Lichen Archives - Tile Doctor Lancashire

Neglected Indian Sandstone Patio Fully Restored in Over Kellet

I thought I would share with you these photos of a very neglected Sandstone Patio that had been installed at a property in the village of Over Kellet near Carnforth twenty-years ago. As you can see from the photos it was in quite a state and now needed a very deep clean to remove the grime and layers of Black Spot. Additionally, some for the flagstones were loose and needed relaying as did the pointing in many areas which had cracked and fallen out.

Sandstone Patio Before Cleaning Over Kellet

Suspecting they would have to get a new patio installed, my client thought it would be worth speaking to Tile Doctor first about having it cleaned so I popped over to take a look. Despite the numerous issues I was able to re-assure them that the loose stones could be secured the loose mortar replaced and I was confident of being able to clean the flagstones to a reasonable degree. I worked out a detailed quote which they accepted and a date scheduled for the work to start.

Cleaning a Heavily Stained Indian Sandstone Patio

Work started with a power wash to remove loose grime and dirt; I use a high spec Karcher pressure washer for this which is more powerful (and certainly more expensive) than the usual range you find in most retailers.

I worked in sections and after power washing one area the flagstones were covered in Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a strong alkaline tile and stone cleaner that being a gel allows it to sit and soak into the stone. These long dwell times give the product time to breakdown the dirt and blackspot staining lifting it to the surface where it can be scrubbed away. The Black Spot had unfortunately been allowed to build up over several years as the customer was no longer able to clean it themselves. As such it was necessary to repeat this process several times stripping off a layer at a time.

Once a section was clean, I was then able to re-lay any loose flagstones with a 3 to 1 mix of Sand and Cement and a bit of Admix. Following that the areas that needed it were repointed using VDW 800 jointing compound that was a good colour match to the original.

Sandstone Patio After Cleaning Over Kellet

As you can see on the pictures the process worked very well and resulted in the lovely colours and character being restored to the Sandstone flagstones. The customer was very happy with the results saying he had forgotten how much Colour was in the Sandstone and it was nice to see it looking like it used to be when it laid.

Professional Restoration of an Indian Sandstone Patio in Lancashire

Sandstone Patio Floor Before After Renovation in Bolton Le Sands

Black Spot Removed from an Indian Sandstone Patio in Bolton-Le-Sands

1 Comment / Lancaster Tile Cleaning, Sandstone Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History / Russell Taylor

This Indian Sandstone Patio in Bolton-Le-Sands near Lancaster had not been cleaned successfully for several years. Although the owner had power washed it on occasion, that won’t rid you of Black Spot, Mould, Lichen etc and this will build-up over the years. It does clean the stone up to a certain standard but at some point, it will need further treatment.

My client had now reached this point and decided to give Tile Doctor a call to have it renovated. We discussed the Patio which ran around the house and calculated that it measured approximately 60m2. With the measurements and a summary of the issues I was able to work out a quote which they were happy to accept.

Indian Sandstone Patio Before Cleaning in Bolton-Le-Sands

Removing Black Spot from an Indian Sandstone Patio

To improve the appearance of the stone I started by giving it a power wash to remove the general grime and dirt. I used a top of the range Karcher Pressure Washer for this which can apply up to 20 bars of pressure. The machine also comes with a spinner attachment results in a much more even clean than simply using the spray head.

The patio was left to dry for thirty minutes before applying neat Tile Doctor Patio & Brick Driveway Cleaner. Please note this is a very powerful product meant for professional use so if you’re using it always wear gloves and protective glasses. You leave it on the stone for ten minutes or longer before working it in. The directions on the back of the bottle say recommend leaving it for two to four hours, but its general advice. Personally, I find it is best to test the timing on a small inconspicuous area first, leave it on for say ten minutes then add a bit of water, scrub the surface and if the Black Spot disappears then that is all the time you need. If the stain is stubborn, increase the time. The two to four hour recommendation is really for difficult Black Spots that have become ingrained into the stone and then the product needs longer to digest the stain before it can work.

Once that was done, I used the power washer on low pressure to wash the products off the stone and into the sewerage drain, a wet vacuum comes in handy for this. Don’t dispose of it into the grass or planting areas as the strong chemicals in the product could upset them. Many properties have a soak away to capture rainwater from gutters, so you need to make sure it’s the sewage drain you are using.

Indian Sandstone Patio After Cleaning in Bolton-Le-Sands

As you can see on the pictures, this product really does work and got rid of the Black Spot completely. To maintain the patio a regular jet wash was recommended, the household versions are ideal for keeping it clean and tidy.

Due to the size of the Sandstone patio the whole process took around six hours to complete. Once done though the patio looked transformed and was all ready for a barbeque and some guests. Hopefully, it will stop raining long enough for this to happen.

Professional Restoration of an Indian Sandstone Patio in Lancashire

Black Spot Removed from an Indian Sandstone Patio in Bolton-Le-Sands Read More »