cleaning exterior cement without a power washer

[rockyroller]

after cleaning the door of decades of grime & old tape on the glass, I got to thinking about the exterior that can't be painted

this side entrance & walkway has been neglected for decades. so a cpl hrs before sunset, thought I would try a little cleaning. didn't want to rent a power washer, like a smart person. thought I would tackle it by hand. meaning stiff brush & broom. didn't want to spend money on chemicals if I could avoid it. after poking around the internet, decided to try Dawn "Platinum Powerwash" dish detergent. kinda happy with the results. obviously have more work to do, especially that lower wall section next to the path! yikes! & the wall under the light. the stiff broom, w/ a scraper on one side, was very helpful removing the moss between the pavers. used some small hand shears on the veggie bed & Pop's old electric hedge trimmer on the bush, so that my shoulders would fit

totally aware that the whole house needs a cleaning & painting & new shutters & light fixture

raining the next day. probably looks better in the sun

 

[rockyroller]

got back & did a bit more work. wow, good exercise, especially in the heat

more to do on this wall, but that bottom edge is a lot better

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Years ago I was cleaning my Euphonium. I said it was hard work. My mother said you need to apply some elbow grease. I asked her where you could buy it.

 

[Gwylan]

after cleaning the door of decades of grime & old tape on the glass, I got to thinking about the exterior that can't be painted

this side entrance & walkway has been neglected for decades. so a cpl hrs before sunset, thought I would try a little cleaning. didn't want to rent a power washer, like a smart person. thought I would tackle it by hand. meaning stiff brush & broom. didn't want to spend money on chemicals if I could avoid it. after poking around the internet, decided to try Dawn "Platinum Powerwash" dish detergent. kinda happy with the results. obviously have more work to do, especially that lower wall section next to the path! yikes! & the wall under the light. the stiff broom, w/ a scraper on one side, was very helpful removing the moss between the pavers. used some small hand shears on the veggie bed & Pop's old electric hedge trimmer on the bush, so that my shoulders would fit

totally aware that the whole house needs a cleaning & painting & new shutters & light fixture

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raining the next day. probably looks better in the sun
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Can you buy that funny chemical that kills off the green on paths?
We used to use it on boats to tart up the lines that had gone green and manky.
Put '000s £ on the price of a boat

 

[MontyVeda]

Can you buy that funny chemical that kills off the green on paths?
We used to use it on boats to tart up the lines that had gone green and manky.
Put '000s £ on the price of a boat

Algone, is the one I've been using on my mum's house. Seemed to work wonders on the back doorstep a few years ago, but lacklustre results this year so far on the front wall.

 

[rockyroller]

getting there. certainly not as good as new. even the dark sections when scrubbed a second time remain dark. don't think I'm gonna use other methods like certain concrete specific cleaners or a pressure washer. I need to move on. but comparing before & after, it is much better. was going to replace the shutters, they are so beat up. but I might try painting the fronts w/o taking them down

the whole exterior needs a cleaning & painting

dunno what was going on in this section. maybe erosion?

added some top soil & lawn soil & a cpl layers of clay wrapped seed. gave it a good soaking & it rained overnight. but it's gonna be dry now that it's July. should be interesting to see if the seed comes up, only watering it once or twice every other week. I usually water once a day for 2 weeks. this seed is gonna be deprived. should have put it down a few months ago

3 1/2 hrs working in 96F heat wrecked me. what doesn't kill you makes you stronger? umm no, don't think so

 

[rockyroller]

just about a week later, some of the seedlings are popping out

got a small tree stump out

started on that inside edge / crevice. used a favorite concrete repair product on the wall & then some paver base sand to fill the void. I've got exterior caulking products but I'm gonna try the sand thing for a few months or a year & see if doesn't get washed away by rain storms. would have done the whole run, but ran out of goop. had a good rain storm overnight & it didn't wash away. I'll finish this next time

since Mom & Sis don't think I should replace the shutters, I experimented w/ painting them. seems ok. certainly a big difference. they are supposed to be black. there are 4 & I only did half of one, because at 98F I think I got heat exhaustion