Washing driveway

[99monguse 14]

Currently, I have my father's old Craftsjunk 2000psi powerwasher that I use to powerwash my concrete driveway. My driveway was done in 2003 and I try it wash it every year, nut I have never sealed it.

What is the cleaning/sealing process? I mean if I clean it and obviously wait till the next day to seal it; when should it be cleaned again? Is the sealer suppose to seal-out the dirt or just prevent say oil from soaking into the cement? I would assume that by powerwashing a sealer driveway...the powerwashing would destroy the sealant, requiring a reseal, right? So if I regularly wash my driveway, i shouldn't even bother sealing it, right? Sometimes I powerwash the driveway every month or so, up close to the garage because leaves and debris seem to collect right there.

[JohnB 14]

What you need is a good pro hot water machine ....

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Edited January 6, 2010 by JohnB

[big mike 14]

Concrete sealer just helps prevent staining, and makes cleaning easier. It doesn't last forever, and needs reapplication every couple of years.

Why do you need to wash your driveway so often? If you just mean spraying it off with water, that's not what is considered "cleaning". Generally, cleaning involves hot water, a surface cleaner, and possibly a detergent and a brightener application. This type of cleaning is required to remove mold and mildew, oil spots and staining, and irrigation rust. Simply using pressure to "clean" concrete will most likely damage the cream layer, leave unsightly wand marks, and shorten the life of the concrete considerably.

[big mike 14]

Brian,

Forgot to mention the standard line: Add a signature to your user CP (under My Controls) at the top of the page, or you won't get many replies from the pros on this site.

[99monguse 14]

My wife has these friends of hers who are too stupid to park on my gravel area with their leaking cars; they continue to park on the cement. I get a leaf debris collection right in front of my garage door and the centent gets stained there; also it doesn't help but the village idiot who did the driveway put a low spot right there too; so when I wash anything the dirt tends to end up there and you know women, they don't take the time to hose down the driveway either. I do like the look of the bright driveway but I hate the tire marks.

Yeah Mike I already got hit with the..i'm not telln you nothn additude. LoL

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Brian,

Lighten up. We all get paid to do this work, you are asking professionals to tel you how they do (CORRECTLY) what they do and not get paid for it. They economy is down. Show a washer some respect....

Your signature is sort of combative...just my .02....

Beth

[big mike 14]

Well, as far as the oil staining is concerned, you are going to have a difficult time without hot water. It is the number one best method for lightening or removal. Now since you already have some staining on the driveway, applying a sealer over it will seal the stain in as well as keeping stains out. So you're kinda stuck. I'd recommend NOT sealing a stained driveway. As for the other issues you pointed out, a higher GPM washer will get you finished quicker than a higher PSI. The problem with that is, higher GPM pumps usually come on higher priced equipment. A Hydrotek washer is a good start (albeit overkill for a homeowner IMHO), but it would be a good add on for your current business as well. This will help you on the driveway cleaning, now as for vinyl siding, it's all about the detergent mix. Many don't even use a pressure washer for house washing. Do a serch on "soft washing" or "house wash mix" and you'll have plenty of reading material, without having to interact with the personalities on the forum. Good luck!

[Celeste 341]

While you're researching - you may want to look up the Clean Water Act. If your wash water goes down your driveway and into a storm drain, you can face some pretty stiff fines.

[JohnB 14]

Hey Celeste I always wondered about the storm drain.. law that some states have ?? What if you accidently spill soap on you driveway when you are cleaning you car .. and then it rains nd washes dirt down the storm drain.. What is the difference in cleaning your concrete with just hot water vs a rain storm washing your driveway??

[Celeste 341]

The CWA is Federal. State, local cities, towns and municipalities can have stricter regulations about what goes into what drain, but not lesser.

It's really up to enforcement as to what happens. It's not the dirt they worry about so much, it's the detergents.

[99monguse 14]

Luckily we don't have any storm drains near my house, they're halfway down the street.

[Adrian 155]

Brian,

As a DIYer, you should at the very least get a cheap 1.50 air mattress and a few sand bags and block up the drain while you clean. Your runoff will reach 1/2 way down the street to the nearest drain, I promise.

In reality, a smaller gpm and lower psi will actually use more water than a larger unit would. Because it will work much slower and longer, overall using more water that will runoff to your drain unless diverted or captured.

If the "right" compliancy officer was to happen your way, it could be very costly.