Blog

Driveway and sidewalk pressure washing

The driveway and walkway take a lot of abuse from people, cars, and weather and need pressure washing on occasion! Not only because of an ugly appearance, but more importantly SAFETY. Over time the normal use of driveways and walkways will cause them to get slippery for several reasons:

1. Foot traffic will track dirt and cause wear and tear upon your sidewalk
2. Cars will causes tire marks and darken the surface
3. Organic material from trees and foot traffic will contaminate the driveway and walkway which will turn into moss
4. Moss is very slippery when wet!

Cleaning your prized driveway and sidewalk can be challenging as improper cleaning will increase how soon you must replace it. Improper cleaning also effects the longevity and quality of the final results.

The steps to deliver the best pressure washing job are:

1. Remove large debris such as sticks and pine cones using a leaf blower, broom, and/or shovel if there is mud or other large obstructions.
2. Pre-clean the surface with your pressure washer either using a 40 degree tip and for faster results a surface cleaner or turbo nozzle from a distance. The turbo nozzle is powerful and must be used with extreme caution. (The turbo nozzle is optional and should only be used on really dirty driveway and sidewalks)
3. Apply a fungicide; the most cost effective fungicide is bleach. Mix 2/3 house hold bleach with 1/3 water and add some dish soap to make it sticky as bleach and water is very runny! Leave the bleach and waters solution on the surface for 30 minutes.
4. To apply the fungicide use a pump sprayer and make sure to water garden beds, grass and vegetation as bleach can affect and disturb organic matter.

IF you do not apply a fungicide your driveway will appear clean; however, organic spores will still be alive and grow back again.

After 30 minutes, Use your pressure washer to do a final pressure wash and rinse off your prized driveway and sidewalk. This will leave your driveway looking absolutely amazing with LONG LASTING RESULTS as the organic matter will be dead.

This technique can be used on driveways, sidewalks, patio stones, cement, aggregate, brick, and asphalt.

Visit our website for more information!

Pressure washing can cause damage if not done propor more informationerly by a professional. Please consult with your local pressure washing outfitter for the proper cleaning method on each surface.