This Indian Sandstone patio renovation was completed in Chiswick during the summer. I thought I would share it with as there was ten years of lichen and grime built-up on the stone that needed removing. Also, patio cleaning is not something that people generally associate with Tile Doctor but the fact is our stone cleaning equipment works just as well outdoors as it does in (weather permitting) so it is something we do.
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Indian Sandstone is a very beautiful stone and looks great when its clean, however outside it will soon degrade due to the weather and really needs to be maintained annually to keep it looking at its best. As mentioned earlier this patio had not been touched for ten years and due to the surrounding trees and other vegetation it was badly stained with dirt, algae and lichen turning everything dark.
This project was a difficult one to quote for as you never know what your going to find under all that dirt so I had to set the customers’ expectations accordingly
Deep Cleaning an Indian Sandstone Patio in Chiswick
Cleaning started by pressure washing the stone and mortar to dislodge as much muck and grime as possible and reveal the stone underneath. It was a large patio but fortunately I have a professional high-pressure machine that cuts through the dirt very effectively.
With the soiling removed the next step was to remove ingrained dirt and blackspots from the Sandstone. To do this a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Patio Cleaner was sprayed on to the stone and left to soak in for about forty minutes and agitated with a brush.
I find dwell time is essential for this product so it’s worth experimenting with longer times If needed. This product is very strong and really designed for professional use so If your using it yourself do read the label to make sure its compatible with the stone and do wear protection.
Once done the patio was rinsed with hot water (circa 70 degrees) and the soiling removed with a wet vacuum. It was then inspected and any stubborn stains re-treated.
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This process took a whole day to complete and I managed to get the Indian Sandstone paving incredibly clean. The subtle colours of the stone paving were really evident and made a massive transformation from the original.
Source: Indian Sandstone Patio Cleaning and Restoration in Chiswick South London