Clean It Up

UK General Cleaning Forum => General Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: gr cleaning solutions on April 17, 2012, 08:02:55 am

Title: driveway clean and weather
Post by: gr cleaning solutions on April 17, 2012, 08:02:55 am
Good morning all ive got a driveway booked in to clean tomorrow then going back to sand it and seal on saturday but the weather is sunny and rain all week should i re book this in for when the weather looks better , i did 5 driveways last year bit they were done in the summer when we had no rain

 thanks gavin
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Matt Gibson on April 17, 2012, 11:22:06 am
Clean it in the rain.

Get paid for cleaning it.

Go back when its sunny and re-sand.

Get paid for sanding it.

Go get a pint.

  :) :)
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 17, 2012, 02:43:19 pm
If it was me, I'd re-book it in later, say May or June time, weather is a pain at the moment and also temps to low to seal properly.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 17, 2012, 03:30:26 pm
Sealed a large drive yesterday existing custy ... really lucky with the weather! 
As Roger said need to be carefull with min temps at night as it can damage seal whilst it is still curing ..

We try to avoid sealing due to the headaches caused by the weather ......
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Blast Away on April 17, 2012, 08:48:01 pm
Sealed a large drive yesterday existing custy ... really lucky with the weather! 
As Roger said need to be carefull with min temps at night as it can damage seal whilst it is still curing ..

We try to avoid sealing due to the headaches caused by the weather ......

I try to avoid sealing all together as sealants are crap and don't last. Although I've got 3 driveways to seal this week!  :-\
I've been overpricing them this year as I can't be doing with the headache of going back to sand and seal them around the weather and other work booked in.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: drive surgeon on April 18, 2012, 12:11:06 pm
blast aways correct!!  sealants are a load of rubbish!  just clean and sand!
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Alan McTernan on April 18, 2012, 09:07:20 pm
We have got 3 drives to sand and 2 decks to oil!! Bloody rain. Sealing is a pain we only do at the right price and if the client is adament they want it done.

The biggest pain is the fact we don't take payment until the job is complete :'(
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 18, 2012, 09:32:12 pm
We do the same as Matt    ;)
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 19, 2012, 06:35:36 am
We have got 3 drives to sand and 2 decks to oil!! Bloody rain. Sealing is a pain we only do at the right price and if the client is adament they want it done.

The biggest pain is the fact we don't take payment until the job is complete :'(

Know the feeling, same here with the decking re the rain
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Kev Martin on April 19, 2012, 12:00:28 pm
blast aways correct!!  sealants are a load of rubbish!  just clean and sand!

Sorry guys you are all wrong!  The correct sealers applied properly are a tremendous help.  They prevent spills from penetrating deeply, offer a good degree of protection and help ongoing cleaning!  You just need to treat sealing as a chargeable option and not something you do under sufferance.  A good water based penetrating sealer that is MVT (Breathable) can be applied as soon as the surface is dry and is simple and quick to apply.

Ready for barrage :P :P :P

Kev Martin
Marble Life Ltd
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 19, 2012, 12:44:12 pm
the problem with sealing kevin is the bit you mentioned - once dry! Can take ages for blocks to dry especially if you do the job properly and compact vibrate :) tends to bring up the moisture, with the weather in this country we have to keep moving customers to suit conditions, if you have enough std cleaning why bother? Plus usually works out cheaper for customer to have it cleaned regularly as oposed to sealing..
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Kev Martin on April 19, 2012, 08:56:57 pm
the problem with sealing kevin is the bit you mentioned - once dry! Can take ages for blocks to dry especially if you do the job properly and compact vibrate :) tends to bring up the moisture, with the weather in this country we have to keep moving customers to suit conditions, if you have enough std cleaning why bother? Plus usually works out cheaper for customer to have it cleaned regularly as oposed to sealing..

Mike

The point is though only the surface needs to be dry as long as the sealer is water based and breathable then the water that transported the sealer into the stone just evaporates with the rest of the water from the blocks.

