I tried searching for this, but for some reason Search Forums says that I'm not authorized to access the page!! The mods are looking into it. Meanwhile, I am not sure if this is the best place for my question, but here goes.

What is the best/easiest way to remove algae from driveways and fences besides powerwashing? We have a cobblestone-like driveway, and the algae is quite tenacious here in the Pac NW. I'd prefer not to use harsh chemicals. Just a force of water without powerwashing doesn't do a thing to this stuff!

 

I use a ortho spray on the hose and use 10% pool chlorine in it set at full max. Works good for sidewalks and on the roof.

ED

 

I like a mixture of bleach 25% in water with a dash of Tide. Wet the surface, apply with a stiff longhandled brush, let sit a few minutes, then scrub off. Rinse from adjacent surfaces to prevent damage from the bleach. The bleach will kill the mildew and algae and help remove the stains.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks! I'll try these things. Are the bleach solutions pretty okay for basic streams? I mean, people spray all kinds of other stuff on their lawns - some of which must wind up down these drains...

Does spraying the bleach still require a lot of scrubbing to get the algae off?

 

Bleach is an unstable compound that breaks down rapidly in the environment. Diluting it with water and its exposure to the sun and air will render it harmless shortly. By the time that this has been hosed off of the surface and drained across the yard, it will be pretty benign. I have used this mixture many times without ill effect on surrounding plants provided they are rinsed after the mixture is used.

The amount of scrubbing should not be excessive. A long handled brush will allow you to stand and work at it with the overall mechanical advantage of your body rather than scrubbing by hand on your knees. If you don't get it all on the first pass, just repeat. I like to mix this in a garden pump sprayer and apply it from time to time and just hose it off. This keeps the mildew from getting much of a start.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks again! I'll get right to it.

 

Like I said we just hose it on the walk and on the roofs. Dont use a brush at all. Just wet them down good and let set. The store chlorine is 5% to 6 % The pool chlorine is 10%

ED

 

Awesome - thanks!

Since you are both mods and I have your attention, could you help me figure out why I cannot search posts? Every time I go to the Search Forums page through the Forum Jump link, it says:

NickC, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

1. Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
2. If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.

Also, on many Vbulletin boards, you can search a specific forum directly with a search option included in the top links: User CP FAQ Members List ... only I don't have one there. Don't know if this is by design or something due to the above error.

I've PMed Mod howiek and he responded, but he was unsure what is going on.

Thanks.