Block Paving Driveway Cleaning And Sealing Guide
Many people attempt to tackle their patio or driveway themselves, armed with nothing but a jet washer and a great deal of enthusiasm! They do not appreciate that they could be accelerating the degradation of the colour and the surface of their block paved driveway or patio. This guide walks you through the correct way to clean and seal a block paved surface for maximum long-term results.
Cleaning
What we aim to achieve is to restore your driveway to its former self. Over time there will have been a lot of surface degradation of the blocks. This would have been caused by use, but also regular pressure washing. Every time the drive is pressure washed it can add the equivalent of 5 to 10 years exposure to the elements in wear and tear. To start, we need to get the drive and the block paving as clean as possible and then properly protect it with a sealer so that no further damage to the colour and surface occurs.
To clean areas of algae and lichens as effectively as possible, we apply just the right amount of our high-quality cleaning products. This will enable the driveway to be cleaned at a lower pressure, which is important to protect the blocks as well as kill off those unwanted organisms so that it becomes far cleaner.
Whether your paving is a brick type paver or more of an antique paver, the principles of the cleaning, the preparation, and the sealing, don’t really change. The thing to remember is that your pavers, regardless of design, are laid onto a two-inch bed of sand. During the cleaning process, regardless of the type of pressure washer being used, you’re pumping a lot of water into that surface.
Before you can apply your sealing products that moisture needs to get out. It may be necessary to leave your driveway a week before coming back to carry out the next part of the process, the sanding and then the sealing.
Sanding
Another important thing to remember with block paving cleaning is that the washing of the paving will generally get the surface of the blocks clean, but it’s the joints that are very important.
Over time, what started off as nice, clean sand will have turned to mud. The sealers will do an excellent job of solidifying the sand and sealing the sand, but what they can’t do is seal mud, particularly damp mud. Before we start our sanding process, we always spend a little bit of time scraping any remaining mud from joints.
It is important to avoid sand on the surface of the blocks and make sure your joints are properly filled with no voids.
Sealing
When it comes to sealing, what we will do is to get the sealer deep into the block and the sand and set those joints, so they are rock solid. If you see this example here, you would struggle to push any kind of object in the joints. They’re really well sealed.
As you can see, a secondary benefit is that the sealer itself really brings the driveway to life and enhances the natural colours. When it comes to coverage, we apply a thick layer of high-quality sealer. If you spread it too thin, you won’t see as great a transformation, and in a few months’ time you may wish you hadn’t spent the money at all.
Our sealers for block paving help prevent weed growth and protect from oil stains. The sealers are suitable for most types of block paving and cobble pavers. All our block paving sealer is manufactured to ISO 9001 quality, so you know you are getting the highest quality product.
The Benefits of Sealer:
Acts as a weed inhibitor
Improves oil stain resistance to block paved surfaces
Hard wearing
Long lasting
Maintenance
If you’re looking to get the maximum benefit from the work that’s being carried out then a little bit of routine maintenance makes sense.
A couple of times a year just to take a broom and sweep your driveway clean. Don’t let the muck build up in the joints. Occasionally, put a light biocide over them just to stop any moss and algae beginning to establish themselves in the joints. That’s the best way to get the maximum protection from not only the elements, but also potential weed growth as well.
Why do you need a professional contractor?
As a professional contractor, we have invested in our equipment. You need a certain type of spray unit to handle the nature of the materials and also the viscosity.
We regularly work with these materials and have all the necessary protective equipment, including a suitable vapor mask, a decent pair of gloves, boots, over trousers, and a pair of goggles! You never know when a hose could burst, and we are prepared which is really important from a health and safety point of view.
Our service includes:
Pressure wash cleaning with professional chemicals.
Relaying of slabs or blocks, repointing and renewing sand in block paving joints.
Sealing with appropriate products.
Probuild Surface Care have over 16 years’ experience supplying professional patio and driveway cleaning services with great customer feedback. Get in touch with us to talk about cleaning and sealing your block paving driveway or patio.
