Power washing in Blackburn and Lancashire
Driveways, patios, decking, paths, block paving, walls and garden furniture washed back to the colour they started — with kiln-dried sand brushed back into block paving as standard.
What comes up, and how
Most people are surprised by what is under their patio. Years of algae, moss and general Lancashire weather build up as a green-black film that takes the colour out of everything, and it goes on so gradually that you stop noticing until it is washed off. Then the difference is startling.
Driveways
Concrete, tarmac, imprinted concrete and block paving. Oil marks, tyre rubber, algae down the shaded side and the moss that fills every joint. Block paving gets the joints cleaned out as part of the wash, which is why it has to be re-sanded afterwards.
Patios and flags
Indian sandstone, riven flags, concrete slabs, York stone. Sandstone in particular goes green fast in shade and comes back beautifully. Cleaning also lifts what is in the joints, so we will tell you if pointing needs redoing afterwards.
Block paving and re-sanding
Washing block paving flushes the kiln-dried sand out of the joints, and that sand is not decorative — it is what stops the blocks moving under load. We brush fresh kiln-dried sand back in once the surface has dried. Anyone who washes block paving and does not re-sand it has left the job half done.
Decking
Timber decking gets washed at reduced pressure and a wider fan. Deck boards are soft and a lance held too close will furr the grain up permanently. Done properly it lifts the algae that makes decking lethal underfoot in winter, and it leaves the boards ready for oil or stain.
Paths and steps
The safety job as much as the appearance one. Slippery steps and a green path are how people fall, and it is one of the quicker things we do.
Walls
Stone, brick and rendered walls, and the base of a house wall where splash-back has stained it. Pressure is dropped right down on older lime-mortared stonework, which will lose its pointing if you hit it hard.
Garden furniture
Hardwood, softwood, rattan and plastic. Usually done alongside the patio while the machine is already set up, which makes it a small addition rather than a separate visit.
Before we start
- Cars moved off the drive
- Windows and doors closed — it gets everywhere
- Pots and furniture moved, or we will move them
- Pets kept in for the duration
- An outside tap and a power socket if you have them
If there is no outside tap, say so when we quote. It is not a problem, it just changes what we bring.
Where we ease off, or say no
Not every surface should meet a pressure washer. We drop the pressure or decline entirely on:
- Loose or crumbling pointing, and old lime mortar
- Soft or flaking sandstone that is already breaking up
- Tarmac that is failing — pressure will lift the surface off
- Painted or coated surfaces that are already peeling
We would rather tell you a surface is past washing than take your money and make it worse.
Water, run-off and your neighbours
Power washing produces a lot of dirty water and it has to go somewhere sensible. That is a practical matter and, for some surfaces, a legal one.
- Run-off is directed to foul drains or soakaway where the site allows, not straight into a surface water drain that runs to a watercourse.
- Nothing harsh goes down the drain. Where a treatment is needed for heavy algae, we use products suited to the surface and control where the run-off goes.
- Neighbours get warned if we are working near a shared boundary or a run of washing. It takes ten seconds and saves a fallout.
- Silt gets swept up rather than flushed into the gulley, where it sits and blocks it.
If your drive drains straight to a highway gulley or a beck, tell us when we quote and we will manage it accordingly.
How long it lasts
A washed surface stays looking right for roughly one to three years depending on how much sun and airflow it gets. North-facing, shaded, under trees or hemmed in by fencing — it will green up faster.
Sealing block paving or sandstone after washing slows the regrowth and makes the next clean easier. It is not essential and it is not cheap, so we will give you a straight view on whether your surface is worth sealing.
The single biggest factor is drainage. A surface that holds water goes green again quickly no matter what you do to it.
How a wash runs
Clear and check
Furniture and pots moved, drains identified, and a small test area done first so you can see the finish before the whole thing is committed to.
Wash
Rotary surface cleaner on the open areas for an even finish without stripe marks, lance work along edges and into corners. Pressure matched to the surface.
Rinse down
Silt and residue rinsed off the surface and swept up rather than pushed into the gulley. Adjacent walls and fences rinsed off where they have been splashed.
Re-sand
On block paving, kiln-dried sand brushed back into every joint once it has dried enough to take it. Furniture back where it was, and you see it before we leave.
See the difference
This is the service the slider was made for. Drag it across.
Nothing. Quotes are free.
Washing is priced on area, surface type, how bad it has got and whether re-sanding or moving furniture is involved. A drive that is washed every couple of years is a different job to one that has not been touched in fifteen.
- Priced by the job once we have seen the area and the surface
- Re-sanding of block paving included as standard, not charged as an extra
- We will tell you if a surface is too far gone to be improved by washing
- Test patch done first so you see the finish before we commit to the whole area
- Sealing quoted separately if you want it, and only where it is worth doing
Why we will not price it over the phone
A price given down the phone is a guess, and guesses get revised upwards on the day. Looking at the job takes us fifteen minutes and means the number we give you is the number you pay.
Our guarantee
If you are not happy with any part of the work, tell us before we leave — or ring within 14 days — and we will come back and put it right at no charge. That covers the work we carried out. It does not cover new growth, storm damage after we have left, or plants that fail to take. This is on top of your legal rights, not instead of them.
Prices on this website
You will not find a "from £X" figure anywhere on this site. Every garden is different, and a headline price that does not apply to your job is not much use to you. Ring or send the form and you will get a real one.
Questions about power washing
Will pressure washing damage my patio or drive?
Not if the pressure is matched to the surface. Damage happens when a lance is held too close, when a hard setting is used on soft sandstone or timber, or when the surface is already failing. We do a test area first, drop the pressure where the surface needs it, and tell you if we think a surface should not be washed at all.
Why does block paving need re-sanding?
Because the wash flushes the kiln-dried sand out of the joints, and that sand is structural — it locks the blocks together so they do not shift or sink when a car goes over them. Leaving it out invites movement and weed growth. We brush fresh sand back in once the paving has dried, and it is included in the price.
Will the weeds and moss come back?
Eventually, yes — it is outdoors in Lancashire. How fast depends on shade, drainage and how much air gets to the surface. Somewhere between one and three years is typical before it starts to look green again. Sealing slows it down; good drainage does more.
Can you get oil stains off the drive?
Sometimes fully, sometimes only partly. Fresh oil that has sat on the surface usually lifts. Old oil that has soaked deep into concrete or tarmac has effectively dyed it, and washing will improve it rather than remove it. We will give you a realistic view before starting rather than after.
Do you need to use my water and electricity?
An outside tap and a socket make it straightforward. If you do not have them, tell us when we quote — it just means bringing different kit. It is not a reason we cannot do the job.
Can you clean decking without wrecking it?
Yes, at much lower pressure with a wide fan and the lance kept well back. Timber is soft and aggressive washing raises the grain permanently. Done properly it strips the algae that makes decking dangerous in winter and leaves the boards ready to take oil or stain.
Should I have the patio sealed afterwards?
It depends on the surface and how much the appearance matters to you. Sealing helps most on block paving and Indian sandstone, and it makes the next clean easier. It costs extra, it needs the surface to be properly dry first, and on some surfaces it makes very little difference. We will tell you which yours is.
Want a price on your garden?
Tell us what needs doing and we will come and look. Quotes are free, there is no obligation, and you get a straight answer on what the job actually involves.