Anyone who has ever had a driveway knows it can look horrible after fall and winter. But the cleaning process can be back-breaking, so none of them want to do it. However, if you want to flip your home or sell your property, it will be a necessity. The best answer is pressure washing. So how often should you pressure wash your driveway?
The answer is pretty simple! All you need to do is pressure wash your driveway once a year, and it won’t even take that long. You should pressure wash it whenever it looks bad for proper driveway maintenance. Things like dirt, moss, and algae can become a hazard for your health if left untreated.
So you need to read this article and learn of ways and whens of pressure washing a driveway. We will provide you with all the information you require in an easy to understand manner. You will be informed about the best practices as well as a five step process to pressure wash a driveway.
Table of Contents
Why should you pressure wash your driveway?
The first thing that many wonders when thinking or talking about pressure washing a driveway is why? Why do I need to do this annoying chore? Is there any need to pressure wash my driveway? And the answer to all these questions is yes, you need to do them.
As I have mentioned once before, by pressure washing a driveway clean, you will clean out all the gunk that has grown on it. These gunk can be a health hazard if left to grow too much. Additionally, pressure washing is a much easier method compared to all other ways, such as scrubbing with a stiff brush and sweeping.
If you didn’t know, pressure washing involves using a machine that pumps out high pressure water and cleaning product mixture through a hose. Using high pressure water, you can clean any surface by hitting it harder and faster than all other methods.
Moreover, by pressure washing, you will make the entire surface look better and cleaner than ever before. Additionally, using certain harsh chemicals will make the driveway or walls you pressure washed healthier for your family. Moreover, you will increase the home’s curb appeal.
How often should you pressure wash your driveway?
Now, this is the first question anyone will ask you if they or you decide to pressure wash a driveway. The best and most simple answer is to pressure wash your driveway at least once a year whenever you have time. You can look for other indicators to indicate that you need to pressure wash your driveway.
Once a year, that we just told you is the recommendation that most professionals will say. But if you see that your driveway is looking bad, then you should clean it ASAP. The danger of leaving your driveway uncleaned for long periods of time is that it might lead to pitting, cracking, and other such damages to your driveway.
If such things happen, you will need to pressure wash the driveway before any repairs can be done. So having your driveway pressure washed once a year and you can prevent any of this from happening in the future.
When should you pressure wash your driveway?
There is one “best” time or date for powering washing, or pressure washing your driveway. In fact, you could pressure wash your driveway whenever you have the time and energy. However, most professionals have suggestions that you can listen to make this task more manageable and efficient.
Is there a “best” season to pressure wash your driveway?
As mentioned above, there is no set time or season for pressure washing your driveway, only some suggestions. If you wanted to or needed to, you could pressure wash during the fall or winter, but you would only be doing twice the work. Generally speaking, you should pressure or power wash during the spring and summer months for the best results.
Having the aid of the hot summer days will make cleaning your driveway easier and could shave some time off. Additionally, you will have an easier time during the spring and summer months because the moss and algae are more visible.
During winter and fall, you will have a harder time because the colder climates will freeze the water you used to pressure wash your driveway. Also, you will need to clean the snow off of your driveways before you can use your pressure washer. That’s just extra work no one wants to do.
Is there a “best” time of day to pressure wash your driveway?
Like the “best” season, there is no “best” time for pressure washing your driveway; instead, there is a suggestion to do it during the morning. Generally speaking, you should pressure wash midday when the Sun is at its highest point. This is so that you have enough sunlight and heat to dry out your driveway.
Pressure washing during the colder months means your driveway will stay wet longer, which is never good. However, if you need to, complete your pressure washing as soon as possible to give the driveway enough time to dry out. This will prevent it from freezing overnight and becoming slippery the next day.
How to know you need to pressure wash your driveway?
As I have said above, multiple indicators show that you must pressure wash your driveway. In this section, I will mention the most common ones that everyone can see and understand. These common indicators are:
- More than one year has passed
- Lots of stains
- Lots of moss
- Slippery driveways
Now I will be going into more detail about each of these indicators and explaining why they mean you need to pressure wash your driveway.
It’s been more than one year
This is the biggest indicator of the most common reasons for pressure washing a driveway. Once a year every year you should pressure wash the driveway you have. It doesn’t matter if the driveway looks bad or ugly. This is because you will be doing so that it doesn’t become ugly and does not allow moss or algae from growing on it.
There are lots of stains
Let us all be honest stains are never a good thing to look at; in fact, most of us hate looking at it doesn’t matter if it’s on your wall or on your driveways. Moreover, stains can be an indicator that there are damages underneath them. So you should pressure wash your driveway when there are stains on it.
Yearly pressure washing the driveway can help prevent stains in your driveway and keep your driveway looking speak and span. If you see lots of stains in decks, you should often pressure wash the decks as well.
