Another vote for the Karcher, and I do use the patio head (T racer is the official name). I do then use the standard jet on any particularly stubborn bits. You do get a lot less spray everywhere using the patio head and it cleans a much larger area at a time.
If the patio is very bad it may be better to use the normal lance.
I love my pressure washer (what's not to love) but they do awful things to the surface of your paving. My mum's neighbour has managed to destroy a cement path in just over three years. It was laid when the houses were built in the seventies.
I'd also say be careful of using a pressure washer - important to know what type of paving you have first.
We used ours (Karcher K2) with the patio cleaner head on our slate patio at the weekend - came up lovely. But in a previous house which had buff concrete slabs the pressure washer took some of the colour off and actually ate into the surface....which meant more black spots the following year (which were impossible to get rid of).
A decent Pressure washer is were I would start first. Apply a patio cleaner to the paving and use a brush to work the cleaner deep into the stone. Then start using the pressure washer with a spray nozzle which is concentrated to a finer radius, gives you more concentrated pressure but will take longer to finished a slab. Every year I give my paving a good blast and it usually comes up okay, but this year I opted for new paving from my local garden centre http://www.westminsterstone.com I decided on an Indian flagstone which has transformed my garden completely.
I bought a nilfisk from screwfix and its been perfect for the patio. Normally soak in some patio cleaner before hand then give it a good blast with the patio attachment
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Another vote for the Karcher, and I do use the patio head (T racer is the official name). I do then use the standard jet on any particularly stubborn bits. You do get a lot less spray everywhere using the patio head and it cleans a much larger area at a time.
If the patio is very bad it may be better to use the normal lance.
If your garden is on a slope be careful you don't flood your neighbours garden when you use the pressure washer.
I love my pressure washer (what's not to love) but they do awful things to the surface of your paving. My mum's neighbour has managed to destroy a cement path in just over three years. It was laid when the houses were built in the seventies.
Everything in moderation Indi.
I'd also say be careful of using a pressure washer - important to know what type of paving you have first.
We used ours (Karcher K2) with the patio cleaner head on our slate patio at the weekend - came up lovely. But in a previous house which had buff concrete slabs the pressure washer took some of the colour off and actually ate into the surface....which meant more black spots the following year (which were impossible to get rid of).
Important to know what type of paving you have!
A decent Pressure washer is were I would start first. Apply a patio cleaner to the paving and use a brush to work the cleaner deep into the stone. Then start using the pressure washer with a spray nozzle which is concentrated to a finer radius, gives you more concentrated pressure but will take longer to finished a slab. Every year I give my paving a good blast and it usually comes up okay, but this year I opted for new paving from my local garden centre http://www.westminsterstone.com I decided on an Indian flagstone which has transformed my garden completely.
Good luck with your flagstones!
Jack
Last edited: 13 May 2016 11:27:22
I bought a nilfisk from screwfix and its been perfect for the patio. Normally soak in some patio cleaner before hand then give it a good blast with the patio attachment