Patio Cleaning in Wixams

Most Wixams homes are relatively new, and so are their patios. That brings its own pattern. The builder usually laid a modest patio by the back doors, often buff or grey riven slabs on a sand and cement mix, with sand swept into the joints. After a few winters the sand has washed out, weeds have taken hold along every line, and the slabs closest to the fence have turned green.

Because the gardens are often compact and overlooked, a patio that looks tired affects the whole space. Many owners we speak to have tried a domestic pressure washer and found the slabs clean for a few weeks before the green returns. The reason is usually that growth in the pores and joints was never treated, only scraped.

Getting the method right for the stone.

• Riven builder slabs have a textured face that holds dirt in its ridges, so a rotary cleaner at moderate pressure works better than a straight lance.
• Where owners have upgraded to Indian sandstone, a gentler wash and a pre-treatment for black spot protect the softer surface.
• Smooth porcelain added in recent years needs low pressure, a suitable cleaner and a thorough rinse to avoid streaks.

Pressure and joints. On a young patio the joints are often the weakest part. Blasting them with a jet empties them completely, which is why so many Wixams patios look weedier after a home clean than before it. We wash across the slabs rather than along the joints and deal with the joints separately afterwards.

If you are searching for how to clean patio slabs on a newer estate, the short version is: treat the growth, clean at the right pressure for the stone, then fix the joints so the weeds have nowhere to go.

Fences and neighbouring houses sit close in many Wixams gardens, so we also think about overspray. Washing across the patio towards the lawn, rather than towards a shared fence or a neighbour's window, keeps grit where it can be rinsed away and avoids awkward conversations over the boundary.