Are you wondering if it's worth the effort and money to power wash your driveway? If so, then you're in the right place!
At first glance, power washing can seem like an unnecessary job since a regular garden hose might be able to remove dirt and grime from your drive. But does that mean you should ignore this modern cleaning method for good?
In this blog post, we're going to look at several advantages of power washing driveways – including aesthetic and monetary reasons – as well as point out areas where it might not be necessary.
By the time you finish reading, you'll have all the information needed to make an informed decision on whether a power washer is worth investing in!
The Process of High-Pressure Washing
A surface can be cleaned of mud, filth, dust, loose paints, mildew, bubble gum, and dirt by subjecting it to a high-pressure cleaning or washing. No matter what you're working with, concrete, asphalt, decorative brick, or decomposed granite, our techniques will yield excellent results.
Worried about the state of your home? Pressure Washing Melbourne team of experienced professionals use the latest equipment and techniques to clean every nook and cranny of your property, restoring it to its former glory.
The Benefits of Using a Pressure Washer Are Numerous.
Did you realise that the dirt and dust on your driveway have a mild acidity? To put it another way, it will eat away at the concrete and asphalt of your drive, leaving behind holes and cracks that could cost you thousands to fix.
Sometimes a driveway will get a few puddles or standing water on it. Algae thrive in the warm, damp conditions found here. This slime grows into tiny crevices in the driveway's surface, making it nearly impossible to scrub away even with industrial cleaners. These growths can be killed, but the chemicals typically leave stains and damage the driveway.
While pressure cleaning could be done year-round, it is most commonly done in the spring and summer when algae development is most noticeable, and driveways need to be cleaned.
When cleaning your driveway, pressure washing is preferable to using chemical cleaners that might leave behind unsightly stains. Stains, baked-on grime, and algae that have been there for years can be washed away with a powerful pressure washer in just a few minutes. In addition, pressure washing can clean the driveway without destroying the concrete or asphalt, so you don't have to spend hours scrubbing with harmful chemicals. The average expert can clean a driveway from top to bottom in under an hour.
Pressure-Washing Your Driveway Has Many Advantages
You might expect your driveway to take a beating from the elements, with it being a high-traffic area. A common problem with concrete and asphalt driveways is the accumulation of particles from wintertime driveway treatments like salt and sand. Asphalt is not degraded by salt. However, concrete is vulnerable to its effects. For the reasons listed below, pressure washing is the finest method for keeping your driveway in good condition.
Kills Mould, Mildew, As Well as other Dangerous Spores
Remove mould, mildew, fungus, and grass from your driveway by giving it a good pressure washing. Over time, these growths can erode your driveway's surface, posing a safety risk and necessitating expensive repairs. A thorough pressure washing of the driveway will remove the hazardous growths and deter their return.
Controls Weeds
Any crevices in your driveway will quickly get overrun with weeds by spring. The roots of weeds can enlarge existing fissures as the plants expand. Weeds and the soil that promotes their growth can be easily eliminated with an annual pressure washing, preferably in the spring. Following a pressure washing, applying a sealant layer will help keep cracks weed-free again for the remainder of the year.
Stains Are Completely Removed
You should expect oil, muck, and grime to build up on your driveway over time. As is common with service trucks left parked in the sun, one of your vehicles may be dripping fluid. The asphalt is stained and will not come clean with only a hosing down. These ugly stains become more difficult to remove the longer they go untreated. Your driveway will shine like new after being subjected to a skilled pressure wash that will penetrate deep into the pores and loosen grease and grime.
Spends Less Effort And Time
Cleaning your driveway by hand is a laborious and time-consuming task. In addition, there are better methods for preserving the integrity of your driveway. Pressure washing is faster, more efficient, and requires less effort than traditional methods. The dirt, grease, and grime will be completely washed away by the high water pressure, which will reach into the deepest crevices.
Safety
Cracked and uneven floors immediately appear as potential trip and fall locations. When it rains, the dirt and mildew on the driveway could make for a dangerous slipping surface. Because mould and mildew thrive in damp environments, the traction provided by a driveway's rough surface is diminished.
If you care about people's safety, rough surfaces are superior to smooth ones. In the end, pressure cleaning aids in maintaining the original consistency of driveways.
Environmentally Safe
Alternative driveway cleaning procedures may involve using harmful and expensive detergents and chemicals. You can usually avoid using chemicals while pressure washing your driveway. If cleaning is necessary, however, eco-friendly options are readily available. Any cleaning product must be harmless to humans, animals, and the planet.
Practical and Economical Approach
If you don't pressure wash your driveway regularly, dirt and grime may degrade the surface over time, requiring expensive repairs. However, it can save you a lot of money in the long run to prevent the pitting and cracks that develop in a neglected driveway. In addition, if you power washes your driveway regularly, you won't have to worry about those tiny fractures growing into costly slab replacements.
