How do you wash paving - disagreement

[Opol]

DP is saying we cannot power wash our paving as the guy who installed it around 5 months ago said do not power wash under any circumstances due to something about the sand.

I agree don’t power wash in between the bricks. I was suggesting we rent a power washer with brush head which will surely diffuse destructive power of power washer.

Dp wants to use a broom and that is it. We don’t have a hose right now but could buy one. I don’t think this will cut it as the dogs go on very muddy walks and the paving is completely covered in a layer of caked on mud.

No I wouldn't power wash it if the expert told me not to!

I'd do what your dh suggests. Use a broom for now.

ours looks like the top right but it’s looking like the bottom left with all the mud

I thought on ours we were told not to power wash it for a few months so the sand had fully settled, we were also meant to brush spare sand over for a while to fill any gaps where the sand compacted. The worst that might happen is you might want to brush some more sand over if a bit is dislodged between the pavers.

Edit: The rain has been doing a good job of power washing recently!

No don't power wash it. It's only been down 5 months.

Ask the company if they can recommend how to clean it or a company that does.

I wouldn't jet wash it , if it has got silver sand in the gaps as this keeps the stones level and the weeds down .
A stiff short bristle brush like a deck brush and elbow grease is the best way .

Don't power wash it. We ignored it and now paving is loose in areas with weeds coming through the sand. It has something to do with the sand bonding and sealing properly. Waste of time if you ask me. Next time we will get pavers lay on concrete.

Best you can do is bucket wash and scrub the pavers with a hard bristle broom

You can power wash it, but you do need to replace the sand, which makes it a much bigger job.

Also, you don't want to be doing it regularly, 5 months is way too soon.

Side alley way. It’s supposed to be dark grey! I guess I just don’t trust dp’s version of elbow grease. Is there a machine we can’t rent o the er than a power washer?

What do people use power washers for if not paving?

From upstairs you can see the lightness is exactly where people/dogs have tracked mud.

Leave your paving alone! Honestly it's outdoors it's supposed to be weathered. You'll ruin it if you do anything to it every few months.

@Opol the message is to take care whilst doing it.

www.totalpressurecleaning.co.uk/the-dos-donts-of-pressure-washing-your-block-paving

Don’t Remove The Sand Between The Block Paving
Block paving is laid on sand in order to prevent weeds, grass and other plant life from protruding up through the paving. This is because it can look unsightly and you don’t want those plants to take the moisture out of the ground below as this could lead to uneven bricks over time. Make sure you don’t take too much of the sand out whilst pressure washing block paving. If you do, be sure to push sand back into it. Fine sand is needed for this and it can be bought at your local hardware shop.

Rather than using a machine, look for a chemical that will help lift the dirt and keep the moss and weeds down . Something like Patio Clear , just be careful as many are not pet friendly and will kill any plants it runs on to . And elbow grease!

Also look at the price of silver sand , it ain't cheap ! It will cost a fair bit to replace what you have washed away

We only do ours once a year, and then sweep filling sand over it. It’s a pain in the arse to do, to be honest, but looks much better when it’s done!

You can get a paving adapter for your pressure washer. It will still remove the sand between the blocks, and you will need to replace the sand that got washed away with kiln dried sand.

Personally, a stiff brush and a normal hose will probably do you as a cleaner for the moment, then give it a thorough clean and apply additional sand when you know it will be dry for a day or two.

Whatever you do, don't apply sand when it is wet (either due to rain or because you have hosed off). The blocks need to be bone dry. Sweep it in between the blocks with a soft brush.

we use our power washer for cleaning the cars fortnightly.
We actually jet washed our drive at the weekend too

maybe call the person who put it in for you to ask how you clean it?

My brother is an award winning paving contractor. You can power wash a well installed area, but you must brush sand in afterwards. The power washing blasts sand out/compacts it. The sanding is essential.

Ok so I guess dp was right, honestly I thought he was just being a bit tight and not wanting to pay to rent a washer.

Lidl sometimes sell a patio scraper tool when they have a garden event, works surprisingly well.

Try a product called Algon. You can buy it on Amazon or from garden centres.
you dilute and spray it on then just leave it. It’s not harmful to pets or wildlife.
Works for us.

There is a patio scraper tool on sale at Aldi and b and m for £4 long handle with metal bristles excellent at getting weeds out of that paving. Also patio clear is only safe for pets once it has dried. )read the instructions!)It is very good, but choose a dry day to apply it (if you go that route). Otherwise a bucket of hot soapy water and a stiff yard broom and get scrubbing. Then sweep the drive weekly to keep the mud from
building up.

Power washing will cause a whole heap of problems. Just leave it be for a while, it looks good. Everything looks a bit dirty over winter, let the sun shine on it and it'll clean itself up a bit.

Please try not to use any chemical-based cleaners. They're so bad for the environment.

If you power wash it now, after only five months of installation (even with a brush head) you will probably wash away quite a lot of the sand and you'll accelerate weed growth. Basically if you power wash it, you'll have to re-sand it, which is pretty wasteful and a bit of a pain when you've only had it five months.

It sounds like it's only really ordinary mud and dirt that you want to get rid of, so it would probably be worth buying an ordinary hose, hosing it down and giving it a light scrub with an outdoor broom.

We wrecked ours with our power washer and then had to spend loads on sand and keep redoing it. I wouldn’t have done it if I had known.