So I’m new to this but I figured I’ll weed it the best I can (maybe burn it with a propane torch?). Pressure wash it, maybe use a surface cleaner pressure washer attachment and then brush polymeric sand over it. Does that sounds decent or am I completely off base?
I’d like to put off pulling all the pavers, leveling and placing them down again for a later date.
by blbassist1234
39 Comments
Just pressure wash it
Power wash and polymeric sand would be my move. Power wash should blow the weeds out but a pre-torching a few days before to loosen them up can’t hurt.
Put lime down , it will kill much of that green moss growth. Then either pressure wash or use a stiff brush , water and some effort and much will come up.
– Stiff brush sweep it
– pressure wash
– apply wet & forget in the autumn
– jet wash again in spring
– regularly sweep
Do a little sweat work first… get a flat shovel and scrape as much of it off as possible. Then do the pressure washing. If you start with the pressure washer you will make more of a mess than you started with. When you do get to the pressure washing stage put some cheap painters plastic on the house siding to keep that clean and get ready to become the swamp monster because you will be covered in dirt and moss in no time.
Use a gas powered pressure washer
Pressure wash and resand the joints then cover in softener salt to slow down growth.
Once you clean it up, post an after photo. Please
A before and after or maybe a time-lapse series of pictures would be very gratifying. I bet it will look beautiful cleaned up.
If you want a quick fix, mix Dawn, vinegar, water in a bucket and start to dump it all over the place. The sun will do work on it, but it would also be beneficial if you scrubbed it.
Pressure wash it, use the washer to clean out the cracks then get new paver sand to go in the cracks and boom new patio. Unless there is major potholes you’ll be good
Don’t brush polymeric on after Powerwashing
Yeah I’d power wash it than spray it with a 30% vinegar solution (can find at any hardware store) to finish off the remaining vegetation
Pressure wash
Power broom may be better to start and then pressure wash.
I use a Simple Green soak, then a first pass Pressure wash. The more water saturated you can make that mossy stuff, the easier it will come up with the PW. After a few days of heavy rain, or even a hose and tarp work.
Then I’ll saturate a gallon of white vinegar with salt. Just add salt and shake until the salt won’t dissolve anymore. Ill spray that focusing on the cracks and not the bricks. Let that work for about a week. It will kill the roots and they’ll brown out.
A weed torch works well, but even a PW will take most of the dead up.
Then I’ll use the chlorine mix to brighten the bricks.
If the gaps are large, you can sand after.
I retreat with the vinegar mix when I see sprouts popping up.
Pressure wash the shit and piss out of it, once it dries pour polymeric sand in, sweep it in and you should have a pretty well refreshed patio. Whoever put it in did a pretty good job cause it all looks to be mostly level/not sunk in any spots.
All you need is the pressure washer. It’ll do all the work of weed removal too! And is super satisfying!
Amazon sells flame throwers.
You would need to remove any remaining sand between the pavers, down to 1” at least (follow the instructions) before applying polymetric sand. I’d read up on proper application of the sand as it will not work unless you follow the directions exactly. I’m not sure what you meant by “brush polymetric sand over it” but the sand is for the gaps and you would actually brush any you get on the pavers off so it doesn’t haze up and harden onto the tops of the pavers. You only want it to harden in the gaps.
I would mix up some weed killer like glyphosate and spray, wait a couple of weeks, then maybe power wash.
Power wash may force a lot of sand out between the joints, so I would be careful using that.
Polymeric sand, maybe / maybe not, depends on how it looks after it’s cleaned up. If the base looks ok, meaning it’s mostly level, then maybe poly sand would keep the joints weed free longer.
if you go through with a weed whacker first, followed by using a bleach solution, and finally a pressure washing, they’ll look really good. You can also use round up in place of the bleach solution, but it takes a few days as opposes to minutes and isn’t as environmentally friendly. Complete the project by sweeping polymeric sand into the paver joints. This sand helps prevent future growth. Good Luck!
Would only need to remove pavers if some are caved in or something. Use the torch, power wash, and then see what you have. If everything is level, or at least close, spread poly sand and should be good to go.
Check your edges and make sure everything is properly supported.
Pressure wash but not just with the wand you want to surface cleaner. Hard to tell from one picture but maybe you also have drainage issue promoting more growth here
High pressure sprayer
Weed torch, pressure wash, push broom hard, pressure wash, push broom, pressure wash, hate life, push broom, hate broom, pressure wash. Beer.
Get yourself a large corse bristled parking lot push broom and scraper and it’ll clean up a ton.
Careful with the pressure washer or you’ll blast out all the dirt from the cracks.
Or you could do that and fill them back in with play sand by brushing it over the cracks afterwards.
Propane torch then power wash and it’ll look good
Time and pressure washer. All you have to do is wave your arms back and forth…for 6 hours.
What is going on with these mixtures before power washing? Do you guys like to work harder or waste time and effort?
yep, you have the idea, kill what’s there and clean up the debris. Pressure wash everything and you could even use the PW to clean the “grout” lines to then use your polymeric sand to reseal. Should last at least a few years.
Might be as simple as just torching it, wait a week and pressure wash.
This is going to turn into one of those so satisfying videos once the pressure washer comes put
Some green clean pro or a cheap algacide and spray and soak and then pressure wash. The algacide will help breakdown most of what’s on there and if you get a herbicide algacide combo probably breakdown some of the crao deep in the cracks a little better when you pressure wash
**Videos to post: The torching. The pressure washing.
Serious question: if you could push a button and make those blocks look like they just came from Home Depot, would you do it?
I ask this just having finished a tour of a beautiful cottage near Windsor Castle. Owned by the Royal family. There were gardeners and landscapers all about. The paths and sidewalks and roadways look like OP’s photo. I didn’t see anything that looked pressure-washed.
A suggestion, if you’re gonna pressure wash it wear clothes you don’t care about and glasses. I’ve backblasted myself so many times with dirty water
Spray with vinegar on a sunny day let it die back for a few days. Then power wash
If you can help it, pressure wash it on a rainy day. You’re gonna get wet and messy no matter what. At least you’ll be cooler and won’t get sunburned.
Pressure washer with wide fan tip. Don’t use anything else or you’ll damage pavers. You need to get all old material out of all joints. The better job you do, the better results you’ll have. Let it dry for at least 48 hours.
Then poly sand. Follow directions carefully. Sand should be 1/8” below chamfer before wetting it. Then pavers need to dry for 48 hours again. Don’t apply sand if rain is in forecast. Don’t leave sand unfinished overnight.