work

Oops - what's an 'l' between friends .. bleach vs water

On 24/08/2014 07:50, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:26:42 +0100, The Natural Philosopher
wrote:

On 24/08/14 00:13, wrote:
What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?

Generally the same as you find at most seaside resorts seems to work

Oops - what's an 'l' between friends .. bleach vs water

"What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?"

I just buy a couple of litres of the cheap thin bleach out the
supermarket and roughly 50/50. Bear in mind though I am starting from
relatively clean slabs. The other thing I use is any food stuff in jars
that contain vinegar, when empty rather than pour down the sink I filter
in to a plastic bottle and when I have enough I use an old liquid
dishwasher bottle and go down the lines of the slabs as vinegar is also
good for keeping weed free.
For me its all about getting a good start with a power washer and then a
little maintenance a couple of times a year.

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 6:47:38 PM UTC+1, harry wrote:
"curious" wrote in message

...

I have been quoted �950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years

old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords.

Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the

slabs back to life.



For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can be free depending

where you live.

Knocks back 90% of them.

Failing that it.s weedkiller once a year.

Which weed killer lasts 12 months in this scenario ?

On Sunday, August 24, 2014 10:08:46 AM UTC+1, ss wrote:
On 24/08/2014 07:50, wrote:

On Sun, 24 Aug 2014 00:26:42 +0100, The Natural Philosopher

wrote:



On 24/08/14 00:13, wrote:

What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?



Generally the same as you find at most seaside resorts seems to work



Oops - what's an 'l' between friends .. bleach vs water



"What ratio mix of beach/water have you fond to be effective?"



I just buy a couple of litres of the cheap thin bleach out the

supermarket and roughly 50/50. Bear in mind though I am starting from

relatively clean slabs. The other thing I use is any food stuff in jars

that contain vinegar, when empty rather than pour down the sink I filter

in to a plastic bottle and when I have enough I use an old liquid

dishwasher bottle and go down the lines of the slabs as vinegar is also

good for keeping weed free.

For me its all about getting a good start with a power washer and then a

little maintenance a couple of times a year.

Wouldn't be 100 per cent on the longevity of salt. It will wash through fairly quickly due all the water draining off the non porous surrounding patio area imho. Beside isn't salt reputed to be deleterious to concrete and concrete products ?

Have found vinegar good at keeping moss at bay on windows.

But isn't all this a lot of faffing around to save buying a good weedkiller ?

In article
,
fred wrote:
On Saturday, August 23, 2014 6:47:38 PM UTC+1, harry
wrote:
"curious" wrote in message

...

I have been quoted #950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres
of back yard 15 years

[snip]
For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can
be free depending

where you live.

Knocks back 90% of them.

Failing that it.s weedkiller once a year.

Which weed killer lasts 12 months in this scenario ?
Even the sodium chlorate treated areas used to show some
growth well within the year for us, and wife has just asked
about mixing up another dose of glyphosate ( mostly I think
for those bits of garden and patio where the soil has been
disturbed after treatment, alowing seeds to germinate after
the soil bacteria has done it's job on the last lot of
sparying)

John

--
John Mulrooney
NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.

I had a friend once. . . but the lead broke and he ran off

harryagain wrote:

For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can be free depending
where you live.

You mean you steal it from roadside bins?

On 24/08/2014 17:13, Andy Burns wrote:
harryagain wrote:

For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can be free depending
where you live.

You mean you steal it from roadside bins?


Why not, he steals enough from us in other ways.

On the other hand, he could be referring to putting out pans of sea
water to dry.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.

On Sunday, August 24, 2014 1:27:15 PM UTC+1, JTM wrote:
In article

,

fred wrote:

On Saturday, August 23, 2014 6:47:38 PM UTC+1, harry

wrote:

"curious" wrote in message



...



I have been quoted #950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres

of back yard 15 years



[snip]

For the weeds, put down some salt in winter. Salt can

be free depending



where you live.



Knocks back 90% of them.



Failing that it.s weedkiller once a year.



Which weed killer lasts 12 months in this scenario ?

Even the sodium chlorate treated areas used to show some

growth well within the year for us, and wife has just asked

about mixing up another dose of glyphosate ( mostly I think

for those bits of garden and patio where the soil has been

disturbed after treatment, alowing seeds to germinate after

the soil bacteria has done it's job on the last lot of

sparying)



John



--

John Mulrooney

NOTE Email address IS correct but might not be checked for a while.



I had a friend once. . . but the lead broke and he ran off

I found Roundup poor for use on the patios. Weeds returned fairly rapidly. Since the demise of Simazine, another victim of the E.U. I have found Premazor 57 as effective. One application will last a season with only the very very occasional weed popping its head up.
Its a residual weed killer which gives namby pamby gardeners the heebie jeebies as did Simazine but this article gives the lie to a lot of that

http://www.earlscliffe.com/herbaceao...d_simazine.htm

On 23/08/2014 16:48, curious wrote:
I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15 years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning does bring the slabs back to life.

String, length of?

I put down the (cheapest available) slabs 25 years ago and now they are
knackered, a significant proportion have major frost damage and good for
nothing except hardcore.

*Sounds like* a cowboy quote, but it could be a good tradesman who has
budgeted for a significant amount of "making good". Did they say how
long it would take?

On Sat, 23 Aug 2014 08:48:28 -0700, curious wrote:

I have been quoted £950 to clean and seal 35 sq metres of back yard 15
years old. Has anyone had this done and if so is it a good lasting job
afterwords. Wife wants the slabs replaced and was wondering if cleaning
does bring the slabs back to life.


What was the quote for replacing the slabs?


--
Windows 8.1 on PCSpecialist box

On 24/08/2014 11:36, fred wrote:
On Sunday, August 24, 2014 10:08:46 AM UTC+1, ss wrote:

For me its all about getting a good start with a power washer and then a

little maintenance a couple of times a year.

Wouldn't be 100 per cent on the longevity of salt. It will wash through fairly quickly due all the water draining off the non porous surrounding patio area imho. Beside isn't salt reputed to be deleterious to concrete and concrete products ?

Salt gives *reinforced* concrete a hard time if there are cracks through
to the rebar; no real issue for plain concrete / cement.