Benefits of Cleaning and Sealing Your Driveway Whether it is out the back in the garden or out to the front driveway, there are now more houses that utilize patio areas (especially in the United Kingdom with all out lovely British weather). Whilst these do look good, they have to be maintained in order to keep looking good and to stay in a healthy condition in the long run. If they aren't maintained, there is a real danger of dirt, grim, lichen, oil and stains running the look of your paved area. Keep Clean - Of course, the main advantage of this process is to keep the area clean and will use the right equipment such as high-pressure jet washing to get the best results possible. Ideally a petrol driven machine will give the best results due to the pressure it can apply. Most hobby DIY electric jet wash machines you can buy from the local DIY store are not strong enough to complete a deep clean to most hard surfaces. Using a petrol driven professional grade machine has the power to remove most of the stains, lichen using different tools such as the rotary head which is a designed to keep the mess contained as much as possible, while the lance is used for the more deep stains which need a more concentrated jet. You can rent these petrol driven machines from local suppliers or call a local pressure washing company who can complete the work in a short space of time. This is the most ecofriendly way to clean your driveway areas as no harsh chemicals are used in the process. Reduce Future Costs - In recent years, we have seen financial difficulties which sees people reduce their spending but they tend to reduce it in the wrong areas. For example, you should never stop going to the dentist because you face the risk of missing a potential problem before it turns into something worse. In the same way, you shouldn't forget to clean and seal your driveway or patio because it will remove the risk of larger problems occurring in the future. Reduce Weather Effects - When the snow and ice comes, there isn't many people who like it but our homes also suffer. With ice in particular, gutters can be damaged as can your driveway. If water gets into cracks and then freezes, these cracks will be made worse and, over time, this will ruin your driveway and actually make it quite dangerous. By sealing, you can limit the damage that extreme weather will do. Another example is not to use rock salt if you have a stained concrete imprint driveway as this can actually damage the top layer causing your driveway to become discolored and damaged. Removal of Weeds - As we touched upon earlier, grass, weeds, and moss growth can be a nightmare for patio areas so this treatment will ensure that they will not have their way. Whether it is the roots causing damage or even just the grass above the surface staining the paving, professional services can remove this problem. The best way is to use the pressure washing machines to complete this work but some stubborn weeds may need removing by hand. You can apply a weed/moss killer once the drive has dried out to make sure that the regrowth is a to a minimum. Prolong Life - Ultimately, all of the benefits we have mentioned so far plus many others - oil/stain resistance, better colour of paving, keeping sand in place - all work together to keep your paving healthy and strong. As long as you clean and seal your driveway, you will not be needing to pay out for repairs or a complete replacement for a long time! Using professional grade sealant is the best way forward as this will give the longest lasting finish to what area you choose to seal. The benefit’s are
Less risk of costly future repairs
Inhibits weeds, grass and moss growth
Reduces loss of sand from power washing
Enhances the colour of paving
driveway sealers do not blister or peel
Weather resistant
Proven to prolong life of paving Oil / stain resistant properties The process above can be carried out by yourself the DIY’er or your local companies who specialize in this sort of work. The benefits range for most hard surfaces; Block paving Indian sandstone Patio Flags Plain Concrete Pattern print concrete Tarmac/Asphalt … and many more!