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Posted: Fri Mar 10, 2017 10:37 am
by Merlin
We had a brand new York stone patio laid about a month ago.
Storm Doris felled a huge tree in our garden and while I was at work a number of very helpful family members split lots of the resulting logs for me using a log splitter.
Unfortunately, the splitting was done on the new patio without a cover, and now the central portion of the patio is completely covered in brown stains and streaks from where the split logs landed (over quite a large area).
This area is under a veranda so it's going to get minimal weathering from now on.
The patio now looks a bit of a mess, but I can't moan too much because the family members in question were trying to do me a big favour. 
Any suggestions on how best to remove the marks without damaging the stones?
Images below (hopefully I've included these correctly).
Any help much appreciated!
Steve
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:42 pm
by Tony McC
If the stains come from the split logs (and that's something I've never seen before) then they should break down naturally over a few weeks and disappear.
You might be able to 'accelerate' the break down' by using a good quality pavement cleaner (NOT an acid-based product). Grunweiniger and/or Extra KT might help.
Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2017 6:22 pm
by RAPressureWashing
Extra-KT is not the product for this staining Tony, great with grease or oil stains, but not wood or tannin stains, the Grunweiniger might get it, but for me that product isn't strong enough, the mix I have on the stains removal page (main site) would take care of this, as it is only a wood stain, so easy to remove.
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:38 am
by Tony McC
I was thinking the stain might have an oil component, as is the case with terpenes from pine trees, hence the KT suggestion.
However, I should have suggested the simpler method first - my error.
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 10:08 am
by Merlin
Thanks for the suggestions!
I'll have to get the ingredients so I can try Roger's mix.
I did try some household bleach on a very small area, but it didn't seem to touch the stain. Is the 'mix' likely to be much more effective?
Cheers,
Steve
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:45 pm
by RAPressureWashing
Yes that mix is far stronger then household bleach, but if you are saying it didn't even touch or lighten the stain, then that might not be the way to go. You could try a product from a company called Tiling Logistics you want Miracle's liquid poultice A+B it is 2 fluids you mix together and will remove most greasy stains just follow the instructions, I think they do sample or quite small bottles, something else that could work is a product called Prep-deck from Owatrol, I use this for stripping decking Sodium Hydroxide based so care is needed using this as it will burn your skin. Having looked at the photos again have to admit that is quite strange staining just from wood? Are you sure there is no lubricating oil been dropped here?
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:56 pm
by Merlin
The bleach may have made the stains ever so slightly lighter, so it's probably worth me giving the mix a go first if it's much stronger.
I don't see how there could have been any oil involved though.
The logs were split by a log splitter (which doesn't give out any oil), and they fell straight onto the patio surface. The impact of the logs hitting the patio seems to be the cause of the staining.
The logs in question were a mixture of a a large cedar tree trunk and a large pine (we had two trees blown down in the storm).
Both have deep brown bark which is a similar colour to the staining - the cedar in particular.
Cheers,
Steve
Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2017 3:06 pm
by Merlin
...unless there was some chainsaw oil soaked into the edges of the wood (the trees were cut up with a chainsaw).
Seems unlikely that there would be enough oil on each piece to cause each one to mark though.
Steve