Painting a grubby path, advice please.

[psc3239]

Hi,
I have a concrete path from my back door which is about 10ftx3ft. Its between two single story extensions and is north facing so never gets any sun and is often damp, so always goes green and horrible.

Can i paint it with something that will help to keep the green away or make it easier to keep clean and look a bit better.

many thanks Paul

 

[Richard C]

Its algae growth; painting is unlikely to stop it forming & may make the path very slippery. You can get chemical treatments but they aren’t cheap & won't last that long or a weak bleach solution & scrub with a broom will kill it for a while but niether will do much for any grass or plants in the immediate area. I use a pressure washer on mine every spring, it comes up like new & will last until the following spring.

 

[psc3239]

Is it worth adding some sand to an exterior paint stop it becoming slippy.

Paul

 

[Richard C]

I think your missing the point; sand would stop it being “slippy” initially but sand mixed with paint would not last long (believe me, I've tried it) & then the bare patches will look even worse! The algae will still grow & the rough texture of the sand will give it an even better environment as it will hold much more moisture which the algae will absolutely love. Get yourself a 99 quid pressure washer, it will be cheaper in the long run & you can use it for all sorts of other stuff.

 

[LJW61]

yeah, the pressure washer treatment is really effective, we have a path that never sees sunlight , it used to fur-up with algae faster than you could *** ! a quick blast with high-pressure water every few months keeps it as clean & grippy as new

 

[psc3239]

Ok guys thanks for the advice, i will go down the pressure washer route then.

Cheers Paul