How To Clean Concrete Porch

How To Clean Mildew From A Concrete Patio

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• Stiff-bristled broom

Mildew is a type of fungus that thrives in damp or dark conditions. When mildew grows on your concrete patio, it can appear as green or black, foul-smelling patches. It can ruin the appearance of the patio, and even cause or irritate respiratory problems, according to the U.S. EPA. Clean your concrete patio with a homemade solution to kill the mildew, and keep it clean and as dry as possible to prevent future growth.

Start By Blowing And Sweeping

Once youve got a nice flat and clear space to work on, its time to start getting the biggest bits of dirt and debris out of the way. Otherwise, the later steps will be a much bigger headache than they need to beand you might end up having to scrub the patio twice.

Use your broom or leaf blower to clear the patioof any larger dirt and debris, like fallen leaves and sticks. Pay extra attention to the corners since leaves and other debris will often pile up there.

At this stage, dont worry about the cracks between the concrete or paverswell work on those next.

How Do You Paint An Outdoor Concrete Patio

How to Paint a Concrete Porch

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Prep & Clean Concrete

Trim grass along the perimeter of the patio with a weedeater, then use a pressure washer to blast away built-up dirt and gunk. A clean surface will ensure maximum paint adhesion and a longer-lasting result. No pressure washer? No problem. A stiff brush, a bucket of soapy water and some elbow grease will also do the trick. Let dry for 24 hours.

Algae Remover For Concrete

The specialized algae remover will probably work if you use it enough times. The trade-off is that you are washing strong chemicals into the ground where you live. Keeping to best practices such as routine cleaning with vinegar once a year and spot cleaning for food stains after grilling would bring the best results.

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Easy Ways To Clean A Concrete Patio

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A pressure washer might seem like one of those tools that you never really get quality use out of, but it can be a highly valuable tool.

Whether you are using it to clean dirty siding, hose down toys for the kids that have been in storage, or spray down dirt that has dried onto the sidewalk, a pressure washer is highly useful.

It can also be used to clean a backyard concrete patio in an effective way. Keeping your patio clean will make it more aesthetically pleasing, creating a great hangout space for you, your friends, and your family to enjoy.

But a pressure washer is not something that all of us have available. They can be a bit pricey and you may not wind up using it enough to justify the costs.

That leaves you wondering what to do in instances where you need something deeply cleaned but dont have a pressure washer to get the job done.

Not only that, a pressure washer can actually do damage to your home if you dont have the skills to properly operate it. It can result in serious damage such as pitting lines or surface degradation if you leave the spray in the same place for too long.

There can also be damage to the mortar that is in between the brick since the joint sand can be washed away.

The Result Of Cleaning Concrete With Baking Soda

You need to use quite a bit of elbow grease. It was hard work scrubbing the patio with a scrubbing brush, even though I used a scrub brush with a long handle to save my back!

Our concrete patio stones were slightly cleaner than when we started. The stubborn grease stains and mold were still there and the slabs were a long way from being clean.

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Make Use Of A Regular Dishwashing Liquid

If you need to clean your concrete patio and do it safely for the grass that is growing there, a few squirts of any dishwashing liquid will become very helpful. In order to use this cleaning method, you will need to get a few tools ready first:

First of all, you need to rinse off the entire patio with a hose thoroughly. It will help you remove any dirt, dust, and other debris that might get accumulated in the crevices and in between the concrete plates.

The next step would be using soap and water in a bucket to wash your concrete surface. At this point, make sure that the washing liquid you will be using contains no bleach! See, bleaching products are very harmful to any plants including grass, so if a bleach-containing soap or even the suds will end up on your grass, chances are high that it will be killed!

Mix together two tablespoons of mild dish soap and three gallons of warm water in a bucket. Add the soap to the bucket slowly, stirring with your hands until it is completely dissolved. Now you can start cleaning your patio.

• Apply your soapy solution to the dirty areas of your patio
• Work on one small dirty area at a time with a scrub brush until you remove the dirt
• Make sure you give your patio enough time to dry off completely
• When it is fully dry, sweep it carefully to remove any residual dirt and dust that might be left on the surface

Stain The Concrete To Look Like Tile

If you love the look of tiles but not the hard work or the expense, you could stain the concrete to look like tile!