No Chips Or Cracks In The Concrete Floor
Surfaces made of concrete are sturdy and long-lasting. Bringing out their inherent allure requires little effort. A good detergent won't scratch the surface like an aggressive cleaner might. High-pressure washing is recommended, especially for stained or highly polished concrete.
By Doing This, You Will Boost Your Home's Visual Appeal
It can be easy to take the sight of your house from the road for granted after so many times. However, your guests' first impression of your home will be negatively coloured if they pull up and encounter a dirty, unattractive driveway.
As an alternative, if your driveway is spotless and attractive, it is the first thing people will notice about your home. Your home is your biggest investment. Protect it with a professional exterior house wash from Pressure Washing Melbourne.
What Time of Year Is Ideal for a Power Washing of a Driveway?
Your driveway can be power washed at any time of year. In most cases, homeowners prefer to have this done in the spring or summer, when stains and moss are more noticeable and unsightly vegetation tends to develop in the cracks of the driveway. The avoidance of moss and oil stains, however, might cause irreparable harm. That's why it's smart preventative maintenance to have your driveway pressure washed on a regular basis.
Isn’t It Better to Have a Professional Power Wash Your Home?
Hiring a professional power washing service reduces the owner's risk of injury. Inexperienced hands using high-pressure cleaning equipment might cause damage. In addition, a high-pressure cleaner can cause costly damage to your property and serious personal injury if you are not properly trained to use it.
When you hire a professional power washing service, you can save spending hundreds on cleaning tools.Looking for a professional pressure washing company? With Pressure Washing Melbourne’s high-pressure steam cleaning service, we use hot water and steam to blast away dirt, grime, and debris from driveways, parking lots, walkways, decking and more!
Conclusion
In just a few short minutes, you can have your driveway sparkling clean with the help of a pressure washer. This article will discuss the good and bad points of using a pressure washer to clean a driveway. Instead of employing chemical cleaners, which could potentially leave behind ugly stains and harm the drive, a pressure cleaning is recommended. If you want to keep your driveway in pristine shape, pressure washing is your best bet. Pressure washing is a more effective, time-saving, and easy alternative to manual washing.
A professional pressure wash will get into the cracks and release the filth and grease, leaving your driveway looking like new. When preventing injuries to pedestrians is a priority, uneven surfaces are preferable to smooth ones. Driveways can be better preserved in their original form after being subjected to pressure cleaning. Driveways can be cleaned in a variety of ways, some of which involve the use of harsh, high-priced chemicals. For particularly stubborn stains or highly polished concrete, a high-pressure wash is the way to go.
Keep in mind that your driveway is the first thing visitors to your home will see, so make sure it's clean and well-maintained. Damage to your property could result from the misuse of high-pressure cleaning equipment by anyone without enough training. You can save spending hundreds on cleaning supplies by using a professional power washing service.
Content Summary
- To power wash or not to power wash, there is the question.
- Power washing may seem like an unnecessary chore at first, as you could probably just use your garden hose to clean up the grime and dirt from your driveway.
- This article will discuss the practical and aesthetic benefits of power washing driveways, as well as the situations in which this service may not be required.
- Once you're done reading, you'll know everything there is to know about power washers and whether or not they're worth the money.
- High-pressure washing and cleaning may remove grime, dust, paint chips, mildew, bubble gum, and other messes from any surface.
- The methods we present here are effective whether you're dealing with concrete, asphalt, ornamental brick, or decomposed granite.
- Using a pressure washer has several positive effects.
- Alternatively said, it will eat away at the concrete and asphalt of your drive, leaving behind holes and cracks that could cost you thousands to repair.
- Puddles or pools of water can form on a driveway occasionally.
- In these humid, heated circumstances, algae flourish.
- This slime penetrates the driveway's surface, making it difficult to remove, even with heavy machinery.
- Chemicals can eradicate these growths, but they often leave unsightly stains and cause asphalt driveways to deteriorate.
- Even while pressure cleaning is possible year-round, it is more frequently done in the spring and summer when algae growth is most pronounced and driveways need to be cleaned.
- Instead of utilising chemical cleaners, which could leave behind ugly stains, pressure washing is the better option for cleaning your driveway.
- Given its exposure to constant foot traffic and other environmental stresses, your driveway may show signs of wear and tear over time.
- Particle buildup due to winter driveway treatments like salt and sand is a typical issue with concrete and asphalt driveways.
- Salt does not have any negative effects on asphalt.
- But concrete can be easily damaged by it.
