Double Bay is a suburb of courtyards. Terraces and townhouses with paved rear gardens, apartments with ground-floor courts, and houses with outdoor dining areas tucked between walls. They are where people eat, entertain and sit in the evening.
In Double Bay’s low, humid basin, they are also where growth and staining take hold fastest.
Why courtyards get dirty
Walls cut off sun and airflow. Pot plants and garden beds drop soil and water onto paving. Food and drink spill. Leaves stain pale stone. And water from roofs and downpipes often discharges into the courtyard itself. The result is black growth in grout and along edges, green film in shaded corners, tannin and food staining, and slippery surfaces.
Know the surface
Sandstone: soft, no pressure, no acid. More: how to clean sandstone pavers.
Travertine and limestone: acid-sensitive, etched permanently by many cleaners. More: limestone pavers.
Brick pavers: tougher, but loose jointing sand washes out under pressure. More: brick pavers.
Porcelain and ceramic tiles: durable, but grout is the weak point. More: outdoor tile grout.
Concrete: tolerant of pressure, but coloured or stencilled finishes are not.
Cleaning properly
Biocide for growth, with dwell time. A rotary surface cleaner at controlled pressure for even results on flat areas, with hand work at edges and steps. Specific treatments for oil, rust and tannin stains rather than more pressure. Rinse water directed to garden beds or captured, not into the stormwater drain. More: removing moss from pavers.
Drainage
Courtyards need to drain. Check the grates and channel drains, which often silt up, and the fall of the paving. Water ponding in a corner is where growth starts, and on low ground a blocked courtyard drain can send storm water toward the house.
Sealing
A penetrating sealer makes natural stone and pavers more resistant to staining and slows growth. Topical sealers look glossy for a season, then trap moisture and peel, especially on low, damp ground. Seal only after the surface is dry through, ideally in a dry spring spell. More: outdoor tile sealers and penetrating versus topical sealers.
Furniture and fabrics
Outdoor cushions in a humid courtyard grow mould. Store them dry, clean whole panels rather than spots, and let them dry fully. More: cleaning outdoor furniture.
Timing
Deep clean in spring, before the outdoor season. Light maintenance through summer. A clean in late autumn stops growth taking hold over the wet months.
A simple courtyard routine
Weekly in summer: sweep leaves and debris, especially off pale stone. Wipe up food and drink spills promptly.
Monthly: clear the drain grate. Check that pot plant saucers are not overflowing onto paving.
Each season: look at shaded corners for green film. Catching it early means a light treatment instead of a heavy clean.
Yearly: professional clean in spring, and resealing on the product’s interval.
Plants and pots
Terracotta pots leave rings on paving as water carries minerals and organic matter out through their base. Raising pots on small feet lets air under them, stops staining, and helps the paving dry. Soil splashed from garden beds in rain is another common source of staining; mulch or a gravel strip at the edge of the bed reduces it.
Climbing plants on courtyard walls look good and keep walls damp. Keep them trimmed back from gutters and eaves. More: how to clean outdoor tiles.
See the Double Bay maintenance calendar and our patio cleaning service.
