Why driveways look tired so fast
Most driveways face the open sky, collect run off from the roof and the road, and stay damp for long periods in a Kent winter. That combination feeds moss in the joints, lichen spots on the surface and a dull grey film that hides the original colour of the paving. Shaded drives beside hedges or fences usually go green first, and the strip nearest the house often stays wettest because gutters and downpipes discharge nearby.
Traffic adds its own layer. Rubber marks, grit and oil build up in the wheel tracks, so a drive can look two tone, with clean looking edges and darker stripes where the car goes in and out.
Block paving: the joints are the job
Block paving is laid with kiln dried sand brushed into the gaps between blocks. That sand locks the blocks together and stops them shifting. Over time it gets colonised by moss and weeds, and a pressure clean that is done carelessly will blow it straight out. A good clean treats the joints as part of the work rather than an afterthought.
The usual order is a sweep and clearance, a controlled pressure clean with the lance held at a sensible distance, a rinse to move the slurry off the surface, and then fresh kiln dried sand brushed back into the joints once the blocks are dry enough. Skipping the resand leaves open joints that weeds recolonise within a season, and loose blocks can start to rock.
Concrete, tarmac and imprinted drives
Plain concrete is tough and responds well to a thorough pressure clean, although old oil stains may lighten rather than vanish completely because the oil has soaked into the surface. Imprinted concrete usually carries a sealer, and too much pressure can cloud or lift it, so the approach is gentler and more even.
Tarmac is softer than it looks. A lance held too close can pit the surface and pull out the stone chippings, so tarmac drives are cleaned at lower pressure and with more care around edges and patched areas.
What you should see when the drive is finished
Before booking anything, it helps to know what a good result looks like. You can check these points on the day.
- An even colour across the whole drive, not clean stripes with dirty bands between them
- Joints cleared of moss and weeds and refilled with sand on block paving
- Slurry and debris rinsed away from doors, gullies and flower beds
- No scarring, lance lines or lifted sealer on the surface
- Walls, doors and parked cars left free of splash back
Making the result last longer
The cheapest way to keep a drive looking good is to stop organic growth settling in again. Keep gutters and downpipes clear so water is not dumping onto one corner, cut back overhanging plants that shade the paving, and give the surface a sweep through autumn so leaves do not sit and rot. Where the drive stays shaded and damp, a treatment after cleaning can slow regrowth.
Some owners choose to seal block paving after it has been cleaned and resanded. Sealing helps lock the sand in and can deepen the colour, but it is a separate decision, and the drive must be fully dry and clean first.
Combining the drive with other work
A driveway is often cleaned in the same visit as a patio, paths or the front elevation of the house, because the equipment is already on site. OOR External works across Kent from a Dover base, and our photo gallery on the homepage shows real driveway before and after results. Ask for a free written quote and list every surface you want included so the scope is clear from the start.