- The following are some of the main reasons why pressure washing is the most effective option for preserving your driveway's appearance.
- Give your driveway a good pressure washing to get rid of mould, mildew, fungus, and grass.
- The gradual erosion that results from these growths poses a hazard to your safety and can be quite expensive to fix.
- The harmful growths can be removed and future growth prevented by giving the driveway a good pressure cleaning.
- There will be weeds growing in all the cracks in your driveway come spring.
- As weeds grow, their expansive root systems can exacerbate preexisting cracks.
- Once a year, especially in the spring, give the exterior of your home a good pressure washing to get rid of the weeds and the soil that helps them develop.
- After a thorough pressure cleaning, a coating of sealant applied to the cracks will help keep them weed-free for the rest of the year.
- Over time, your driveway is likely to accumulate oil, mud, and filth.
- One of your cars may be leaking fluid, as is typical with service trucks left in the hot heat for extended periods of time.
- The asphalt has been soiled, and a simple hosing down will not remove the stains.
- If you wait too long to treat these unsightly stains, they will become much more difficult to eliminate altogether.
- A professional pressure wash will get into the cracks and release the filth and grease, leaving your driveway looking like new.
- It takes a lot of time and effort to clean your driveway by hand.
- Plus, there are more effective ways to protect the durability of your driveway.
- Pressure washing is a more effective, time-saving, and easy alternative to manual washing.
- High water pressure will flush out every last trace of grime and grease from under every nook and cranny.
- When preventing injuries to pedestrians is a priority, uneven surfaces are preferable to smooth ones.
- Pressure washing ultimately helps driveways keep their original look and feel.
- Driveways can be cleaned in a variety of ways, some of which involve the use of harsh, high-priced chemicals.
- When pressure washing your driveway, it is usually unnecessary to use harsh chemicals.
- However, there are several green cleaning solutions available if the need arises.
- In order to be effective, a cleaning product must not be harmful to people, animals, or the environment.
- The accumulation of dirt and grime on a driveway can cause it to deteriorate over time, leading to costly repairs if regular pressure washing is not performed.
- Preventing the pitting and cracking that occurs in a neglected driveway can, however, save you a significant amount of money over time.
- And if you give your driveway a good power washing every so often, you won't have to worry about those hairline cracks widening into expensive slab replacements.
- The concrete floor shows no signs of damage.
- In terms of durability, concrete surfaces are unparalleled.
- They require little work to bring out their natural charm.
- An vigourous cleaner could scrape the surface, but a decent detergent wouldn't.
- For particularly stubborn stains or highly polished concrete, a high-pressure wash is the way to go.
- Doing so will increase your home's kerb appeal.
- After driving by your home numerous times, it's easy to stop appreciating the view.
- However, if visitors arrive and see a grimy, unappealing driveway, they will have an unfavourable opinion of your property.
- Your driveway, on the other hand, will be the first thing guests and visitors will see if it is clean and well-maintained.
- It doesn't matter what time of year it is, your driveway may be power washed.
- Typically, this is done in the spring or summer, when stains and moss are more obvious and unattractive vegetation grows in the driveway's crevices.
- However, it's possible that doing anything to prevent moss and oil stains would be catastrophic.
- Therefore, scheduling frequent pressure washings of your driveway is an excellent kind of preventative maintenance.
- When hiring a professional power cleaning service, the property owner is less likely to sustain physical harm.
- Damage could be done by inexperienced users of high-pressure cleaners.
- Additionally, if you are not trained to use a high-pressure cleaner, you could end up damaging your property and hurting yourself.
- You can save spending hundreds on cleaning supplies by using a professional power washing service.
FAQs About Driveway Cleaning
Here's a more detailed look at each factor: Machine Type: Gas pressure washers can typically run for about 30 minutes before they need a break. Electric models can usually go for an hour or more. If you're using a hot water pressure washer, you'll need to give it breaks more frequently – about every 15 minutes.
The quick answer is yes, power washing can degrade a concrete surface. You can notice visible damage from water pressure at the level at which even light-duty power washers can operate. Therefore, if you aren't careful, you can cause irreversible damage to your driveway or patio.
The main difference is that power washing uses highly pressurized steam to do the cleaning while pressure washing just uses unheated tap water, without the help of a heating element.
Although concrete can gather dirt and debris quickly, it isn't recommended that you pressure wash any of the areas of your home or office's exterior too frequently. Doing it too much can weaken your concrete and make it more likely that pressure washing will lead to cracks and damage.
You absolutely should. Concrete is a very porous material and sealing it makes all the difference when it comes to its maintenance and longevity. After pressure washing your concrete driveway, it is imperative that you wait until it is completely dry before sealing it. Applying the sealer itself couldn't be simpler.