Use 1/2 inch tape to create grout lines on the floor and then stain over it.

Peel off the tape and ta-da, instant tile! Just make sure to clean it beforehand and seal it afterwards and youll have a concrete patio that looks nothing like concrete.

image: Beneath My Heart

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Use Dish Soap And Water

When doing a job like this, starting with the least toxic and most eco-friendly product is a smart idea. Ordinary household dish soap as a degreaser is extremely useful for cleaning up oily, grimy concrete stains while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals.

Start with two gallons of warm water and a mere two teaspoons of dish soap in a standard bucket. Wet a mop and apply the solution thoroughly, scrubbing the areas most affected by grime. Let it set to give it time to lift the oils out of the concrete, and then rinse. Repeat if needed.

Choosing Concrete Stain Instead Of Paint

Choosing to stain the patio instead of painting it offers several benefits. Lets compare the two.Paint coats the concrete surface. The surface does not absorb it. This makes it easy to wear away. In the absence of a vapor barrier in an exterior surface, paint is more likely to bubble and flake. Problems may also occur depending on the weather of the area you reside in. Paint can become slippery and thus, become dangerous. Finally, if your patio is heavily used, the paint job will not last very long.

Stain , on the other hand, is absorbed by the concrete surface. This makes it less prone to wear and tear in comparison to concrete paint. It also maintains the texture of concrete making it less hazardous. It is definitely longer lasting and requires lesser maintenance than concrete paint. On the downside, staining is a relatively expensive procedure and is best done by hiring a professional. Also, the color options are more limited in this type of treatment.

Whatever option you choose, remember that regular maintenance is essential. If you are not confident enough to get the job done yourself, get it done professionally. It may cost a few extra bucks, but youll be stress-free and have a great looking porch by the end of it.

Make your old, stained concrete porch look beautiful again by learning how to paint a concrete porch. This detailed tutorial will show you how to clean the porch, then make it look fabulous with paint!

Lets look at some before pics

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Kilz Enamel Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint

The KILZ Enamel Porch & Patio Latex Floor Paint can work well for outdoor concrete patios. Made from acrylic and available in a one-gallon can, this paint can allow the concrete surface to resist too much cracking and peeling.

Typically, this paint can dry within an hour and can then require another 4-6 hours of setting time before you go on to apply another coat. This particular can of paint comes in a Slate Gray color, although you can also opt for a Silver Gray color.

This paint does not have much sheen and can work well in various climates and weather. Further, you can make use of this paint for both new patios as well as already painted patios requiring a fresh coat.

This paint can help provide protection to the concrete patio against weather conditions like rain, heat, snow and humidity. It dries quickly, allowing you to complete your project without spending too much time. You can use the remaining paint for other indoor and outdoor projects as well. This paint can offer a uniform and smooth application, resulting in a better appearance. The durability and easy maintenance of this paint can make for a hassle-free experience.

The low-sheen finish might not make your patio shine in comparison to glossier finishes.

Removing Rust Stains From Concrete

First things first, use a pressure washing or a power washing technique to get rid of loose dirt on the cement. Once youve done this, use a dry cleaning method, or let the cement air dry before moving on to the next step.

Once the surface is dry, pour or spray lemon juice on the rusted areas. Let the highly acidic liquid sit for ten or more minutes before scrubbing. You can use white vinegar to get the job done, too. Then, rinse off the surface with cold water.

If youre having trouble getting rust stains out of concrete on more delicate or worn out areas, try using a sponge with a rough surface and avoid using a wire brush.

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What Cleaner Will Not Kill Grass

Plants, flowers and grass wont be harmed by oxygenated bleach. Two cups of oxygenated bleach mixed with one gallon of water will create a non-toxic porch cleaner that wont damage wood or concrete. If youre looking for an easy way to clean up your yard, look no further than this easy-to-use product.

Oxy Solve Total Outdoor Pressure Washer Cleaner

This product will help you remove stains, mold, and dirt on patios easily. Oxy Solve Total Outdoor Pressure Washer Cleaner is a powerful cleaning product that combines the power of oxygen with other cleaning agents.

Such ingredients allow it to make dirt and grime disappear from your patio, as well as patio furniture, decking, outdoor grill, and more!

