Will my block paving need re-sanding?

Yes. Cleaning removes kiln-dried sand from the joints and it must be replaced to keep the interlock and slow weed regrowth.

Can you get old oil stains out?

We can improve most of them with a degreaser and repeat applications, but deeply soaked-in stains rarely disappear completely.

Is pressure washing safe on tarmac?

Only at reduced pressure and distance. Close high-pressure work tears the binder and leaves permanent pitting.

How often should a driveway be cleaned?

Every one to two years in most Plymouth locations, sooner on shaded or tree-lined plots where algae builds quickly.

Driveway Cleaning Guide by Surface Type

A driveway is usually the largest single surface at the front of a house and the first thing anyone sees, which is why a tired one drags down a property that is otherwise in good order. It is also the surface most often cleaned badly, because the same lance gets used on every material at the same pressure. Block paving, concrete, tarmac, resin and gravel all behave differently under water, and the finishing steps matter as much as the washing. This guide covers each in turn, and what to expect afterwards.

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Block paving: the joints are the job

Most of what makes block paving look dirty is not on the blocks, it is in the joints: compacted silt, moss and weed roots. Cleaning is done with a rotary surface cleaner, which applies even pressure across the width and avoids the tiger-striping you get from freehand lance work. The washing inevitably removes the kiln-dried sand from the joints, so re-sanding afterwards is not optional. Without it the blocks lose their interlock, edges chip and weeds return faster than before.

This guide sits under our Patios & Driveways work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.

Concrete and imprinted concrete

Plain concrete is tough and takes pressure well, though older surfaces can be friable and will shed loose laitance. Pattern-imprinted concrete is different: it is a coloured surface layer with a sealer over the top, and aggressive cleaning strips both. Imprinted drives are washed carefully and then usually need resealing to restore the colour and protect the print, which is a separate decision worth pricing before you start.

Tarmac and asphalt

Tarmac is a bound surface, and high pressure held in one place tears the binder out and leaves a pockmarked patch that never recovers. It is cleaned at reduced pressure and greater distance, generally with a treatment for the green algae that is the usual complaint. Expect a tarmac drive to look clean and even rather than to return to the black it was on day one, since that colour fades with UV regardless of cleaning.

Resin bound and resin bonded

Resin bound surfaces are porous and the aggregate is held in a resin matrix that pressure will loosen. Cleaning is low pressure with a suitable detergent, and it is important not to lift stones or drive water into the base. Resin bonded, where the stone is scattered onto a resin layer, is more fragile still. Both respond well to regular gentle cleaning and badly to occasional aggressive cleaning.

Gravel and shingle

You do not really clean gravel, you manage it. Weed growth through a failing membrane, silt working down into the stone and moss on the surface are the usual issues. Treatment for growth, topping up, and in some cases raking and redistributing gets a better outcome than washing. If the membrane has gone and the stone is half soil, the honest answer is that it needs relaying, not cleaning.

Oil, tyre marks and rust

General washing lifts dirt and growth but will not touch a soaked-in oil stain. Those need a degreaser applied and given time to work, sometimes more than once, and old stains rarely disappear entirely. Rust from planters or metal furniture is a chemical problem needing a specific treatment. Tyre scuffs on block paving usually respond to a degreaser and patience. It is better to know this before the job than to be disappointed after it.

Drainage, run-off and neighbours

A driveway clean produces a lot of dirty water. It needs directing to a suitable drain rather than into a neighbour's plot or straight onto a road gully full of silt. On a slope this takes planning. Where a drive is shared, agreeing the whole surface with the neighbour gives a far better result than a clean line down the middle where one half is grey and the other is not.

Sealing and what comes next

Sealing block paving stabilises the joint sand, slows weed growth and makes the next clean easier. It is not compulsory and it does need redoing every few years, so it suits people who want to reduce maintenance rather than eliminate it. Whatever the surface, a light clean every year or two is quicker and cheaper than a rescue job on a drive that has been left to go green for a decade.

