Black berry stains from tree. A NIGHTMARE!!

Ralph Q

Ralph Q

New member
Did a driveway yesterday and right off the bat I noticed that the stains from the little black berries were not coming off. I tried everything...straight 12% sh with sufactant, sodium hydroxide, purple cleaner, a stiff bristle brush, 4000 psi with a 15 degree nozzle. This stuff would not come off. My neighbor has the same tree and I did their driveway and sidewalks and the berry stains came off after a few minutes of dwell time. Has anyone had this happen and what is the solution. I spent 4 hours at a 1.5 hour job and it wasn't fun. I ended up lowering my swivel on my surface cleaner and going over the darned thing like 5 times. Still not all off!
 
Don't have hot water yet, really haven't considered it down here, its like 90 degrees all day! I think I will get a hot box. I cleaned and and treated a few times. I let it sit for twenty minutes! It lightened up but never completely came off. I need to be prepared for this stuff, because I definitely don't want to go through that again!
 
Pat's probably got it, they are probably tannin stains from whatever the tree is. People sometimes do not realize from leaves, berries, and other tree droppings you can get tannin bleed on surfaces like concrete. When bleach does not work usually the oxalic will neutralize the stain.
 
Everett Abrams said:
Pat's probably got it, they are probably tannin stains from whatever the tree is. People sometimes do not realize from leaves, berries, and other tree droppings you can get tannin bleed on surfaces like concrete. When bleach does not work usually the oxalic will neutralize the stain.
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Great, I have ten lbs of oxalic sitting in my garage!
 
If it's the same berry that falls off a type of palm that we have around here it won't come off. I have tried everything in the past and will tell the client up front that those berry stains will remain. I had a tree at a rental house I lived in 3 year ago that dropped them on the edge of my driveway and my truck ran over them. Once they set in the concrete the stains aren't going anywhere. A couple of month later they had all faded away until the tree produces the berry again.
 
I've ran into this problem before. This may sound odd but it works.......

Go to Lowe's and get a twin pack of their 10% SH, prewet the area, pump spray the area using the 10% straight, brush it a bit and rinse off. It's never failed for me. I've tried 12.5% and it doesn't work to well. Go figure...
 
Vince Wood said:
I've ran into this problem before. This may sound odd but it works.......

Go to Lowe's and get a twin pack of their 10% SH, prewet the area, pump spray the area using the 10% straight, brush it a bit and rinse off. It's never failed for me. I've tried 12.5% and it doesn't work to well. Go figure...
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I think the lowes bleach you mention has some caustic soda in it and that always seems to amp up the bleach power if it's not too much caustic soda. However it seems if too much caustic is added the bleach doesn't work as well. Anyone else notice this?
 
CL Scott said:
Let us know if it works... Got pics?
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I'm done with that job. I told the homeowner, it wasn't coming off. It seems I was more worried about it than he was. He watched me try just about everything but a jackhammer! He said it was OK. I think I got the neighbors driveway anyway. He came over and asked for a business card. Said I was quite thorough...LOL
 
Pat Norman said:
I think the lowes bleach you mention has some caustic soda in it and that always seems to amp up the bleach power if it's not too much caustic soda. However it seems if too much caustic is added the bleach doesn't work as well. Anyone else notice this?
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Yea patient have notice it also.. I put to much and it does not work to well.. Seems only takes a little to spike it up..
 
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