Driveways and patios · Lacey, WA
Driveway and Patio Cleaning in Lacey
Concrete goes dark so slowly you stop seeing it. Then we clean one strip and you can't look at anything else.
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What's on your concrete
A lot of Lacey driveways and patios are exposed aggregate, the pebbled finish. It looks great clean. It also has a thousand small pockets for dirt and moss to sit in, which is why it darkens faster than smooth concrete.
- Moss and algae
- The green layer. It's what makes a shaded driveway slick in the rain.
- Fir needles and dirt
- They break down into a dark film that sweeping won't shift.
- Oil and car leaks
- In most cases we lift these with a commercial degreaser.
- Rust marks
- Harder. Some come out, and we'll tell you honestly which ones won't.
Driveways
Lacey grew up as a commuter town for Olympia and the base. Cars in and out every day, so driveways here work hard.
It's the biggest slab you own, and the first thing anyone sees. Tire tracks and whatever the firs dropped all end up here. Most of it lifts in one visit.
Patios
A covered patio never gets rained clean, so the corners go green and stay green. Move the furniture and you'll see the outline of every chair leg. We clean right to the house wall.
Walks and steps
Side-yard paths sit in shade all day and grow moss in every joint. Brick steps hold it in the mortar lines. These are the slick ones, so they matter most.
How the visit goes
We look the surface over first. Stains and any weak or cracked areas get noted before the machine starts, because old concrete doesn't want the same pressure as new.
Then we set the pressure for that surface and run the surface cleaner over it in even passes. An eco-friendly cleaning solution breaks down the organic growth, so we aren't relying on force alone.
When we leave, it's ready to park on or seal.
We use a surface cleaner
A wand leaves stripes. We use a surface cleaner, a spinning bar under a round hood, that cleans evenly and gets into the small cracks where moss hides.
Then we slow it down
In shady spots we follow with a mild treatment so the green takes longer to come back. It will come back. This is Western Washington.
Green concrete is slippery concrete
That's the real reason to do this. A clean driveway looks better, sure. It's also less slick in the rain, and that matters if you've got kids running around or an older parent using the front steps.
Left alone, the buildup stains the concrete and wears at the surface. One driveway we cleaned hadn't been touched in 15 years, and the moss was so thick it looked like carpet. After about an hour it looked almost new.
What we've noticed washing driveways around here
Driveways under fir trees get mossy fast. Driveways with gravel edges get weeds creeping in from the sides. And where sprinklers run a lot, rust stains show up on the concrete.
What we clean
- Driveways
- Patios, covered or open
- Front walks and side-yard paths
- Brick steps
- Pavers and stonework
We need a water source and a clear way in. That's all.
The rest of the house
Clean concrete makes dirty siding obvious. Fair warning.
Driveway cleaning in Lacey: questions
Once a year for most homes. More often if it sits under trees or gets a lot of traffic.
No. We set the pressure for the surface and use the right nozzles and cleaners, so the concrete doesn't get etched or cracked.
No. We need access to the area and a water source. You can get on with your day.
Yes, in most weather. We'll reschedule for heavy rain or freezing temperatures.
In most cases, yes. We use commercial-grade degreasers and surface cleaners to lift oil and other car stains.
Yes, in time. Shade and fir needles bring it back, and a yearly cleaning keeps it from taking hold. The treatment we apply in shady spots slows it down.
Yes. Once it's clean and dry, the surface is ready for sealing if you want to seal it.
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