How to clean block paved driveways & patios

How to clean block paved driveways & patios

The following article will help you to learn how to clean block paved driveways, patios or parking areas.

There are useful tips to help you remove general organic growth, such as algae, lichen or moss. Including additional information relating to the clean-up of recently installed pavers.

For further information about specific products & prices click on the product title highlighted in blue.

To view all products & articles for cleaning & sealing block pavers please see the link located at the foot of the page.

Removing organic contaminations from your block pavers

Floorseal Block Paving Intensive Cleaner is perfect for the removal of organic contaminations. This includes black spot, algae, slime, leaf staining & general organic green growth.

This product can be applied with a sprayer or watering can, agitating gently with a stiff brush.

Apply diluted at a ratio of 1:1 with clean water. One part product one part water. This cleaner can be applied to any type of block paver – clay-based or concrete-based pavers. You can increase the strength of the product, by applying the solution undiluted, for the most severe contaminations.

Wet the pavers with water from a hose pipe or watering can first. Then liberally apply the cleaning fluid to the surface. For light contaminations a dwell time of 15 minutes will suffice – keep the surface wet with product for the full 15 minutes. This can be achieved by adding more product. Do not allow the product to dry out; during the dwell time apply the product liberally to fully saturate the surface.

For severe contaminations apply more product to the surface over the course of one hour. You can extend this dwell time for as long as is required. Lightly agitating the fluid with a stiff brush is beneficial.

Dealing with weed growth before re-sanding or general weed treatment before sealing

Sanded joints may require periodic re-sanding which is an opportune time to also spray the base of the joint (before sanding) with a basic weed killer. This will also kill the roots of the weeds.

If you are sealing (and not re-sanding the blocks) we recommend removing all general weed growth by scraping the joints. You should also apply a basic weed killer to the sand (or brush in compound). Sealing block pavers should only be carried out once any existing weed growth & the roots has been thoroughly killed off.

Sealers are not weed killers, they solidify the joint so it is important to kill off any weed growth and particularly their roots. Once solidified the joint will resist weed growth.

Once any weeds (and roots) have been treated and the blocks sealed, Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate can be applied. This product is typically applied as a general ongoing preventative measure which combats green organic growth.

Floorseal Block Paving Intensive Cleaner & Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate can be applied to pavers with either sanded joints or joints with have been filled with brush-in compounds.

Using Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate as preventative measure

Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate can be used as a general quick spray & leave cleaning agent. Spray over contaminations of green organic growth and watch it disappear over the next few weeks.

This product is often applied periodically (as a preventative measure) after the pavers have been thoroughly cleaned with Floorseal Block Paving Intensive Cleaner and sealed.

Applying Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate once or twice per year will keep the blocks in top condition. The active ingredients remain on the surface of the paver months after initial application. Therefore inhibiting the growth of algae, lichens & other green organic contaminations.

Cleaning block pavers with sanded joints, joints filled with brush-in compounds or traditional mortars

There is no real change to the above guidance when cleaning pavers which have had the joints filled with sand, versus those filled with brush in compounds or traditional mortars.

Clean the surface with Block Paving Intensive Cleaner and follow up with Green Remover Concentrate.

Joints which have had brush in compounds or pointed with traditional mortars are much easier to clean, they do not suffer from general weed growth. They can usually be successfully cleaned with Block Paving Intensive Cleaner & Green Remover Concentrate as both will still suffer from green algae & to a lesser degree moss.

Removing cement & mortar residues from block paving

For clay-based block pavers, apply Floorseal Cement & Grout Haze Remover to remove cement, mortar & concrete staining.

This product is effective on general cement, mortar & concrete hazes. This product is normally applied undiluted but can be applied slightly diluted for less severe contaminations. Test before use.

Apply liberally via sprayer, watering can or by brush. Thoroughly rinse off after a short dwell time of a few minutes only.

Do not apply Cement & Grout Haze Remover to concrete-based pavers. Always check which kind of block pavers you have. Cement stain removers (of any brand/type) should not be applied to concrete-based block pavers.

Removing efflorescence from block pavers

General salting can be removed from clay-based block pavers via the application of Floorseal Cement & Grout Remover. This product will remove efflorescence salting & leachate staining from the joint.

Use undiluted or up to a dilution rate of 1:3 with clean water. Test before use.

Apply via sprayer or watering can, rinse off after a few minutes. The reaction with efflorescence salting is normally instant. You will see the salting or leachate staining bloom.

Please note the important tips below when dealing with potential efflorescence salting:

• Do not mistake trapped moisture from sealers for efflorescence salting! If you have recently sealed your block pavers and they have become cloudy contact us for advice. Trapped moisture can look similar to salting but is not reactive to cleaning agents.
• Do not apply Cement & Grout Haze Remover to concrete-based pavers. Always check which kind of block pavers you have.
• Salting which has calcified (fully hardened & solidified) may not be possible to remove via a cleaning fluid i.e. salting that has chemically hardened with age.

Removing rust from block pavers

Floorseal Rust Remover for Stone is an acid-free rust remover suitable for both concrete & clay-based pavers.

Apply the product, you will see a colour change in the remover, rinse away whilst the remover is still liquid. Do not allow rust removers to dry on the surface during treatment.

You can repeat the process as many times as necessary. If the purple colour, created as the product reacts with ferrous material has not cleared after the 1^st treatment, please repeat until all the iron within the surface has gone.

Rust Remover for Stone can also be used to treat fertiliser stains from fertilisers which contain iron sulphates.  

In conclusion

Floorseal Block Paving Intensive Cleaner is our primary product for the removal of organic contaminations of black spot lichen, algae, slime, leaf staining & general green growth. We recommend this product for deep, intensive cleaning. If your block paving has not been cleaned for some time, particularly if black spot is present, we recommend this product.

Floorseal Cement & Grout Haze Remover removes cement, mortar & concrete hazes. It also removes general salting and leachate staining. Suitable for clay-based block pavers (do not use on concrete-based block pavers).

Floorseal Green Remover Concentrate is suitable for use when treating the pavers after cleaning with Block Paving Intensive Cleaner. Green Remover Concentrate has a residual cleaning/preventative effect. Perfect for treating block paving once or twice per year as a preventative measure against the regrowth of lichens, moulds & general green organic growth.

Floorseal Rust Remover for Stone is an acid-free formula for the removal of general rust spots and stains on concrete & clay-based block pavers. *Test before use – Not suitable for certain coloured concretes.

To view all products & articles for cleaning & sealing block pavers please click here this will take you to the surface type page.

The information contained in this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal or email Info@floorseal.co.uk