Patio Black Spots and How to Remove Them
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Patio black spots and how to remove them.
Summer is nearly upon us and as we dust off the garden furniture and get our gardens ready to enjoy the sun we cast our eyes to our patios and what do we see? black spots!
What are these unsightly blights on our lovely paving? These black spots (sometimes white spots) are lichen that float in on the breeze and settle on the ground, from there they send runners down into the ground and set up home.
They can thrive in damp areas and like porous stone the best so sandstones can be susceptible whereas granite is less so, but all paving whether it be concrete processed paving or natural stones like granite and limestone are not safe from these little visitors.
How can you get rid of these black spots? Once the lichen has taken hold it can be really difficult to get rid of, by its nature lichen is flat and sticks fast to its new home.
Sanding and chiselling will leave unsightly marks on your paving, bleaching can work well but you have to be careful not to kill your plants and dilute your bleach to the correct level, some people recommend using this method only in the winter months to avoid damage to plants but you still need to be really careful about pets, children and wildlife.
There are DIY products available that can help you to effectively remove black spots that are biodegradable and safe to use around plants and pets which can leave your patio looking like new. Just remember to buy the correct product for your paving and closely follow the directions on the packet. If in doubt visit your nearest landscape supply shop and ask for advise on which product is the best to use.
If you have the funds you can get the professionals in. Using a reputable company can leave you with great results with none of the hard work and an experienced company should tailor the treatment to your garden.
The best course of action is prevention, there are plenty of products available on the market to seal your paving which will deter these lichen from sticking thus reducing your black spots, again you can visit your local landscape supply shop for advise on which product is the best and safest for you to use on your patio.
