How much to clean cobble locking?

S

sherib

Registered User
Messages
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Someone called today offering to clean cobble locking at front of
house. €250 he said but suggested that might be negotiable. It
is filthy with moss in abundance between the cobbles. In spite of
using a power washer I haven't been able to clean it myself. It's
nearly six years old. He would also re-sand the area.

Has anyone any idea what would be a reasonable charge for this?
I'd be very greatful for advice ASAP. The cobble locked area at the
back is a larger area and there's a passage way also. No way would
I consider paying anything like €500 for this work but I don't know
how to calculate a reasonable price. I suppose it could take a
couple of hours. He's calling again tomorrow and I'm not good at
haggling. It really does need cleaning.

sherib
 
Hi Sherib,

Have you had a look at www.pavingexpert.com or Power Washers

Unfortunately with the move taking place at the moment we are experiencing teething problems and I cannot link to some of the key posts that I might have referred you to.

IMHO I would not be inclined to pay out that that type of money until I had spoken to some other contractors. We have a key post on Paving Contractors and I will endeavour resurrect the post this evening and you could possibly give them a call to see what they think about cleaning/spending that type of money.

I have seen posts here where others have recommended Jeyes Fluid for cleaning the mould off yourself.

Can you take his no. and tell him you will give him a call as you don't have the money at present. These guys always work on the 'put you under pressure' angle and then you possibly rush into something that you are not 100% happy about.
 
Hi Sherib,

I had a problem with Pattern Imprinted Concrete (PIC) ... this is Concrete with pattern applied to it to simulate cobbledock - it has gaps/recesses but it's not separate stones. In my case (as i've seen in many driveways) it is black

I had lots of moss/green slime on it and it was discoloured.

What I did was

1 - Get a Power Washer (currently have pretty decent ones in B&Q for €35)
2 - Get some Jeyes Patio Cleaner - about a fiver in Woodies
3 - Get some Thompson's Drive Seal (Black) - about €15 again in Woodies

Apply the patio cleaner as directed it's important to give it a good stiff brushing and the pressure wash it off - don't be tempted to just pressure wash it .. then after it's dried paint on the Drive Seal ... the result of this was pretty good

Some level of moss/weed growth it inveitable particularly with the damp in winter climate we have.

As I say the above works for black PIC ... if you have Cobbledock with individual blocks might be a different procedure. Also if there's proper drainage and no run off to Flower Beds etc. you can problaby use stronger Moss Killer (hardware/builders suppliers can help you here). Obvioiusly if you have coloured stone/concrete cobble dock you won't want to paint it black either but there is an equivalent Drive Seal available in Clear which might be worthwhile. If you've got moss growing in the joints in the paving might be worth topping up the joints after you've cleaned it to make it less likely to occur again.. have a look at the really excellent http://www.pavingexpert.com site

For paying €250+ to get it done .... just what is this guy going to do that you can't and just how big is your driveway ... if you're just paying him €250 to pressure wash your drive and do nothing else then it's a waste .. if he's going to do a more comprehensive job with proper cleaning/ topping up the joints afterwards then maybe it's worth it for you as it would save you doing it.... i'd always be wary of people who call unsolicited to offer "services" like this
 
Fourth attempt - post keeps disappearing.
Thanks to sueellen and EvilDoctorK for all that advice. Since I was here today agreed a price of €350 for the job. The area at the back and the passage way would be about twice the size of the driveway (small garden area) so felt that was a fair price. I'm very pleased with the result - it looks almost new.

He used a machine for cleaning with water which was much better than my power washer yet didn't lift as much sand. Has a special nozzle. Cleaning took a couple of hours then he sealed it with Thompson's and finished off re-sanding the whole area. The cobbles are separate, dark grey with terracotta edging and were very dirty with moss in most of the cracks. The work took a good four hours. Told me they were from Dungannon and work down here four days a week and stay in a B & B overnight. So don't think I was ripped off. His advice was to water with Pathclear or Roundup every couple of months. Not so sure about that as it would kill all the insects which I don't like doing. What would you recommend using that is less toxic? If I kept away from the edges maybe the insects would survive?

Thanks again for the very helpful and rapid response.

sherib
 
Have just been quoted Eur165 to power wash and treat driveway and side of house. Sealant should last a year i'm told.

Can anyone advise if this is a reasonable quote.

Thanks, Lucille
 

slightly off topic.... but I have a question for you EDrK regarding PIC. Why did you go for PIC? was it much cheaper than cobblelock? Also in order to get the colour you wanted, was the dye mixed in with the concrete or it is applied to the surface afterwards?

ninsaga
 
Cleaning cobblelock is a labour intensive business but not something than must be left to the "experts". If I were taking on this job (and was anxious to save a few hundred €) I'd sweep the areas first to remove any losse moss and dirt. Then I'd treat the area with a strong solution of Jeyes fluid or Mossgo, applied with a watering can fitted with a fine rose. Allow to act for a few hours then wash down with cold water and brush thoroughly with yard brush, trying to remove as much moss growth as possible. Finally powerhose the lot and brush off any residue. Buy a bag of the paving sand (probably cost you about €6) and brush it into the joints using a soft broom. This is a cheap job, cost wise but very labour intensive!
 
Why don't you go to a hire shop and hire a power washer with a power head and it will cut all moss dirt etc off your stone, Just start at the highest point and take your time,if your all day at it wouldn't it give you great satisfaction on what you saved, If you take your time and keep the nozzle about 3 to 4ins off the ground and don't miss any you will end up with a perfect job.
 

I bought a power washer last summer and did this job just as you say above. Between the weeds comin' thru and the dirt/moss back again I ask myself why did I bother Cobblelock might look well in the beginning but it is too high maintenance for my liking.
 

Yeah...would agree and it is a pity given the expense involved...... there's quite s few cobblelock drive ways out there now beginning to show their age..... & as they do they can make the entire appearance of a house look a bit grubby.

I'm wondering how imprinted concrete will look after just a couple of years of wear & tear though.... probably just as bad

ninsaga
 

Hi Ninsaga,

If memory serves me well the EvilDoc inherited the problem with the PIC when he bought the house. I looked for his original post the other day when you posted but as it was on ezBoard it seems to have gone. You could PM him just to check.

One thing that I noticed about it recently when my brother had his done was that it marks quite easily. The gate when closing over scratched it no problem. Sorry I can't answer your question for sure about the dye. This previous thread might give some info.
 
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