Reader note: Driveway cleaning: a complete guide by surface

Owner wanting to know how their type of driveway should be cleaned.

Block paving: the joints are the job: Most of what makes block paving look dirty is not on the blocks, it is in the joints: compacted silt, moss and weed roots. Cleaning is done with a rotary surface cleaner, which applies even pressure across the width and avoids the tiger-striping you get from freehand lance work. The washing inevitably removes the kiln-dried sand from the joints, so re-sanding afterwards is not optional. Without it the blocks lose their interlock, edges chip and weeds return faster than before. Concrete and imprinted concrete: Plain concrete is tough and takes pressure well, though older surfaces can be friable and will shed loose laitance. Pattern-imprinted concrete is different: it is a coloured surface layer with a sealer over the top, and aggressive cleaning strips both. Imprinted drives are washed carefully and then usually need resealing to restore the colour and protect the print, which is a separate decision worth pricing before you start. Tarmac and asphalt: Tarmac is a bound surface, and high pressure held in one place tears the binder out and leaves a pockmarked patch that never recovers. It is cleaned at reduced pressure and greater distance, generally with a treatment for the green algae that is the usual complaint. Expect a tarmac drive to look clean and even rather than to return to the black it was on day one, since that colour fades with UV regardless of cleaning. Resin bound and resin bonded: Resin bound surfaces are porous and the aggregate is held in a resin matrix that pressure will loosen. Cleaning is low pressure with a suitable detergent, and it is important not to lift stones or drive water into the base. Resin bonded, where the stone is scattered onto a resin layer, is more fragile still. Both respond well to regular gentle cleaning and badly to occasional aggressive cleaning. Gravel and shingle: You do not really clean gravel, you manage it. Weed growth through a failing membrane, silt working down into the stone and moss on the surface are the usual issues. Treatment for growth, topping up, and in some cases raking and redistributing gets a better outcome than washing. If the membrane has gone and the stone is half soil, the honest answer is that it needs relaying, not cleaning. Oil, tyre marks and rust: General washing lifts dirt and growth but will not touch a soaked-in oil stain. Those need a degreaser applied and given time to work, sometimes more than once, and old stains rarely disappear entirely. Rust from planters or metal furniture is a chemical problem needing a specific treatment. Tyre scuffs on block paving usually respond to a degreaser and patience. It is better to know this before the job than to be disappointed after it. Drainage, run-off and neighbours: A driveway clean produces a lot of dirty water. It needs directing to a suitable drain rather than into a neighbour's plot or straight onto a road gully full of silt. On a slope this takes planning. Where a drive is shared, agreeing the whole surface with the neighbour gives a far better result than a clean line down the middle where one half is grey and the other is not. Sealing and what comes next: Sealing block paving stabilises the joint sand, slows weed growth and makes the next clean easier. It is not compulsory and it does need redoing every few years, so it suits people who want to reduce maintenance rather than eliminate it. Whatever the surface, a light clean every year or two is quicker and cheaper than a rescue job on a drive that has been left to go green for a decade.

Questions we get on this

Will my block paving need re-sanding?: Yes. Cleaning removes kiln-dried sand from the joints and it must be replaced to keep the interlock and slow weed regrowth.
Can you get old oil stains out?: We can improve most of them with a degreaser and repeat applications, but deeply soaked-in stains rarely disappear completely.
Is pressure washing safe on tarmac?: Only at reduced pressure and distance. Close high-pressure work tears the binder and leaves permanent pitting.
How often should a driveway be cleaned?: Every one to two years in most Plymouth locations, sooner on shaded or tree-lined plots where algae builds quickly.

If this describes your situation

Tell us the surface type and rough size and we will quote the clean and the re-sanding together.

Send photos for a quote Patios & Driveways Call 07830 242403

Driveway cleaning: a complete guide by surface