This client in the Poets Corner area of Coventry had a Sandstone patio laid at the front of their property around 12 months ago. The installer didn’t seal the sandstone flagstones afterwards and it had since become rather grubby, the situation wasn’t helped by an overhanging tree which deposits sap on the patio.
My client needed it cleaned but didn’t want it done with a pressure washer as there was a concern about the mess it could make on a neighbour’s drive. Looking for another option Tile Doctor was contacted to find out what else could be done.
Happy to help, I went over to survey the patio and suggested we clean it using the same system we would use on internal stone using a rotary floor buffer together with a tile cleaning agent. I worked out a quote and got the go ahead to start the work. There was a spell of dry weather forecast so a date was agreed for the work to be done then.
Cleaning a Sandstone Tiled Patio Floor
The process I followed was to spray the sandstone with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and leave it to sit for ten to fifteen minutes so it could breakdown the dirt. Then using a floor buffer fitted with a brush attachment I slowly worked the solution into each tile. This process releases the trapped dirt from the tile and grout which was then rinsed off with water and then extracted with a wet vacuum. The patio was left to dry off in the sun whilst I had lunch.
Sealing a Sandstone Tiled Patio Floor
I came back later and ran some moisture tests with a damp meter to check the Sandstone was dry. The sun had worked its magic and it wasn’t long before I was able to apply a sealer. The sealer chosen was Tile Doctor X-Tra seal which is an oil-based product that is rated for external use and is designed to cope well with damp conditions. The oil in the sealer adds structure and colour to the stone whilst protecting it going forward and making it easy to clean.
Once done the patio looked much cleaner and the sealer had done a good job of improving the look of the stone. I recommended we returned the following year to repeat the process to ensure that the patio was ready for the summer. Tile Doctor offers an Annual Maintenance Plan System for just this, one annual fee and the patio is taken care of every year.
My client was very happy with the restored patio and the entrance to the property now looked lovely with plenty of kerb appeal.
Source: Sandstone Patio Cleaning and Renovation Services in Warwickshire