Will pressure washing alone get rid of black spot lichen?

Not for long. Pressure washing can knock the visible growth off the surface, but black spot lichen has a root structure that grips into porous stone like sandstone and limestone, so spores are usually left behind. We treat with a biocide first to actually kill it, then clean, which gives a result that lasts far longer than pressure alone.

Is your cleaning process safe for plants and lawns nearby?

We're spill management trained and take care to protect borders, lawns and ponds before we start, controlling chemical run-off rather than letting it spread. If you've got particularly delicate planting right against the patio edge, mention it when booking and we'll take extra precautions.

Can you clean a patio that's got moss growing between the joints?

Yes - joints are often where growth establishes first, especially on block paving and older concrete flags, and we treat and clean the gaps as a specific step rather than just the flag faces. Left untreated, joint moss tends to spread outward across the whole surface.

Is there anything I need to do before you arrive?

Not much - clearing loose garden furniture, planters or toys from the patio surface helps us get started straight away, but otherwise we bring everything we need. Reasonable parking access near the property is helpful if space is tight.

Patio Cleaning & Black Spot Lichen Removal in Seaham

Black spot lichen on your patio in Seaham? We treat it properly, then clean - sandstone, limestone, porcelain, concrete and block paving all covered here.

Patio Cleaning in Seaham — the finished patio after a full clean, on a SR7 property

Patio Cleaning in Seaham — work in progress across the flagstones, on a SR7 property

Patio Cleaning in Seaham — close detail on the cleaned stone, on a SR7 property

07501060609 Get a free quote

Why does a patio in Seaham 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.

Older concrete flags and reclaimed stone often have softer, more porous surfaces than modern porcelain, so what's safe pressure for one can etch or pit the other. We match the method to the material every time.

We use a softwash biocide treatment first, low-pressure or steam cleaning second, and only bring higher pressure in where the surface can genuinely take it - never as the default. That order matters: pressure without treatment just scatters lichen spores across the rest of the patio.

Proof of the Work, Not Just Our Word

Biocide trained (2024): Up-to-date training means black spot lichen and algae get treated at the root, not just blasted off the surface.
Fully insured: Every visit is covered by full insurance for your peace of mind.
Fully insured: Full insurance cover on every job, residential or commercial.
Biocide trained (2024): Properly trained in the treatments needed to actually shift black spot lichen for good.

Former Colliery Terrace Housing

In the ex-colliery terraces around Seaham, rear yards were often flagged rather than turfed, and many still have the original stone or early concrete underfoot. Coal dust staining from decades past can sit under more recent algae growth, so a clean sometimes reveals old ingrained marks that a wash alone won't lift.

Narrow yards and high boundary walls typical of this housing keep these areas shaded and slow to dry, which is exactly the environment black spot lichen prefers - it's a genuine repeat-treatment area rather than a once-and-done job.

Homeowners

Getting a Patio Ready for Viewings or Sale

A clean, even-coloured patio makes a real difference to how a garden photographs and how it feels to walk round on a viewing. Black spot lichen and green staining read as neglect even when the rest of the house is well kept, and it's one of the cheaper things to put right before putting a property on the market.

We can usually turn a patio around in a day, and we'll work to a timeframe if you've got viewings or photos booked in.

What Actually Moves the Price

Sealing, re-sanding of block paving joints and re-pointing advice are usually priced separately from the base clean, since they depend on the condition we find once the surface is clean and dry.

Medium patio (15-30m²)

typically £150-£280

Large patio (30-50m²)

typically £280-£450

Porcelain or concrete, light growth

from around £4-£5 per m²

Sealing (per m², after cleaning)

typically £6-£12 per m²

Parking and Equipment on the Day

We bring everything needed in the van - pressure washers, steam equipment and biocide treatments - so there's usually no need for you to provide anything beyond reasonable parking access near the property.

If on-street parking is limited, a quick heads-up beforehand means we can plan around permit times or find suitable space rather than losing time on the day itself.

Matching the Method to the Material

Indian sandstone and limestone are porous and can be relatively soft, so they get treated with a biocide, left to work, then cleaned with steam or low-pressure washing to protect the surface and the pointing around each flag.

Porcelain is dense and far more resistant, so it can generally take a firmer clean, though we still watch the joints. Concrete flags and block paving sit in between - solid enough for a proper wash, but we check for spalling or loose bedding sand before going in, and clean joints separately where block paving has gone green between the blocks.

Porcelain Paving

Porcelain is dense, low-porosity and generally the most resilient of the common patio materials, so it can usually take a firmer clean without surface damage. Black spot lichen tends to sit more on top of porcelain than embedded within it, which makes treatment slightly more straightforward.
The joints between porcelain slabs are still worth checking, though - growth often establishes in the pointing before it shows on the tile faces.

Patio Cleaning near Seaham

Covering Seaham and Its Neighbourhoods

Seaham covers a fair spread of ground, including Dawdon, and we work right across it rather than sticking to one part of town.

Wherever your patio sits within Seaham, distance within the town itself makes no difference to how we quote or schedule the job.

Seaham, County Durham — 12 neighbouring areas plotted within 5.3 miles. Distances are straight-line from Seaham centre.

Patio Cleaning in Seaham — common questions

Local to Seaham and the Surrounding Area

Biocide trained, asbestos awareness trained, spill management trained and fully insured - we look after you and your property on every job in Seaham.

Get in Touch Call 07501060609

Patio Cleaning in Seaham neighbourhoods

Dawdon