It’s no secret that driveways can get pretty dirty. Your driveway is one of the first things that people see when they come to your home. So it’s important to make sure that it’s always clean and presentable.
And, when I think of cleaning the driveway, I know pressure washing the driveway is the easiest, most economical, and most efficient way. If you’re like me, you probably don’t want to spend your weekends pressure washing your driveway.
But, how often should you pressure wash your driveway?
In this article, we will discuss the different factors that you need to consider when pressure washing your driveway. What times and seasons are best for pressure washing?
How would you know your driveway needs pressure washing? We will also give you some tips on how to pressure wash your driveway effectively.
Is it safe to pressure wash your driveway?
Many people are still curious whether or not a pressure washer is safe for driveways. Be sure that pressure washers are safe to use on concrete, paving stones, and any other brick driveways.
As far as the damage is concerned, it happens due to no prior experience of pressure washing and using it in the wrong way. If you’re naive your inexperience may drag you and your driveway into trouble. Some of the common mistakes newbies do are:
- Using the wrong nozzle tip
- Not maintaining the right distance between the surface and the pressure washer
- Holding the spray gun wrongly
- Pressure washing same spot for a long time.
- Not following safety guidelines
Using the pressure washer in the wrong way on a driveway can result in cracks, pitting, surface deprivation, and a substance present in between bricks and stones.
How often should you pressure wash your driveway?
Do not leave your driveway uncleaned for a long period as it would eventually lead to more cracks and edges- increasing the repair cost. And may lead to irreparable damage that may need a whole new driveway.
Also, years of moss and algae lead to health issues as they emit bacteria causing respiratory issues, asthma, allergies, and even in some cases swelling around the heart has also been reported.
Many professionals in the field recommend you should at least pressure wash your driveway once a year. Not only it will keep your driveway up to a notch but will also increase the lifeline of the driveway.
However, the estimated time to pressure wash your driveway also depends on some other factors, such as:
- How much moss and dirt built-up is present on the driveway?
- Amount of grass shrubs or weeds peeking out of the driveway
- Grease and stains present on your driveway
How to determine if my driveway needs pressure washing?
Multiple signs speak for driveway washing time. You probably need to pressure wash your deck if you observe the following signs:
- Driveway not cleaned for over a year- as we have explained above you should opt for pressure washing after one year. Even if it doesn’t require extensive cleaning you may head to soft pressure washing. it will help your driveway for a long runway.
- Grease and stain build-up – if your driveway is covered with stains and greasy oil paints, you don’t have to necessarily wait for a whole year to pressure wash it. give your driveway a good pressure wash and preserve the surface from dirt build-up. Pressure washing not only will clean the driveway but will also make the surface appealing overall.
- Slippery driveway- this is one of the most common issues you will face over dirty driveways, it becomes slippery and possesses danger or fatal incidents. Due to water and grease on the driveway driveways become slippery. To get rid of it you should opt for pressure washing.
- Shrubs and weed plants on the driveway- another good symptom for indicating your driveway need pressure washing is increased shrubs, weed, and other grass on it. if you won’t stop them right there, they will exponentially gross across the driveways and will increase algae and moss consequentially.
When is the ideal season to pressure wash my driveway?
Summer and spring seasons are the ideal seasons for pressure washing your driveway. Algae and moss are more visible and are easy to wash away in this season.
Moreover, after pressure washing the driveway, it needs some time to dry out properly. And these seasons are the perfect choice for it because in the cold weather it will take more time to dry. Moreover, water may freeze on the surface and can cause slippering incidents in snowy conditions.
However, there is no hard and fast rule you must follow for the perfect season to pressure wash your deck. You can pressure wash at any time, at any season you deem perfect for you.
What is the ideal daytime for pressure washing the driveway?
Doing it earlier in the morning is the ideal time, as you will have enough time to leave it to dry. Doing it late is fine but again nights are usually cold and will freeze the water making it icy and slippery which may lead to unfortunate incidents ultimately.
Conclusion
A good pressure wash can always clean up a dirty driveway. There are numerous professional driveway cleaners available to complete the job for you if you are hesitant to do it on your own. Although, you can even pressure wash your driveway yourself if you want to with little practice.
We highly suggest that your driveway is pressure washed at least every year in order to keep it in the best possible condition.
