How NOT to remove stains from limestone pavers

Most pavers are made of brick, concrete, thick ceramic tiles, or natural stone such as sandstone and limestone. Good quality strong pavers are expensive, but thicker tiles will last longer, offering value for money over time. It’s important to look after pavers because it protects a home from dirt that would otherwise be walked inside.

Every year pavers are subjected to fallen leaves, moss, lichen, mud and sand particles. Trampling on these particles into the stone would agitate the surface, causing a slow deterioration over time. The tiles will become weak, dirt and water will fall into the eroded fissures on the surface and when water freezes the tile will eventually crack. For this reason, pavers should be cleaned on a regular basis, using the correct chemical solution and brush system.

On occasion, especially during spring and summer, a garden service may routinely sprinkle fertiliser on a grassy lawn. Some of the fertilizer solution may have been accidentally splashed onto the nearby pavers, leaving orange or white spots.

This is because some of the fertilisers on the market today have a small amount of iron in them. This iron helps to make a beautiful and inviting lawn, however spilling the solution on pavers results in an overall appearance with the opposite effect, a muddy walkway that’s not particularly appealing at all. Getting rid of these stains can be very difficult. There are two ways one can remove these fertilizer stains, and that is with a special chemical and by sanding.

No amount of jet-washing or scrubbing will work, so you might decide to go online and find a blog such as this one. But before you grab your nearest bottle of ACME, please read on before you damage your tiles.

Many companies recommend the following steps. These companies don’t know the composition of your paving tiles, they often assume that pavers consist of sandstone or rough cement, so it’s up to you to do comprehensive research. If your pavers consist of calcium-carbonate, then you would be in for a nasty and very expensive surprise.

This is what they recommend. These methods should not be recommended for limestone, marble, travertine, slate or even cement.

Jet-washing pavers

1.       “Use a jet-washer”

The high-pressured water would do more damage to the surface of the tiles and the grout will also be blasted away. This erosion creates a perforated surface where water can stagnate and during the freezing weather the water will turn to ice, expand and cause cracks. Missing grout creates loose tiles, which increases the risk of movement when being trodden on, and the tiles will crack.

Using acid solutions on pavers

2.       “To clean stained pavers, pour some fresh lemon juice over them right away. Allow it to soak into the stain for about 5 minutes. Rinse the stained area with clean water. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.”

Any acid, no matter the pH, can etch the surface of the stone especially when the acid is allowed to soak for a period of time. The longer it soaks, the deeper the damage. If you’re going to use acid, have a polishing machine nearby.

 

Removing stains with hard brushes

3.       “Use a hard bristled deck brush to scrub away the white salty stains and then rinse them away with water.”

Hard bristled brush would scratch the surface of the stone and you would need to rent a polishing machine to restore the surface. Also, rinsing the efflorescence with water will dissolve the salts and allow it to soak back into the stone again. When removing efflorescence, it’s best to sweep the dry residue away from the stone. Since these salts are resourced from natural materials with a higher pH it would be safe to discard the dust into a compost bin.

Flipping pavers over and re-installing 

4.       “Stains can be hard to get rid of. There is one more thing you can do if they don't go away. Turn the stained pavers over if nothing else works. Spade out the dirt between the pavers and then lift it up to flip them. The back of the pavers is good to use. Remove the dirt and it’ll look like new.”

Pavers are manufactured with a rough surface underneath so that it can grip to the tiler’s cementing glue. Some sandstone pavers can be flipped, but you might find that it already has cement glued to the back. Other stone tiles don’t have the same type of surface at the bottom, so your efforts will be for nothing.  Trying to remove a securely-fixed tile is risky as it can easily break during the lifting process, even a tough sandstone tile could crumble when it’s handled it in the wrong way. Trying to re-set the tile would mean that some of the old cement would need to be chiselled out to make space for the new cement. This is usually done with a hammer and chisel, or a hammer drill. When replacing the old cement with new, it must be levelled with the surrounding pavers. This is not an easy task and you could end up with an uneven patio with lots of trip hazards.

Using oil to remove stains on pavers 

5.       “WD-40”

Oils act as a colour enhancer and tends to leave a permanent wet-look stain on any stone. Pouring oil onto softer stone can only be removed through sanding. But with a tough sandstone tile it’s near impossible to remove the oil because the stone is too hard for sanding down and the holes within the stone provide a safe hiding place for the oil to remain forever. Sometimes a poultice can work, but most times it does not. So it’s best to avoid oil treatments altogether.

 

Our advice: Do a demonstration

When trying any method on pavers, be patient and do a small test patch first in an inconspicuous area where you won’t mind too much if the stone gets damaged.  Your demonstration may end up damaging the tile, but at least it will involve replacing only one tile instead of the whole patio.

When using chemicals take care that you don’t rinse these solutions into your plants.

 

Preventive steps to keep your pavers from getting stained.

The best way to keep your pavers clean is to seal them properly. It's important that you use good sealants and follow the directions when you use them. Poor-quality sealants and the any sealant applied incorrectly can cause a lot of problems, including discoloration.

When mixing and applying fertiliser, protect the edge of the pavers with a plastic sheet, or apply the solution with a sprayer, facing away from the pavers.

 

Ask a professional to get rid of stubborn stains.

If you don't get rid of fertiliser stains from pavers on your own, you should get help from a pro. At Tile Cleaning Agents we have a lot of experience and knowledge about tiling restoration challenges. It is possible for us to help you get rid of the fertiliser stains on your pavers. The experts at Tile Cleaning Agents can tell you more about how to get rid of fertiliser stains and any other stains on limestone or pavers. To get all the answers you need, call us.

tilecleaningagents.co.uk