Saw a 10-year-old driveway get a 30-minute rescue with a pressure washer

Honestly, I helped my neighbor Bud in Phoenix do a before and after on his driveway last Saturday. He had this dark grime built up from 10 years of dust and car drips that looked like permanent stains. We hit it with a 3500 psi washer and some concrete degreaser, and within 30 minutes the whole thing was gray and clean as a new pour. Has anyone else seen a simple clean uncover a hidden crack pattern that needs patching?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_martin11d agoMost Upvoted

Have you ever had that moment where the pressure washer reveals something you weren't expecting? That happened to me last spring. I cleaned my parents' old concrete patio and uncovered a hairline crack running the whole length of the slab. I ended up patching it with a tube of concrete filler from the hardware store, and it's held up fine through two winters now. My advice is to inspect the clean area when it's still wet because cracks show up much better that way. Also, don't rush the degreaser step, let it sit for a full 10 minutes before you hit it with the washer for the best results.

lee62711d ago

Honestly, @kim_martin, I used to just blast through cleaning without really looking at what I was doing, but that wet inspection tip you gave totally changed my mind. Last time I washed my driveway, I caught a small crack I would have missed completely if I hadn't checked it while it was still dripping. Now I always take a minute before it dries to look for stuff like that, it's saved me a lot of hassle.

sandragonzalez11d ago

Oh man, that thing about not rushing the degreaser step really hit home for me. I was cleaning my patio last month and got impatient, only hit it with like 5 minutes of sitting time, and ended up having to go over the same spot three times to get the oil stains out lol. Now I set a timer on my phone for the full 10 minutes because I learned the hard way. Also, that crack thing is wild, I had a similar surprise when I washed my garage floor and discovered a whole section was basically crumbling underneath the dirt. I used some quikrete patch stuff and it worked out okay, but now I'm paranoid about every little line I see in the concrete.