The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Wed Nov 05, 2008 3:34 pm**

I have had a gravel drive down now for over 5 years. I am pretty sure it is Cotswold gravel. I know this is not ideal for drives as it can crush under heavy weight but I have natural paving stones down the drive for the car to run on.

Anyway - a more important downside is that due to the porosity of the gravel some patches of the stones (mainly where they do not get sun) have gone black and as a result the drive looks a bit rough now. I tookn up a particularly badly affected small area and soaked them in a bucket of bleach diluted with water and this worked... but I cannot do this over a large area. I tried spraying bleach (50:50 mixed with water) over an area but this doesn't seem to have worked.

Are there any products that can get rid of this blackness to restore the stones?

Posted: **Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:44 pm**

Sorry for not answering you question about cleaning the blackness Searcher but you might be better replacing the Cotswold. It is too soft for driveways and can even crush to dust under foot.
It's also porous and if you've got any trees (autumn leaves) or other organic material landing and sitting on it then it's pretty much prone to absorb on the surface and create algae staining quickly.
I topped up an area with new 20mm Cotswold a couple of years ago for a neighbour. He had bushes and trees round it and it was green within 6 months and looked a mess.
Rather than spend your time and money cleaning it every year or two get rid of it and stick some 20mm flint or "Gold Coast" down. The Gold Coast looks similar but is very hard wearing and won't green-up like the Cotswold stuff.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:41 am**

Thanks for the reply. I have thought of replacing the gravel... but I think there is 11 tonnes of it. I have had it about 5 years and it hasn't noticeably crumbled or crushed apart from a little between the flags that the car runs on.

It would be my last resort - but for economy, enviromental reasons and laziness I was hoping I would find something to clean them up.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:05 am**

Try sending a PM to Roger Oakley at R & A pressure washing. Roger knows more about cleaning than anyone.

Posted: **Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:22 pm**

Searcher
Got your email and reply is on it's way.
Hope it helps.

The Brew Cabin

Cleaning gravel drive