Professional Driveway & Patio Cleaning

Block paving, tarmac, Indian stone and concrete: each one is different

Most drives we clean fall into four types. Block paving is everywhere on estates from Buckshaw Village to Whitefield, and its weak spot is the joints: the sand washes out, weeds and moss get in, and the blocks start to rock. Tarmac drives on the older semis in Bolton, Bury and Blackburn go green along the kerb and under trees, and can be damaged by too much pressure. Indian sandstone patios, which half the houses in Rossendale and Ribble Valley put in during the 2000s, go black in the shade and need a careful touch or the surface flakes. Concrete and imprinted concrete hold up to a good clean but lose their colour and sealant over time.

That is why we set the machine for the surface rather than turning it up and hoping. A 200 bar, 21 litre a minute commercial washer with a rotary surface cleaner gives an even, stripe-free finish on stone and block, and the pressure comes right down for tarmac.

Re-sanding and sealing are half the job

Anyone with a hired jet washer can make a drive look clean for a fortnight. What keeps it looking cleaned is what happens afterwards. On block paving we come back once it is dry and brush kiln-dried sand into every joint, which locks the blocks and keeps the weeds out. On block, stone and concrete we can apply a sealant that brings the colour up and sheds the rain, so the green takes far longer to return. A biocide treatment after the wash kills the moss and algae spores that a rinse leaves behind.

Oil drips, rust marks from garden furniture and tyre marks get their own treatment. Most lift completely. Very old oil that has soaked into block paving will lighten rather than vanish, and we will tell you which before we start rather than after.

Is sealing worth it?

On block paving and Indian stone, usually yes. A good sealant soaks into the surface, darkens the colour back to what it was when it was laid, stops the sand washing out of the joints and makes the next clean a rinse rather than a job. On tarmac and plain concrete it matters less. It has to go on a dry, clean surface, so it is done a day or two after the wash, and it is the reason a sealed drive in Rawtenstall still looks new three winters later while the one next door has gone green again.

When to have it done

Spring and early autumn are the busy times, but a drive can be cleaned in any month that is not freezing. If you are selling, a cleaned drive and patio is the cheapest kerb appeal you can buy. If you are a landlord, it is usually the thing that lets a tenancy down in the photos. Most of our customers have the drive done once a year or every other year, often on the same visit as the gutters or the render.

What driveway cleaning costs

Price is set by the area in square metres, the surface type and how far gone it is. A single-car block drive is a couple of hours; a big patio, drive and path together is a full day, especially with re-sanding and sealing. One photo and your postcode is enough for a fixed quote, and the price you are given is the price you pay.

Where we clean driveways and patios

Driveway and patio cleaning across Rossendale, Burnley, Blackburn, Bury, Bolton, Preston and Manchester, and the villages in between. For business premises, car parks and forecourts see commercial cleaning; for paths, walls and steps see jet washing.