Our Projects - The Importance Of Soft Washing Driveways And Patios

If you’re looking to get your driveway or patio pressure washed, please remember that not all services are the same. It may appear that a clean exterior surface looks the same from contractor to contractor but there is a hidden difference that’s quite important to the longevity of your clean surface.

Streaks:

First of all without soft washing (using chemicals to sterilise the surface) after your pressure washing has been done you may notice streaks in the work that’s been conducted. This is because some jet washes will not provide an even clean finish. Our chemicals will make sure for an evenly clean appearing surface.

Black Spot:

Black spot is a fungus that lives on the surface of stone. It’s a very hard shell to guide itself against UV rays. This makes it particularly difficult to deal with when cleaning exterior surfaces. Washing alone cannot get rid of it however using chemicals well manage to get underneath the stain and break it down which means jet washing afterwards will prove an easy task and will result in a much cleaner job.

Longevity:

Our chemicals will sterilise the surface of your patio slabs or driveway which means that nature needs to re-establish itself before it’s shows up as we see it, algae, lichen and black spot all work this way meaning there will be longer intervals between cleaning.

Which chemicals do we use?

We use two chemicals, Sodium Hypoclorite and DDAC (biocide). Depending on the situation we would opt for one of these two options. DDAC will activate when coming into contact with biological matter and then become benign. It works by penetrating the cell layer of and vegetation found on stone and killing it. It will also work on moss but large clumps may survive. Sodium Hypoclorite is a highly alkaline substance that works with an added surfactant (like a strong soap) that manages to get underneath the vegetation stains and bust the cell walls meaning it will sterilise the surface and work towards making a cleaner appearance instantly.

Are our chemicals safe? 

Yes, all of our chemicals will become benign when dry (or within 2 hours of application.