Patio Cleaning in Horley
Patio Cleaning in Horley: dirt, algae and black spots lifted off paving and natural stone, with the method chosen to protect it. Horley is the home patch, so this is a local job. The first step is a free, no-obligation quote.
- Paving, natural stone and slabbed patios
- Removal of built-up dirt, algae and black spots
- Method chosen to protect the surface
- Tidy finish, ready to use
Patio Cleaning for homes and businesses in Horley
If your Horley patio is Indian sandstone, there is every chance it has developed the complaint nearly all of them get after a few years: small black spots that will not brush off and will not wash off. People assume the patio is dirty. It is not dirty, it has lichen growing in it, and that is a completely different problem with a completely different answer.
Black spot is lichen, not dirt
Those hard black dots are lichen, and lichen does not sit on the stone, it bonds into the surface and grows down into the pores. That is why it survives a scrub, survives a jet wash, and survives being left another year in the hope it weathers off.
Because it is rooted in, force does not remove it: force removes the stone the lichen is holding onto. Enough pressure to take black spot off Indian sandstone is more than enough to blow the face off the slab, and you can spot patios where somebody has tried, because the surface is left pitted and lighter in patches.
What actually shifts it, and how much
Black spot needs a specific treatment left on the stone long enough to work, followed by a gentle clean. It is a chemistry and patience job. Some of it clears on the first visit, some of it fades over the following weeks as the treatment carries on working, and heavily colonised slabs sometimes need a second go.
What we will not do is promise a patio will come up perfect. Sandstone that has had black spot in it for a decade often ends up much improved, not spotless. We will look at yours and tell you which end of that range we think it sits at before you commit.
How we work
- 1Free quote and stone identification
The single most important step. Indian sandstone, limestone, porcelain, Yorkstone, concrete slab and clay pavers all behave differently under a washer, and getting this wrong is what causes the damage you see on badly cleaned patios.
- 2Protect the borders and check the pointing
Furniture and pots moved, nearby planting protected, and a look at the pointing. Slurry-pointed joints and loose mortar will lift under pressure, so we find that first and tell you instead of discovering it halfway through.
- 3Set the pressure to the softest thing on the patio
We work to whatever is most delicate, not whatever is toughest. Soft sandstone gets a gentler pass than the concrete edging next to it, even though both are getting cleaned in the same visit.
- 4Treat black spot and lichen with chemistry, not force
Black spot lichen roots into the stone. You cannot blast it off without taking the surface with it, so it needs a treatment and time to work. How much will shift, and how much may need a second visit, gets said before the job starts.
- 5Rinse down, sweep and walk it with you
Everything rinsed off, the silt cleared, furniture back, and a walk round so you can see the result and hear what we found while we were in there.
Black spot lichen roots into the stone, so it needs a treatment and time rather than more pressure. How much is likely to shift can be judged on the slabs themselves.
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Customer reviews
What our customers say
Dirty South Power Wash were absolutely fantastic from start to finish. They're extremely friendly, professional, and reliable, making the whole process completely stress free. I had my decking soft washed and the results were amazing, it genuinely looks like new and has been brought back to life. You can really tell they take pride in their work and pay attention to detail. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone and will definitely be using their services again in the future!
No fuss, just excellent - from start to finish. Friendly to deal with, clear communication all the way, came when they said they would, did an excellent job. Would use again without a doubt.
Great service, really pleased with our garage roof. All the moss has gone and left nice and tidy. Great guys too. Thanks!
Did a fantastic job on a garage roof clean/moss removal, looks good as new! friendly & professional highly recommend 👏🏼
Really pleased with our driveway😊
They done an amazing job and great price
Good to know
Patio Cleaning in Horley: your questions answered
What are the black spots on my Indian sandstone patio?
They are lichen, not dirt. Lichen bonds into the surface of porous stone and grows down into the pores, which is why it will not brush, sweep or jet off the way ordinary grime does. It is extremely common on Indian sandstone across this area and it takes a treatment with dwell time rather than more pressure.
Can you remove black spot from a patio completely?
Often mostly, and sometimes not entirely, which depends on how long it has been there. Recent colonisation usually clears well. Slabs that have carried heavy black spot for many years commonly come up greatly improved, not perfect, because the lichen has been in the pores long enough to mark the stone. A proper look at the slabs beforehand will place yours somewhere on that range.
Will pressure washing damage Indian sandstone?
It can, easily. Indian sandstone is porous and relatively soft, so a close, high-pressure jet lifts the surface, leaving it pitted, rougher and quicker to dirty again next time. It is cleaned at lower pressure with the treatment doing the work. If a patio looks patchy and rough after a previous clean, that is usually what happened to it.
How long after treatment before the patio looks its best?
Immediately for the dirt and algae, and over the following weeks for the black spot. A patio looks transformed the day we finish because the general grime and green have gone. The lichen treatment keeps working after we leave, so residual dark marks continue to fade over the next few weeks rather than all clearing on the day.
Should I have my patio sealed after cleaning?
Decide it after the clean, not as part of it. Sealing is a separate trade and a separate decision, so it is worth weighing on its own once the patio is clean and thoroughly dry. A sealer reduces how readily porous stone absorbs staining and can slow regrowth. Against that, it changes the look, it will not go on damp stone, and it has to be redone periodically.
Patio Cleaning in Horley, done properly
Free, no-obligation quotes across Surrey, Sussex and Kent. Send a few photos and we will do the rest.