How to Remove Stains From Your Concrete Patio

Would you like to learn a few tips to remove stains from your concrete patio?

There are certain things that can really tank an otherwise beautiful home with high curb appeal. Assuming you know not to use bizarre color schemes for your windows and siding, the next worst thing you can do is leave gigantic stains on your driveway or patio. This can be anything from mud and oil to food or dried paint.

Johnson Concrete wants to help you avoid that aggravation with a few maintenance and upkeep tips. These apply to residential homeowners in Kansas City who wish to restore a beautiful outdoor setting.

Ways to Remove Stains From Your Concrete Patio

Your approach to removing stains depends on what caused them. We’ll break this down according to the particular problem.

• Grease, Oil, & Food
  • It’s easy to remove food or oil stains from stamped concrete patios by applying homemade cleaning solutions (including degreasers) or just simple dishwasher cleaners. Granted, if you experience this problem from accumulative oil on your driveway, you might not be able to clean it.
• Paint
  • You can scrape away paint stains with a reliable putty knife most of the time. If it doesn’t come off quickly, try adding mineral spirits to loosen the stubborn spots.
• Mud or Dirt
  • This is the easiest to eliminate, especially if you have a pressure washer. You can also use the degreaser on dirty concrete for fast results.
• Algae or Mold
  • These are like dirt or grime since you can still pressure wash them off concrete or vinyl surfaces. However, it’s very toxic to inhale mold spores. Exercise caution here, or better yet, contact a pressure washing company to handle the worst of it.

What About Replacing a Wood Deck with Concrete?

On a related topic, we often hear from homeowners who wish to explore concrete alternatives to wood decks. This happens after they spend years fighting to get stains, green algae, wood rot, and mold off wooden products.

Therefore, you might recall our older post where we gave three reasons stamped concrete slab works better than wood decks. Here’s a summary of the benefits of installing stamped concrete patios.

• Wood rots fast unless you prime it effectively. While nothing lasts forever, you’ll enjoy much more durability and less maintenance with stamped concrete.
• Lumber has gotten much more expensive these days. Concrete isn’t cheap, but it’s a more cost effective option if you need a replacement soon.
• As you can see from browsing our website, there are a plethora of design patterns and ways to assemble stamped concrete. For more inspiration, check out our portfolio of finished projects we’ve done for numerous KC residents.

Hire a Professional if You Decide to Replace Your Concrete Patio

Since concrete paving is a skilled trade, and easy to get wrong, you should do business with a reputable contract company. It’s not worth paying for a concrete mess by relying on a handyman to do it. Johnson Concrete can meet with you anytime to assess your patio/driveway/sidewalk needs, offer free estimates, and complete the task.

Call us for Other Tips to Remove Stains From Your Concrete Patio

While we don’t run a concrete cleaning service at Johnson Concrete, we’re happy to lend helpful suggestions. Our expertise extends to everything from patios and driveways to excavation and pool demolition.

We have full accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), along with all the requisite licenses, insurance, and bonding to do concrete work. Finally, Johnson Concrete serves both residential and commercial clients alike.

If you enjoyed this advice on how to remove stains from your concrete patio, then remember to call us anytime you need professional help with any home concrete surface.