Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Cleaning concrete

michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
in Problem solving
I’m on a gardening and diy binge at the moment, all due to the fantastic support here! I’m trying to clean concrete that was under decking for the last few years. I tried leaving bleach and warm water and a bit of baking soda on for 20 minutes followed by a blast of water from my new power hose 🤣 but it’s still not great (though the back yard did resemble Water World!). I’m wondering if it’s just the look of the concrete and that’s that, or if there’s a way to make it look better. 


«1

Posts

  • SmudgeriiSmudgerii Posts: 185
    Brick acid will clean it.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    This is the sort of stuff @Smudgerii is referring to
    https://www.wickes.co.uk/Sika-Brick-and-Patio-Acid-Based-Cleaner---5L/p/133793
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Even if you clean it, you will end up with a very harsh surface to look at.  If it were me, I would cover it with several inches of pea gravel, and then buy as many pots and troughs as you can afford.  The more expensive option would be to pave over it with some nice stone.
  • michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
    Thanks very much everyone, I think this is going to be a more long term project than I thought! I don’t want to go the brick acid route as I’ve just used ready mix cement to cover an electric cable and I don’t want to undo that work. I might have to live with it for the moment and just start saving for paving stones. I’ll give the bleach and coarse brush another whirl and turn into Scrouge McDuck for the next 6 months to save! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I'd be very wary of putting gravel over concrete, even quite thickly  ... it can move under your feet ... my brother broke his ankle on just such a surface. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If you decide to cover the concrete, make sure you keep the finished level below the damp proof course in your walls, or leave a gap round the edges. You'd need to leave a space where the down-pipes are anyway.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • GemmaJFGemmaJF Posts: 2,286
    We have concrete out the back, 90% of the cleaning I do with a powerful jet washer. 5%, such as stains I go for the brick acid. 5% stays and never looks great. I was thinking of going the other way and covering it with decking!
  • michellecarolan2012michellecarolan2012 Posts: 20
    Wooden decking looks great for sure but there’s a lot of work and cost to maintain it, and it eventually rots anyway with all the rain that falls here in Ireland anyway. I looked into pvc decking but the cost of the clips for underneath made it too expensive. At least with stone paving it won’t rot and you just have to clean it twice a year. But I’m definitely no expert! 
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    A good point @Dovefromabove  I didn't even think about the safety aspect of gravel on concrete

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    You could try using Patio Magic or Algon on it which is a liquid cleaner. Diluted as per the instructions. I think Algon is the more biological one if I remember rightly. The alternative (and probably cheaper) would be to use a biological washing liquid and scrub it on if the area's not too big. Actually you can also paint concrete, perhaps a dark grey would look smart if you can get it.   
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
Sign In or Register to comment.