Ive been in the pressure washing business for over 6 years, Due to a location change Ive been out of work and ended up writing articles on pressure wash things.
Today i will teach you Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways. Usefully to clear away accumulated dirt and stains before you seal your Concrete Driveways to protect them from further damage or stains.
Instructions
1. Step 1 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Locate a decent pressure washer. Its recommended for cleaning concrete to use a 3,000 psi pressure washer. Your Home Depot or Lowes should have rentals if not check your yellow pages for tool rentals. Try to get a hot water unit. Hot water will clean 100X better than cold water * Never hook a cold water unit up to hot water coming from your house it will damage your pump.
2. Step 2 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Prep the driveway by removing as much of the dirt or debris as you can by brooming it away. If you know where the water flows to wile its raining or when you wash your car, place a oil soaking mat over the storm drain. Oil soaking mats absorb oil,gas and chemicals and let the water filter threw. If the best you can do is divert it to your lawn that is better than pouring it into the waterways. Also if your caught not attempting to do so. There are Hefty EPA fines up to $10,000. So at least show an effort.
3. Step 3 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Fill a pump sprayer up with a diluted concentrate degreaser. I recommend ZEP TnT, Its a brushless truck wash chemical that cleans anything from gutters to industrial railroad equipment. Also awesome on carpet.
Go around to any Soil marks and spray a generous amount on top of the stain.
4. Step 4 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Read instruction manual that came with your pressure washer. Make sure it is fully toped up with fuel. If it is a hot water pressure wash make sure the burner fuel tank is filled. Red tank is for gasoline Blue tank is for kerosene or diesel. Place pressure washer on level ground out of the way of your work area. Always wear protective eyeware wile you Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways.
5. Step 5 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Place the yellow tip into the wand. If you are using a hot water unit make sure there is no hose touching the grass around your driveway because it will kill it if left in one spot to long. Fire up your pressure washer. Determine the best distance from the tip of the wand to the concrete driveway that produces the best cleaning strength. Take nice even passes in front of you in sections about a ft to each side of you all the way to the end of your drive way or do it one pad at a time. Then return to the start and make your next path overlap where you just cleaned by a half ft.
6. Step 6 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Once you get to a location that is covered in a oil stain take a few passes over it until you cannot see it leaving wand marks. It will still look darker than the surrounding concrete but will dry to an almost even match. Using heavy duty concrete cleaners on these spots often burns the concrete and you end up with chalk white marks all over the place. Darker marks pressure washing with a degreaser come out hidden better once a concrete sealer is applied.
7. STEP 7 To Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways
Give the whole driveway a rinse down with the low pressure tip black tip. Don't forget to clean off things that got splashed like house siding and your garage door.
Let it dry for a couple hours on a nice day and double check your work before returning your rental or sealing your driveway
Tips Warnings
Work with the flow of water and clean that for your last path.
Don't push the tip of the pressure washer into the concrete and let it sit in one spot to long, it like scar and take off a small amount of the surface.
Allways wear protective glasses wile you Pressure Wash Concrete Driveways, Small chunks will fly and hit you !
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