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Harvey
17-02-2012, 11:03 AM
Hey i looked through forum and couldnt find much info.

A regular customer with white pebbles down one side of house, 8m by 3m. Not the large pebbles but about 1-2cm diameter. Has leaves mixed through which looks untidy and has small clover type weeds growing through that do not pull out with roots. Customer wants the area clean and looking white and new again. Cant find any weed mat under pebbles just hit hard dirt.

Can spray weeds but still need to remove leaves. Thought of using a vac but always thought they were useless and might suck up small pebbles aswell?
What about raking pebbles up, remove weeds and leaves and relay pebbles like new? Is this alot more work than it sounds?
Would relaying new pebbles over the top be ok, after weeds are sprayed?

Any other options?

The more i think about it the more i hate pebbles

Customer is open to cost options, just wants it new again for selling.

Thanks for any ideas

urbanpatch
17-02-2012, 11:12 AM
We usually get some fine mesh dig all of the pebbles up and place the mesh on the barrow and sift them, time consuming but a professional finish, sounds like the type of clients we have, perfection is the only option.

Harvey
17-02-2012, 11:15 AM
Not a bad idea, now you got me thinking....
Cheers

Stump
17-02-2012, 12:54 PM
What I do is just snip, blow, poison. Come back in 2 or 3 weeks and use stirrup hoe, blow. I reckon my stirrup hoe is my most used hand tool I own. Would be lost without it. You could do a good job from the get go with the hoe too, but it would take a while, and I wouldn't be bothered. Use the path weeder poison.

happymowin
17-02-2012, 01:18 PM
blow the leaves

poison the other stuff like stump said

if they throw a fit, say, well they shouldnt have let it get like that

hate bloody pebbles/rocks, they never maintain them (poison) then expect em to be snipped every time, or a magic removal tool used that makes em DISAPPEAR overnight.

pitas

Stripes
17-02-2012, 01:42 PM
I'd go with the whip, blow and poison option and then after a few weeks grab a steel rake and go over the area to try and remove the last of the debris (blow it a few times during this process). If they want them whiter, give them a really quick run over with a pressure cleaner once it's flat again. The sifting method works well but 24m is a pretty fair size and it would take a lot of time and effort for that. I would be more inclined to top up with fresh pebbles once the weeds are dead than sifting all that.

Harvey
17-02-2012, 01:50 PM
Yeah copy guys - blow leaves, poison. Then scratch around with the hoe, blow some more and tell them to keep leaves and weeds outta there from now on.

Thanks very much, problem solved

Oh and pressure wash - nice idea

AJD Mowing
17-02-2012, 01:57 PM
I'd go with the whip, blow and poison option and then after a few weeks grab a steel rake and go over the area to try and remove the last of the debris (blow it a few times during this process). If they want them whiter, give them a really quick run over with a pressure cleaner once it's flat again. The sifting method works well but 24m is a pretty fair size and it would take a lot of time and effort for that. I would be more inclined to top up with fresh pebbles once the weeds are dead than sifting all that.

Yep Im with you stripes and then hit the customer for ongoing weed sprays cz he will need it. whats the saying 1 year seed 5 year weed something like that.. If there is no other plants close by you could spray with hydrocloric acid (diluted of corse) then leave 40 minutes and hose with water that should bring them back to being white again..

ian
17-02-2012, 04:32 PM
just poison the existing weeds and try to blow as many of the leaves as possible out then cover with new pebbles as they just want it looking good to sell so probably want it to look good asap

gsimpson58
17-02-2012, 04:36 PM
What I do is just snip, blow, poison. Come back in 2 or 3 weeks and use stirrup hoe, blow. I reckon my stirrup hoe is my most used hand tool I own. Would be lost without it. You could do a good job from the get go with the hoe too, but it would take a while, and I wouldn't be bothered. Use the path weeder poison.

Excuse my ignorance Stump but what's a "stirrip hoe"??????

Simmo

simo
17-02-2012, 05:11 PM
just poison the existing weeds and try to blow as many of the leaves as possible out then cover with new pebbles as they just want it looking good to sell so probably want it to look good asap

This is what i would do..I tryed sifting pebbles once got jack of it in 5min then just laid new pebbles over the top looked a treat and took far less time and cheaper than half a days labour..

Bluey
17-02-2012, 05:17 PM
Pretty much agree with Stripes and Stump. I agree on that stirrup hoe Stump great little tool. If they are selling I would talk them into a 25mm new topping of pebbles to make it look smick and my wallet fatter. Put it down as close as possible to open day. I hate pebbles with a passion. Useles crap and a sure fire way to get weeds to grow where they have never grown before. I have a couple of properties that have them and every trip I am poisoning the pebble areas. But it makes me money so who cares.

ian
17-02-2012, 10:25 PM
Excuse my ignorance Stump but what's a "stirrip hoe"??????

Simmo

stirrup or scuffle hoe http://www.amazon.com/Union-Tools-72520-Ace-Scuffle-Stirrup/dp/B000H5XTEC

imoww
18-02-2012, 10:51 AM
I too do the same... Whip, Spray, use the hoe to mix them up and spray heaps of white vinegar to get rid of the grass stains......

dirkmirk
30-04-2012, 06:39 AM
To do it properly

Should have a compacted layer of roadbase or cracker dust under the pebbles, that way the dirt cant mix with the pebbles, that layer should also be sloping to let the water drain away.

I'd imagine thats too much work for the client but a bobcat would make light work of it, pick up all the existing pebbles and make pile, remove about 100mm of soil of existing soil, replace with 100mm of roadbase or cracker dust, run a plat compactor over the base, put back the original pebbles then a thin layer to have it looking pretty.

if you want to clean it you can use a fine mesh as stated but its slow and hard work.

imoww
11-04-2014, 04:49 PM
ANyone got a better way of cleaning / washing pebbles? I have a client who wants their pebbles washed??? WTF?
I was prety sure someone said to put the pebble onto shade cloth. vinegar, and wash them down then lay them again???
I like the idea of just dropping new pebbles but cant do it with this one

Mow And Go
11-04-2014, 04:52 PM
avoid it. I got screwed doing that exact job in a clean up. I basically done it in a wheel barrow a few loads at a time soaked in water

bb1
11-04-2014, 05:43 PM
never done it but would a karcher high pressure cleaner do it.. as i said only an idea

Mow And Go
11-04-2014, 09:36 PM
never done it but would a karcher high pressure cleaner do it.. as i said only an idea

maybe a low pressure one, otherwise it just kicks up the dirt under the rocks basically ...tried doing it myself lol but with a 4000psi aussie pumps monster ...didn't work as well as id hoped

Stripes
12-04-2014, 10:40 AM
Try mixing some liquid chlorine into a spray bottle and spray it on, then hose off after 10 minutes or whatever it takes to clean them.

PaulG
12-04-2014, 02:36 PM
Yep. Mild Chlorine and Sugar Soap solution would be worth a shot. I subcontract a guy to do housewashes and that's what he uses. If the pebbles are badly stained by red-soil though it will be a bit more difficult.