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Services
Driveway cleaning.
Most driveway damage we see from cleaning was done by the owner with a pressure washer, in good faith, in an afternoon.
At a glance
service
- Block paving
- Re-sand the joints afterwards, always
- Imprinted concrete
- Wide fan, low pressure, then reseal
- Soft sandstone
- Use a cleaner, not high pressure
- Resin bound
- Low pressure only — do not lance the surface
- Written, itemised quotesExcavation, sub-base, edging and drainage priced separately
- Site survey before pricingNobody prices a driveway properly from a satellite photo
- Compliant surface water drainageBuilt to meet the 2008 permeable-surface rules, not around them
- Local installers onlyCrews working their own patch, not a national call centre
Cleaning a driveway is straightforward and it is worth doing — a clean drive genuinely looks like a different property. The problem is that the tool most people reach for is capable of doing real and permanent damage to three of the six common surfaces.
This page is mostly about how to avoid that, because the repairs cost far more than the cleaning saved.
What a pressure washer actually does
On block paving, a close-range lance strips the kiln-dried sand out of every joint it passes. Without jointing sand the blocks lose their interlock, and the drive begins to move under traffic. On pattern imprinted concrete it strips the sealer and can take the surface colour layer with it, exposing grey concrete. On soft sandstone it erodes the face of the stone. None of this is reversible.
How to clean each surface
The principle is the same throughout: the gentlest method that works, and put back anything the cleaning removes.
- Block paving
A wide fan nozzle kept moving and held well back, or better, a flat-surface cleaner attachment which spreads the force. Then re-sand the joints with kiln-dried sand, brushed in and vibrated or watered in. Skipping the re-sand is the mistake that causes the damage.
- Resin bound
Low pressure and a wide fan, or a stiff brush and a suitable cleaner. Never a narrow lance close to the surface — it can pull aggregate out of the resin matrix and leave a bald patch that cannot be repaired invisibly.
- Pattern imprinted concrete
Wide fan, low pressure, kept moving, and expect to reseal afterwards — cleaning removes what is left of the sealer. This surface needs resealing every three to five years anyway.
- Tarmac
Tolerates cleaning reasonably well but high pressure can loosen surface aggregate on older tarmac where the binder has oxidised. Moderate pressure and a fan nozzle.
- Natural stone
Granite is robust. Sandstone and limestone are softer and can be eroded by high pressure, and limestone reacts badly to acidic cleaners. Use a stone-appropriate cleaner and moderate pressure.
- Gravel
Not cleaned as such. Rake it level, top up if needed, and treat weeds. In a stabilising grid it needs very little.
Weeds, moss and algae
Weeds in block paving grow in windblown dirt sitting in the joints, not up from below through a membrane. That means the fix is keeping the joints full of clean kiln-dried sand rather than laying anything underneath.
Moss and algae indicate damp and shade. Persistent growth in the same patch usually means water is standing there or the area never dries, which is worth looking at as a drainage question rather than repeatedly treating the symptom.
Where a treatment is needed, a proprietary path and patio cleaner is the appropriate product. Household bleach and salt both damage plants and can discolour some surfaces, and salt is corrosive to reinforcement in concrete.
FAQ
Common questions.
Should I pressure wash my block paving?
You can, carefully, but you must re-sand the joints afterwards with kiln-dried sand. A pressure washer strips the jointing sand out, and without it the blocks lose their interlock and the drive starts to move. A flat-surface cleaner attachment is much safer than a lance.
How do I stop weeds growing in my driveway?
Keep the joints full of clean kiln-dried sand — weeds germinate in the dirt that collects in depleted joints. Re-sanding after cleaning does more than any weedkiller. Persistent growth in one area usually means water is standing there.
Can I use bleach or salt on my driveway?
Better not to. Both run off into borders and damage plants, both can discolour some surfaces, and salt is corrosive to steel reinforcement in concrete. A proprietary path and patio cleaner is the right product and is not expensive.
How often should a driveway be cleaned?
Once a year is plenty for most, and less for resin bound. Cleaning more often than necessary does more harm than good on the surfaces that are vulnerable to it.
Related pages
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Written and reviewed by the PaveLocal team. We build and specify driveways across Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire. Pricing and specification guidance on this page reflects what these jobs cost and involve in this region, not a national average.
Free quote
Get a free quote.
Send your postcode and a rough size and we will arrange a survey. A photo of what is there now tells us more than a paragraph does.
- Itemised, in writingExcavation, sub-base depth, edging, drainage and surface priced as separate lines, so you can compare quotes properly.
- Surveyed before it is pricedGround conditions decide the cost of a driveway. Anyone quoting a firm price off a photo is guessing.
- No obligationA quote is a quote. If you use someone else, that is fine — we will not chase you about it.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 07346 814806 or email hello@pavelocal.co.uk.