Pressure washing service in Bristol

Green, slippery patios and paths are a Bristol winter problem

Come autumn, that green film starts creeping across the path down the side of the house or the patio round the back. It's the stuff that wasn't there in summer, and by November it's turned properly slick. Step on it in the wet and your foot goes from under you before you know it's happened. Leave it through the winter and it spreads. Up the steps. Across the drive. Into the gaps between the slabs where it takes hold properly. By spring you've got moss growing where grout used to be and a patio that looks tired even on a sunny day.

If that's the path or patio you're picturing right now, it's worth sorting before it gets worse rather than after someone's taken a tumble on it. A call or text to 07931 813332 is all it takes to get a straight answer on what it'll cost to put right.

Why the green comes back and what actually shifts it

It's the damp that does it. Bristol doesn't get much snow but it gets rain, a lot of it, and that constant wet combined with shade from walls and fences gives algae and moss exactly what they need. Stone and block paving are porous. Once spores get a grip they're not sitting on the surface, they're in it. A quick brush or a bucket of soapy water knocks the colour back for a week or two, then it's right back because you haven't actually shifted what's growing in the pores.

What works is different. Hot, high-pressure water gets under the growth and lifts it out. Follow that with a surface treatment that stops it coming straight back. I use a proper pressure washing setup, not a garden hose attachment, so the water's doing the work rather than me scrubbing on my knees for an afternoon. Done right, once a year is usually enough to keep on top of it.

What I clean and how I leave it

I do patios, driveways, paths, decking, and block paving. A lot of the jobs I get called to are older terraces with a narrow path down the side that's gone green and needs sorting before someone's nan comes to visit. I match the pressure to the surface. Decking gets a gentler pass than concrete so I'm not chewing up the wood, and natural stone gets treated carefully so I'm not stripping colour out of it. On steeper streets like the ones around Totterdown, I'm careful with runoff too. Given how much some of those paths and driveways slope, you're not left with a small flood at the bottom of the garden.

When I'm done, you get:

• Slabs and paving back to their original colour, not just lighter
• Grout lines cleared out properly instead of just the surface
• Decking cleaned without splintering or grey patches
• Excess water directed away from the house, not pooled against the wall

Local, insured and easy to deal with

I'm Darren. I run Daz Shine, and it's just me and the family doing this. I've been at it around six years now, covering Bristol. I'm fully insured, so if something did go wrong on the job you're covered. In six years I've also learned exactly how much pressure a Victorian slab can take before it minds.

I'll text you the night before so you know I'm coming. You can move the car or the bins if you need to, which is useful on the tighter Victorian terraced streets where parking's a squeeze and there's not much room to spare for a van. Payment's straightforward too. Direct debit or cash, whatever suits you. No hard sell, no surprise add-ons, just the job done properly and a call if there's anything I think you should know before I start.

If you're weighing up a few quotes, that's fair enough. What you'll get from me is a real price over the phone (07931 813332), not a callback three days later, and someone who actually turns up when he says he will.

The honest limits of pressure washing

I'll say this straight because I'd rather you knew now than after I've turned up. Pressure washing shifts what's on the surface: moss, algae, general grime. But it won't fix a cracked slab or a driveway that's sinking because the ground underneath has moved. That does happen on some of Bristol's clay-based soil. It also won't stop the green coming back forever. Nothing does, not in this climate. What it does is knock it right back and, with a sealant or treatment afterwards, keep it away for a good long while rather than a good couple of weeks. If your patio's got bigger problems than dirt, I'll tell you honestly rather than pressure wash over the top and let you find out later.

Book your pressure washing with Daz Shine

If your patio or path has gone green and you don't fancy another winter of watching your step, give me a call or send a text on 07931 813332. Tell me roughly what needs doing (rough size, what it's made of, whether it's a path, patio or drive) and I'll give you a straight price, no messing about. I answer my own phone, I cover the whole of Bristol, and I'd rather talk you through it for two minutes now than have you slip on it in January. Get in touch and let's get it sorted before it gets any worse.