There’s nothing like driving up to your house and seeing your brand-new driveway in all its glory! But how can you keep it looking tip-top and in perfect condition all year round? The team at iDream Solutions not only produce spectacular-looking Devon driveways and Cornwall driveways for domestic and commercial properties, but they are also a dab hand at giving the best industry advice once the project is complete.
Whether you have recently had a tarmac driveway laid for a sophisticated and modern look, or resin bound surfacing to be in keeping with your property’s characteristics, we are here to provide helpful hints and tips so you can keep loving your driveway year after year!
Maintaining Your New iDream Solutions Driveway
We specialise in many different types of driveway surfacing in Devon and have provided many happy customers with a driveway that they can use whilst cleaning the car, giving the kids extra space to play and also entertaining family and friends when required. With these activities alone, you may be thinking ‘Well, won’t my driveway be subject to wear and tear after a while?’. Luckily, our hard-wearing driveway surfacing is suitable for all events and will last years with proper maintenance over time, especially if it’s cleaned periodically.
So what are the best ways to keep your driveway in great condition? Take a look at some of our tips below and don’t forget to contact us if you require further information for your specific driveway.
Block Paved Driveways
There is only one best way to clean and maintain Devon block paving and that’s without a pressure washer. The extreme force of the water can break down the sand particles in the joining cements, meaning cracks will start to form and bits of the cement will come loose over time.
Keeping a block paved driveway clean off debris and dirt will maintain its structure, as well as keep the stone strong over time.
How To Wash Your Block Paving:
- Remove any outside furniture, plants pots or plants that you don’t want to get wet in the process.
- You’ll want to clear the top surface of dirt away with a yard brush or, if you have one, a leaf blower. Be careful to brush the dirt away from your house as, with enough force, stone and gravel may fly into windows or outbuildings.
- This also goes for oil or grease stains and these should be cleaned with suitable oil and grease remover before starting the cleaning process. These stains aren’t sometimes visible to the naked eye, so if you work with oil on your car or use it for other instances, you may want to give it a proper clean beforehand.
- If you have visible weeds coming through the block paving, these will need to be dealt with, either with weed killer to discourage regrowth or a scraping tool.
- Now for the washing process. You can either use warm soapy water if the dirt isn’t too prevalent or if you’d like to do a deep clean, you can always use a mixture of warm water and bleach. Not only will this clean the surface thoroughly, but it will also kill weeds if you’d prefer an all-in-one solution. Don’t forget to use safety equipment, such as goggles and gloves, when using bleach.
- Pour the water into one part of the driveway and use a yard brush to move the water from one end to the other, making sure you’re applying enough pressure to the brush to remove deep dirt.
- Repeat this process until you’ve completed all of the driveways.
Resin Bound Driveways
Resin bound surfaces are one of the easiest to look after in terms of ongoing maintenance. Unlike block paved driveways, you can use a pressure washer with cold water to quickly remove deep ingrained dirt on resin bound surfacing. If you are using a pressure washer, we recommend using a degreaser on top of the surface beforehand to remove any oils.
However, if this is the first time you have cleaned a resin bound driveway, we recommend that you use the same soapy/bleach water technique as above to ensure you don’t crack the surface when you’re cleaning it. You’ll get the same great effect as the pressure washer using this technique and it’s more of a workout too!
Tarmac Driveways
Much like resin bound driveways, tarmac driveways are easy to clean and can be kept looking fantastic all year round. If you can get your hands on a pressure washer, we recommend using this as tarmac can withstand a lot more pressure than a block paved driveway. You’ll definitely want to remove any potted plants or furniture so it doesn’t get damaged whilst cleaning.
Again, applying a degreaser at the start will make the process a lot more efficient and will take a lot less time trying to get residue out of the surface. Some property owners use a detergent such as bleach for a thoroughly deep clean, but this is down to your own discretion. Do be sure to start from one corner of your driveway and work your way down/up for a precise clean.
Professional Driveway Surfacing in Devon – iDream Solutions
We hope you have found this article and our hints and tips useful in the ongoing maintenance of your new driveway. Don’t forget, our team is always here to answer your queries, even after your project is completed! Furthermore, if you’re checking out to see how easy it is to clean a new driveway before committing to getting it done, we can help you choose the best surfacing solution for your requirements.
There are so many types of surfacing with different colours, patterns and styles, so be sure to contact us today and we will be happy to discuss your thoughts in more detail. We look forward to hearing from you soon!