Driveway and patio cleaning removes dirt, algae, oil, rust and salt residue from concrete, pavers and stone around a house. Rob drives from Woodstock to clean driveways and patios in Union, IL, where long rural drives take winter salt and field mud. Pricing follows a look at your pictures. Send pictures to (815) 451-0106.
Few driveways in Union are short rectangles. It is a long strip from the road, sometimes concrete, sometimes with a gravel run-on, taking everything the county road tosses at it. Behind the house there may be a patio that gets sun all day or one tucked under a pergola that never dries.
This page deals with the stains that actually show up here and what cleaning can and cannot do about them. It is meant to help you decide what to ask Rob when you text, and to set honest expectations about the results.
Winter salt and the white film in March
Road crews and homeowners spread salt through the cold months, and it gets tracked onto the drive by cars. When the slab dries in spring, a white film or crust often remains. Salt draws moisture into concrete, and freeze-thaw cycles then flake the surface.
Rinsing early in spring helps, and Rob can do a deeper clean when the weather settles. Where a drive is long, he often starts at the house end and works toward the road so rinse water always flows over surface that is still dirty. Efflorescence, the white powder that comes from within the concrete, is a different problem than surface salt. The guide to salt, rust and efflorescence separates them.
Orange rust from private well water
Homes on wells with iron in the water often show orange streaks where sprinklers hit the driveway or patio. The stain fades with the right treatment, but the staining returns each time the sprinkler runs, so aim matters as much as cleaning.
Rust from lawn furniture, planters or tools left on the patio looks similar and is also treatable. Rob can often tell the sources apart from a picture and will explain what is likely to lift.
Field mud, clay and tire tracks
Clay soils hold on tight. Trucks, tractors and ATVs bring mud onto the apron that dries into a thin cement-colored film, and rain spreads it. It rinses off, but it works into rough concrete and lingers in joints.
For an equipment pad or the end of a long drive that meets the road, Rob uses stronger cleaning, and then rinses the loosened dirt toward a drainage path instead of into a flowerbed or the gravel shoulder.
Patios, pavers and shaded stone
Algae makes shaded patios slick, and that is a safety concern as well as a cosmetic one. Pavers have joints that fill with weeds and dirt, and strong pressure can blast the joint sand out. Stone and brick may need lighter methods to avoid etching.
Rob matches the approach to the material and tells you if sand needs to be refilled after cleaning. Keep furniture, grills and planters off the patio on the day, and tell him about plants at the edge.
- Algae on shaded patios
- Weeds and dirt in paver joints
- Oil from grills and vehicles
- Rust marks from furniture
- Leaf tannin stains
Cracks, sealing and knowing when to stop
Cleaning shows cracks more clearly, and it cannot fix them. Hairline cracks that run in a straight line across a long drive are often just control joints doing their job, while wide or stepped cracks suggest settling. If water is getting under a slab, or the surface is flaking in sheets, patching or sealing may help, and a concrete contractor handles anything structural. Rob will say so when he sees it.
If you plan to seal, clean first and let the slab dry fully. Sealing over damp concrete traps moisture. Pairing this with pressure washing for steps and aprons and a curb appeal package keeps everything on one schedule.
Driveway & Patio Cleaning through the year in Union
Early spring
Rinse salt and winter grit once the slab thaws. Check for new cracks and heaving along the drive.
Late spring
A full clean for the driveway and patio before outdoor season. Good time to adjust sprinklers that hit concrete.
Early fall
Clean before winter salt starts. A sealed or well-kept slab handles de-icing better than a stained one.
Winter
Use salt sparingly and shovel early. Concrete is tough, but repeated freezing with salt wears the surface down.
Getting a quote
Concrete holds a surprising amount of a year's history, from salt and rust to the shadow of a truck that sat too long. When your drive or patio looks tired, text Rob a few pictures at (815) 451-0106. He will tell you which stains will lift, which will not, and what the job involves before you decide anything, and he will say so plainly if the better move is a repair or a coat of sealer instead of another cleaning.