Those who have laid their personal plot with paving slabs are faced with the question of how to wash the coating. A paved area without proper maintenance will lose its beautiful appearance, as it becomes covered and saturated with various dirt. Protecting tiles from dirt is not easy, but regularly cleaning it is not difficult. The main thing is to follow the recommendations and do it correctly without harming the coating.
The easiest way to clean is to rinse the paving slabs with water pressure from a hose. Do not use special high-pressure devices, as too much water pressure will negatively affect the joints between the tiles and the coating itself.
Regular cleaning with water is effective, but not always cost-effective. For some contaminants, a special approach is required, which consists in the correct selection of funds and their competent use.
Before purchasing a concrete paver molds or particular paving slab cleaner, you should determine the type of contamination.
VALITS
Quite often you can see white stains on the paving slabs – efflorescence. These are mineral deposits that come to the surface of the coating with water vapor. In any case, they say that the material has been exposed to the environment. Efflorescence on paving slabs must be removed, otherwise there is a risk of developing fungus, which will destroy the tile in a short time.
How to remove efflorescence on paving slabs? It is better not to use a mechanical method to clean this kind of dirt, otherwise you can damage the face of the tile. Use chemicals that have the following characteristics:
- Neutralizing
- Neutralizing
- Neutralizing
These chemicals are made from hydrochloric acid or carbonate compounds. When applying them, follow the instructions on the package. Use soft brushes and protective equipment (gloves, respirator, long-sleeved clothing, special glasses).
Before chemical treatment, be sure to wash the tiles with water and allow them to dry completely. The products are applied with a soft brush, brush or roller. They saturate the tiles pretty quickly, in just a few minutes. Then the surface is washed again with water and wiped with a cloth. When the tile is dry, it is swept with a brush. After a couple of days, the coating should be treated with a hydrophobic liquid, which will protect the tile from repeated efflorescence for a long time.
MOLD
If mold (do not confuse this term witn concrete paver molds though has formed on the paving slabs in your area, you must definitely fight it. It not only adversely affects the appearance of the coating, but also harms the material. Therefore, it is necessary to remove mold from paving slabs immediately, otherwise it will be very difficult to do this in the future. To do this, use special tools sold in hardware stores. Moreover, regular bleach and bleach can help with mold. When applying these products, personal protective equipment should also not be neglected. How to use: generously spray the surface with a cleaning agent, then rub it with a brush into the paving slabs in a circular motion. How to wash paving slabs? After 5-10 minutes (when the product has not yet dried), the paving slabs are washed with water from a hose. Repeat if necessary.
CEMENT MORTAR
It often happens that cement has to be removed from the paved surface immediately after construction. The newly spilled cement mortar on the paving slabs can be easily swept up with a broom, and there will be no traces on it. As for the fresh mortar, it is also easy to clean it with a rag, just remember to wash the tiles thoroughly. If he was not noticed, and he managed to absorb, then it will be more difficult to remove the cement mortar from the paving slabs. To do this, use means that include phosphoric acid. It is applied with a soft brush, after which the tiles are covered with a neutralizing compound (ammonia or soda). After a few minutes, the tiles should be rinsed with plenty of water.
The most difficult contamination is dried concrete or mortar. How to clean cement mortar from paving slabs? To remove it, you will need a chisel, hammer, stiff brush, and cleaning products. To get started, just try tapping the frozen solution with a chisel, and it will fall behind, after which the tiles are washed with cleaning agents, for example, hydrochloric acid. Then a neutralizer is used. The main thing here is not to overdo it and not to split the tiles.
CONTAMINATION OF OTHER SPECIES
Tile cleaning is essential in any case, especially if you have a car. It often leaves dirt on the tiles: oil, lubricants. They can be removed with alkali. If a large amount of oil has been spilled, it must first be collected by hand, after sprinkling with sand. After removing it, sprinkle with baking soda. Wait a few minutes, remove the baking soda layer and wash the paving with dishwashing detergent. At the end, the coating is washed with water from a hose.
Chewing gum can be easily removed when it freezes. To do this, use a spatula. In the same way, paint stains are removed, after which a solvent or hydrochloric acid is used.
Use hot water and a paving slab detergent from your hardware store to clean black soot or car tires. For example, it can be liquid soap for paving slabs.
Oxalic acid is used to get rid of rust stains. It reacts with iron not only on the surface, but also penetrates deep. After such treatment, the tiles must be thoroughly washed with water.
The weeds between the tile joints are removed with a lawn mower and treated with herbicides.
We analyzed the main types of pollution and answered the question “how to wash the paving slabs”. Keep the tiles clean, remove dirt in a timely manner and regularly water with a hose. Then your paving will remain in its original form and delight with its beauty. Read more about nome improvement, for instanse article about your dream house!