Black Spot Lichen Treatment & Patio Cleaning, Concord
Patio cleaning across Concord: biocide treatment for black spot lichen, gentle cleaning for sandstone and limestone, plus sealing advice. Fully insured team.
City of Sunderland · NE37 · 1 miles north of our Washington base
Proper treatment means killing the lichen and algae first with a biocide, letting it work, then cleaning the dead growth away. It takes longer than a straight pressure wash but it's the only approach that actually lasts.
Why does a patio in Concord go black in patches even when the rest of it looks fine? Nine times out of ten it's black spot lichen, not dirt, and it favours the shaded, damp corners of a garden - under trees, behind fences, on the north-facing side of the house.
Pressure washing alone can blast the surface clean for a few weeks, but it leaves the spores in the pores of the stone ready to come back within a season. We treat first, then clean, so the lichen actually goes rather than just getting knocked back.
Part of the Washington Area We Cover
Concord is one of the areas within Washington that we cover regularly, alongside the neighbouring streets and estates nearby, so local knowledge of typical patio types and access here is something we bring to every quote.
If you're just outside Concord itself but still within the Washington area, we almost certainly cover you too - just ask when you call.
What We Do (and What We Deliberately Don't)
We do treat black spot lichen and algae with a proper biocide before cleaning. We do adjust pressure and method to the actual material - sandstone and limestone get different handling to porcelain or concrete block paving. We do check pointing and flag stability before we start.
We don't run a pressure washer straight over lichen without treating it first. We don't use one blanket pressure setting for every surface. And we don't seal a patio that hasn't fully dried out or that has failing pointing that needs sorting first - we'll flag that honestly rather than seal over a problem.
Indian Sandstone
- Indian sandstone is porous and slightly variable in hardness between batches, which means it can hold onto black spot lichen and algae stains more readily than denser stone. It responds well to biocide treatment followed by gentle steam or low-pressure cleaning rather than high pressure, which can strip the natural texture off the surface.
- Sealing is often worthwhile on sandstone once it's clean and dry, as it helps resist future staining and makes the next clean considerably easier.
Clean-and-Seal Process, from Treatment to Protection
- 1
Assess suitability for sealing
We check the stone and pointing are in good enough condition to seal - sealing over failing joints just traps the problem.
- 2
Biocide treatment
Lichen, moss and algae are treated and left to work before any cleaning begins.
- 3
Deep clean
Steam or pressure cleaning removes dead growth and ingrained dirt, matched to the material.
- 4
Full dry-out period
The patio needs to dry out properly before sealing - we won't seal a damp surface as it traps moisture underneath.
- 5
Sealant application
A suitable sealer is applied evenly across the surface to protect against future staining and slow new growth.
- 6
Cure and handover
We explain the curing time before the patio can be walked on or have furniture put back, and leave care advice for the months ahead.
Patio Cleaning near Concord
Add-On Services and Sealing
Four things drive most of the variation in a quote: the total area, the material (porous stone generally needs more treatment time than porcelain), how established the lichen or algae is, and access - a patio reachable straight off a driveway costs less to work on than one down a narrow side passage with everything carried through by hand.
| Small patio (up to 15m²) | typically £80-£150 |
|---|---|
| Sealing (per m², after cleaning) | typically £6-£12 per m² |
| Fencing clean add-on | from around £3-£5 per linear metre |
| Straightforward access, light growth | typically at the lower end of our range |
Patio Cleaning in Concord — common questions
Assessment, biocide treatment, dwell time, clean, and a final check - that's the process behind every patio we work on in Concord, adjusted to whatever material you've got underfoot.
Fully Insured, Properly Trained, Straightforward
Call Trevor on 07501 060609 for a straightforward patio cleaning quote in Concord.
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