There are lots of moss
Like stains, no one wants to see the ugly growth of moss on their walls or driveways. Similarly, moss growth could be an indicator that there are some damages to your property. Therefore, pressure washes your driveway to prevent moss growth and any other damages that might occur because of it.
You might want to treat your driveway with weed killer to stop future moss or algae growth. Before doing so, it will be a good idea to consult some professionals in your area to see if it’s allowed or required.
Driveway is slippery
Many don’t notice this, but water and grease build up on your driveway for parking your vehicle and other reasons. When you walk on the driveway, park your car, or start it, you can feel your feet or car slipping. If this happens badly or badly, it means you need to pressure wash your driveway.
Pressure washing can clean this water and grease build up well thanks to the high pressure water. Furthermore, you can treat the driveway to prevent the build-up from happening again or let it happen over a longer period. All slippery surfaces are a potential accident waiting to happen, so clean your driveway if it gets too slippery.
How long does it take to pressure wash your driveway?
This is a tough question and one that I haven’t been able to find an answer for. Many factors come to play when determining how long it will take to pressure wash a driveway. Here are some of the more common ones that a pressure washing professional told me:
- Size of the driveway
- Amount of dirt and grease buildup
- Weather condition
Can you pressure wash your driveway alone?
Yes, you can easily pressure wash your driveway alone. All you really need is a pressure wash, which you can borrow or rent if you don’t want to buy one yourself, and a steady water supply. The pressure washer that you will be using does need to meet some standards which are:
- It needs to have a PSI of 2500 minimum
- It needs to have a flow of about 10 liters per minute
Using now that is of a lower standard is ok, but it will just mean that you will be spending more time and effort in regular cleaning. Ensure to purchase or get protective gear such as rubber boots, safety glasses, and gloves.
How do you pressure wash your driveway?
We have talked about the whys, when, and how often, so all that is left to talk about is how to pressure wash your driveway. The process is rather simple, but there is some nuance, which is what we will discuss. The process differs from how to pressure wash a balcony, so pay attention.
Clean the surrounding area
Before you pressure wash your driveway, you must make sure that nothing decorative, such as paving stones or garden furniture, is around it. This is because you will be using a machine that shoots out water at 2500+ PSI which can easily break or crack the decorations.
Pre-treat the surface
Most of you don’t even remember when you last pressure washed their driveway, and if you are one of those people, you will need to pre-treat the surface. The reason for pre-treating is that it will work great in removing some of the more stubborn stains, which will make pressure washing the driveway many times easier.
Prep the pressure washer
Now that the driveway is clean and degreased, you can prep your pressure washer by attaching the wand, putting some detergent in the machine, and checking all the lines. If everything is okay, attach the water supply to the pressure washer and turn the water on. Also, use the trigger gun to ensure all the air is out of the water pump.
Pressure wash your driveway
Finally, we can pressure wash the driveway. Use the wide bore soap tip to spray detergent all over the driveway; wait for five to ten minutes after spraying. Then use the narrower 25° tip to pressure wash the driveway. While doing so, the distance between the trigger gun and the surface should be the same.
Use a back and forth motion across the entire driveway surface for an even clean. However, some areas might still have a stain or dirt spot, so decrease the distance for stronger pressure.
Clean the driveway
Most of the work has been done, so all that is to do is finish the job and let the driveway dry. If the weather isn’t that good, you might have to wait about 24 hours. As an added bonus, you could have the driveway sealed with a waterproof seal. Still, I don’t find it particularly useful.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Does pressure washing damage the concrete driveway? Does a power washer damage the surface?
There is a difference between pressure washer and power washing. And power washing tends to damage concrete since it uses much higher pressure than soft wash pressure washing and normal pressure washing. So while doing so, follow some pressure washer safety work practices.
What do you spray on concrete after pressure washing?
If needed, or if you want, you could spray a concrete sealer on your pressure washed driveway, which will keep it looking good for two to three years. The sealer will stop water from seeping into the concrete and not allow imperfection such as creating cracks and crumbling.
Can you pressure wash your driveway with just water?
If you had to, you could often pressure wash the driveway using just water. However, know that using just water will mean you will just take much longer than normal. You will also have to use much more water because to remove oil stains, you will need to use the pressure washer more over those areas.
Is it legal to pressure wash my driveway?
Power wash or pressure wash of driveway is legal. Under the Clean Water Act of 1972, it’s prohibited to dump dirty wastewater in storm sewers, including the ones along the city streets. Therefore just take precautions to prevent the runoff from leaving your property.
Conclusion
So now that you know how often you should pressure wash your driveway (once a year or if it starts looking really bad). Also, we have given a clear step-by-step guide to pressure washing the driveway. Just take care as pressure washing can be dangerous. It is a good preventative maintenance routine, so don’t waste time and give the driveway a good pressure wash.
