Tarmac and concrete both go green, but they tolerate completely different treatment. Using a concrete pressure setting on tarmac strips the bitumen and leaves loose stone.
Tarmac
Bitumen binds the stone; heat and pressure release it. Tarmac is a chemical-led, low-pressure job, and any contractor reaching for a turbo nozzle on your drive is about to cost you a resurface.
This guide sits under our Pressure Washing work, covering 20-mile radius of Plymouth.
Concrete
Sound concrete takes far more pressure, but old, spalling or crazed slabs do not. We test an inconspicuous area first and set pressure from what we see.
Run-off and drains
Both surfaces move a lot of dirty water. We plan where run-off goes so it does not end up in a border, a garage or a neighbour's drive.
Questions we get on this
- Can tarmac be made black again?
- Cleaning removes growth and brings back much of the tone. Faded, oxidised tarmac may need a dressing to look truly black.
- Will pressure washing damage my path?
- Not if the pressure is matched to the surface. That judgement is most of the skill.
- Do you clean shared drives?
- Yes - it is worth agreeing with the neighbour first so the whole surface matches.
Related reading
- Cracked render: what to fix before cleaning
- Weeds and moss in driveway joints
- Oil and tyre marks on driveways
- After a storm: what to check outside the house