are you looking for a relatively inexpensive way to spruce up the appearance of your property without waiting days and days for results or spending thousands upon thousands of dollars?

Many homeowners look right past the opportunity that lies in their driveway when it comes to improving the look of their property. Power Washing your driveway can remove years of dirt and built-up grime from the surface, restoring it's original appearance.

So How Often Should You Power Wash Your Driveway?

Do you have large trees, shrubs or hedges that surround your property? If so, you driveway will need cleaning more frequently as the build-up of organic matter such as tree saps, pollen and leafs and twigs will happen relatively quickly and encourage the growth of moss and algae.

If your driveway is very shady with lots of mature tree or hedge cover it will grow algae and moss much faster than a surface exposed to the sun many hours of the day.

For properties with driveways that get bathed by the hot sun all day it can create a very undesirable environment for algae, moss and other organic growth but they can still collect dust, dirt, mud, oil and other contaminants.

Every 2-3 years is generally a good cycle for power washing an average driveway in the Portland area.

Can You Power Wash The Driveway On Your Own?

Yes, of course! You certainly can. Pressure washers can be bought or rented at many local shops and then you just need some fuel, some gum-boots or rain pants, a water supply and several hours of your spare time!

While a regular run-of-the-mill homeowners pressure washer can work to clean a driveway, it will also unnecessarily cause wear and tear on your concrete because the high pressure stream is too concentrated onto such a small area, which accelerates erosion.

Remember, concrete is actually a porous material and meant to actually absorb water and let it pass through, if you blast it with a high pressure stream out of a pressure washer you're going to remove some of the surface which will roughen up the concrete considerably.

As professional power washing contractors we use a piece of equipment called a "surface cleaner" and it works to evenly disperse the high pressure flow of water over a much larger area (usually 12″-16″) and at a fixed height over the concrete.

Using a surface cleaner will eleminate the inevitable streaks that you'll have all over your driveway from a less experienced hand. The surface cleaner also works to protect your gardens, garage doors, exterior walls and other landscape features from overspray.

What Type Of Stains Can Power Washing Remove From Our Driveway?

Driveways can collect all kinds of dirt and grime and eventually stains develop from tree saps to automotive oils to chewing gum, dirt, mud, bird poop and more. All of these can all be removed using a pressure washer and the right detergents or degreasers on the driveway. In most cases degreasers and detergents aren't necessary but they are available for really stubborn stains.

How Much Will It Cost To Clean Your Driveway?

That's a tough question to answer over the Internet but we can certainly give you a rough idea. Power washing a driveway is usually estimated and charged by the square foot. The price per square foot can vary depending on accessibility, the size of the driveway and also the material's it is made from.

Here are a few questions that we commonly ask clients who are looking for a price quote to wash their driveway.

Is your driveway made with interlocking brick, or paving stones? If so, then the power washing process must be followed up with an application of polymeric sand. This greatly increases the cost of labor and also the materials as the sand is bought by the bag and must be applied to the driveway, swept into all the cracks and any excess removed. Then the sand is wetted down to harden in between the cracks. This works to prevent weeds and moss from growing in the cracks.

Do we need to move any furniture or clutter before we can start? This will take us extra time that we need to bill for. You can save yourself some money if the area is clear.

Will there be vehicles such as RV's or Boats we need to work around?

Will you have gardens next to your driveway you need covered or that we must be extra careful not too damage?

Do you have pets we need to be concerned about getting loose or possibly wanting to eat us or our equipment?

Ensuring that we have easy and unblocked access to the entire driveway the minute we arrive to your home definitely makes the job easier because it saves us time which saves you money.

We are happy to move these items off your driveway or protect gardens and your property but we need to know ahead of time so we can account for this time in your estimate.

When you factor the cost of doing it yourself, hiring someone to come out once every two years and clean your driveway and concrete professionally isn't such a bad idea. You can leave for work in the morning and com

If you'd like an estimate to clean and power wash your driveway located in Portland, OR, Or vancouver Wa please give us a call or fill out our contact form today and we'll schedule a date for your estimate.