Another great feature of this product is that you can also use it indoors! It will work great for ceramic tile floors or any other area where you need an extra boost in cleanliness. Oxygen is a well-known powerful natural cleaner because it breaks down even tough stains like grease and oil. And since it is natural, it will cause no damage to your fragile surfaces.

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Pressure Washing Concrete Pavers

This week, we tried out the pressure washer on the concrete patio at my parents in Law’s place.

The patio had algae and mold spots in some areas which were completely removed by the pressure washer.

There were a few small oil stains on the patio which we were not able to remove with the power washer. You can see the before and after photos below.

Without a doubt, the pressure washer has to be one of the best cleaners for cleaning cement floors!

Best Way To Clean A Concrete Patio With Vinegar

Next, we decided to try the vinegar method of cleaning concrete. I use vinegar cleaner a lot for cleaning at home so I was looking forward to trying out this method on our concrete patio. I love that vinegar is a non-toxic, natural cleaner and that it’s so versatile.

You should see how sparkling clean my chrome and stainless steel elements come up after I’ve cleaned them with vinegar cleaner, it’s amazing!

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What Should Never Be Used For Cleaning A Concrete Patio If There Is Grass

Grass can grow either around your concrete patio or, if the patio is made of concrete plates, you can have grass growing between them, creating a green natural pattern. In either case, cleaning such a patio requires additional care and delicacy!

This is why, if you want to keep your grass safe and sound, you should never use muriatic acid for cleaning your patio! Of course, this product is super-efficient when you need to deal with the tough and stubborn stains that have settled on concrete. Nevertheless, since it is an extremely corrosive acid, it must be used with extreme care and caution!

For example, whenever you work with muriatic acid, you must wear gloves, goggles, and protective clothing if you use this product. It is also very important that you are aware that this acid will likely kill your grass!

Similarly, cleaning a concrete patio with bleach, a strong basic solution, will kill mold and mildew as well as remove stains but also requires personal protective equipment.

And here is another warning for you: mixing acids and bases release toxic gases! This is why do not apply an acid product where a base product has been applied and vice versa. Do not apply a base product, like bleach, where you have just applied an acid product.

Also, you need to rinse the application areas thoroughly and let them dry completely before letting children or pets walk on them again.

Can You Color Concrete After Its Poured

Another option for coloring concrete is to apply a color hardener to the top layer of concrete after it has been poured. While a color hardener can produce more vibrant colors than adding colorant to the mix, any dings or edges in the finished slab will show, since the color is only on the surface of the concrete.

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Best Way To Clean A Concrete Patio With A Pressure Washer

I have to say, the pressure washer was a complete game-changer. The paint stains, grease stains, mold, and all other types of stains completely disappeared after power washing.

I’m not sure if this would work on all types of concrete flooring but we did try it out on our concrete garage floor and had the same success there too.

I should point out here that we do not have any type of concrete sealant on our garage floor. The exterior concrete in the garage is going to be tiled eventually. We just wanted to try out the pressure washer on the garage floor to see if it would remove the oil and grease stains.

Is A Pressure Washer Worth The Cost

I am amazed at the difference the pressure washer made on our patio. I’m so happy that we tried this first before dumping the slabs and buying new ones.

Although we had to pay for the pressure washer in the first place, it’s a fraction of the cost compared to replacing the patio. We will also be able to put the pressure washer to good use in the future. For us, using a pressure washer is hands down the best way to clean a concrete patio and definitely worth the cost!

I hope you found this post helpful, let me know in the comments below what you think. Have you tried using a pressure washer before? What do you use yours for?

Also, if you have any ideas on the best way to clean a concrete patio without using a pressure washer, I’d love to hear those too!

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Do You Need Lines On A Basketball Court

One of the first things to know is why painting lines on an outdoor basketball court is so important. Paint is used to mark the edges and lines within the court to tell players where to stand and shoot from. These lines need to be clear so players can follow the rules of basketball properly. The sidelines, midcourt line, and baselines must be clear for players and spectators so the game can be played correctly.

Paying attention to the lines and measurements during painting is especially needed if youre painting a concrete court for a basketball team. However, its also good to have the lines right if youre just painting a court for your children. This will help them learn the game of basketball properly!