Ruined My Porcelain Patio

[gibbsy09]

Hi as title, I think I single handedly ruined my Patio with one jet wash yesterday, had read all the good things about porcelain hard wearing easy maintenance, maybe I should have done some more research, waited ages on getting this down, and finally was complete last August, so not been down a full year yet, decided to clean it yesterday with disasterous results.

Has my nilfisk jet wash been too strong or should this not happen with, not even a year old slabs, I'll enclose a pic, I've got 36 slabs down and nearly half have ended up this way, I'm gutted.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Is it just limescale? I'm wondering if you left it wet with hard tap water, it dried up and left this behind.

Check whether you can rub it off. If so don't worry, the weather will take care of it.

 

[^woody^]

The big problem with jet-washing prone materials - concrete, porcelain, clay, slabs, pavers, timber, brick, whatever, is that it is effectively accelerated erosion.

It not only takes the smooth surface or texture off leading to spot patterns, but it then leaves a rough surface that attracts more dirt and grime and faster - leading to more frequent cleaning.

Manual brush only with a suitable brush and appropriate cleaning product. It's a bit harder and less glamorous, but worth it.

For now, check with the supplier/manufacture whether that material is suitable for jet washing, as if so it may be a defect if the slabs are man-made.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

There are varying degrees of jet-washing. Mine has two nozzles - one is a fan that's only a bit more vigorous than the hosepipe, which I think of as a sweeping brush. The other looks like a cone shape but is in fact a needle shaped jet that spins very quickly, which is more like a scrubbing brush. This one will destroy anything - decades of old grime, loose pointing or even paint. I absent-mindedly once rinsed my hand in it, it gave me a good lashing.

I'd use the first on nice paving or the car, wouldn't use the second on either.

 

[^woody^]

Anything coming out of a jet wash can be detrimental. It's not just the pressure or speed, but the fineness of the water at that speed.

 

[gibbsy09]

Is it just limescale? I'm wondering if you left it wet with hard tap water, it dried up and left this behind.

Check whether you can rub it off. If so don't worry, the weather will take care of it.

No not lime scale wish it was, it's actually flaked, there a small indent where top surface is, when it's totally dry as it is just now, the marks are chalk white so top layer exposed

 

[gibbsy09]

The big problem with jet-washing prone materials - concrete, porcelain, clay, slabs, pavers, timber, brick, whatever, is that it is effectively accelerated erosion.

It not only takes the smooth surface or texture off leading to spot patterns, but it then leaves a rough surface that attracts more dirt and grime and faster - leading to more frequent cleaning.

Manual brush only with a suitable brush and appropriate cleaning product. It's a bit harder and less glamorous, but worth it.

For now, check with the supplier/manufacture whether that material is suitable for jet washing, as if so it may be a defect if the slabs are man-made.

Hi I went back on there website and no mention of jet wash, wish someone would have given me a little more advice, guys who layed it used my jet wash once layed, so I thought it was fine expensive lessen learned, waited ages to get it down too, time wasters etc, and managed to wreck it myself in ten minutes really gutted, however it's done.

 

[gibbsy09]

Anyone any ideas how I could repair, make it look half decent, Thanks.

 

[jj4091]

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[Ivor Windybottom]

It sounds like you've taken the glaze off, you must have given it a severe blasting. You can't expect it to be indestructable, water jets can be used to cut steel in industry.

Probably best left, a bit of muck might disguise it.