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An ugly driveway detracts from the appearance of your home, and it can be an embarrassment. If the driveway is in good shape but just stained and dirty, then pressure washing can probably restore its appearance. Power washing is a quick job that has dramatic results in a short time. Here are some steps involved when you have your driveway pressure washed.

Prep The Area First

It's a good idea to get rid of tiny rocks, twigs, and other debris before blasting the driveway with water. You may want to sweep the driveway before the pressure washing service arrives. Another preparation step that might be needed is to cover nearby plants with tarps so they aren't damaged by the spray or the cleaning chemicals used. The company can advise you if this is necessary, and they may provide the tarps if they're needed.

Depending on the method of power washing the company uses, stained and moldy areas may be treated before power washing begins. They might apply degreaser to oil stains and mold treatments to mold so the stains break up and can be washed away more easily.

Pressure Wash The Driveway

All kinds of driveway materials can be pressure washed, but they might need different techniques and amounts of pressure used. Using the lowest pressure that gets results and moving slowly is often a good approach so no damage is done to the surface of the driveway or the surrounding area. The power washing company might have a scrubbing bonnet connected to the end of the pressure washer, or they might spray the driveway with a wand. Either way, dirt and stains are lifted off of the surface with the help of the water and cleaning chemicals. The difference between newly-cleaned concrete and bricks and old, dirty ones is usually quite dramatic. Your driveway may look like new once the job is finished.

While pressure washing a dirty driveway might seem easy, you can have disastrous results if you don't have experience in using a pressure washer. For that reason, it's best to call a professional for work that can be clearly seen from the street until you have gained experience in handling the washer. It's possible to damage concrete with pressure that's too high, but the bigger problem is leaving streaks behind where a powerful stream of water blasted off stains but the area surrounding the stream is still dirty. Problems like these can be avoided when you hire an experienced professional to clean your driveway and take years off of its appearance.

Contact a company like Clean America to learn more about pressure washing services.