Kev
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 19, 2012, 09:07:43 pm
kevin, do you use this on block paving ? Is it designed to stabilise jointing sand ?
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Kev Martin on April 19, 2012, 09:24:03 pm
I seal it as soon as the surface is dry and then go back on a dry day to resand.  The sealer does nothing to stabilise the sand

Kev
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 19, 2012, 09:37:11 pm
So you go back to jobs atleast 3 times.... To use a sealer on block paving which offers no stabilisation is frankly a waste of time cheap acrylics would do a better job if they are applied to the letter weather conditons prefect ....well laid drive blah blah .... hence previous comments from the other guys

How do you sell that seal to a customer ? Does it help inhibit weed growth? er no... But it helps protect the block if you spill on it (but not the sand )  ;D
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 19, 2012, 10:24:23 pm
Mike
This is how the Americans do there block paving, and no offence Kevin, complete waste of time in my opinion, as clients over here want block paving sealed which will include sand/joints. Just surface sealing block paving is a waste of money to the client IMO.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 19, 2012, 11:05:02 pm
Mike
This is how the Americans do there block paving, and no offence Kevin, complete waste of time in my opinion, as clients over here want block paving sealed which will include sand/joints. Just surface sealing block paving is a waste of money to the client IMO.
Say no more!

How are you enjoying the weather! Took pictures yesterday in Potters bar it was like a monsoon flooding everywhere....We now have 3 drives to sand plus 1 seal ! .. it must take an age for the decking to dry out..
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 20, 2012, 06:34:30 am
Mike
This is how the Americans do there block paving, and no offence Kevin, complete waste of time in my opinion, as clients over here want block paving sealed which will include sand/joints. Just surface sealing block paving is a waste of money to the client IMO.
Say no more!

How are you enjoying the weather! Took pictures yesterday in Potters bar it was like a monsoon flooding everywhere....We now have 3 drives to sand plus 1 seal ! .. it must take an age for the decking to dry out..

Have one deck waiting to be finished and 2 more starting next week, pain in the arse at the moment.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: gr cleaning solutions on April 22, 2012, 08:15:40 am
Hi guy thanks for y,our replys just another question once you have cleaned the driveway how long do you have it seal it ,  the customer wants it sealing i cleaned the driveway on wed and fingers crossed it looks a good day tomorrow but if i dont because of the weather and the week ahead does not look to good so it could be the week after.

        cheers Gavin
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Kev Martin on April 22, 2012, 08:26:54 am
So you go back to jobs atleast 3 times.... To use a sealer on block paving which offers no stabilisation is frankly a waste of time cheap acrylics would do a better job if they are applied to the letter weather conditons prefect ....well laid drive blah blah .... hence previous comments from the other guys

How do you sell that seal to a customer ? Does it help inhibit weed growth? er no... But it helps protect the block if you spill on it (but not the sand )  ;D

I normally go back once to sand as I try to seal on the day of cleaning if it's not raining.  I also want to make it clear we do very few domestics these days because we found that we needed to book up 3 or 4 in a street minimum to make any economical sense of it and then customers used to moan and say things like "Why are we paying you so much"  You have only been here 2 hours.  Pressure washing these days is just an add on for us to large restoration works.  Everyone is entiltled to their opinion about sealing but if it is treated as an add on extra it pays well and prevents deep staining and aids ongoing cleaning.

Kev Martin
Marble Life Ltd
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 22, 2012, 09:22:14 am
Hi guy thanks for y,our replys just another question once you have cleaned the driveway how long do you have it seal it ,  the customer wants it sealing i cleaned the driveway on wed and fingers crossed it looks a good day tomorrow but if i dont because of the weather and the week ahead does not look to good so it could be the week after.

        cheers Gavin

Thats the golden q ... depends on numerous factors.. drainage, south facing ... blah blah during the summer we would leave a drive atleast 48 hrs for the blocks to dry adequately, we have still had cases during resand that the moisture is drawn up and had to leave them longer. PICs drives, we have sealed same day but that it totally different ball game.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: M W. on April 22, 2012, 08:19:08 pm
Sealed a large drive yesterday existing custy ... really lucky with the weather! 
As Roger said need to be carefull with min temps at night as it can damage seal whilst it is still curing ..

We try to avoid sealing due to the headaches caused by the weather ......

I try to avoid sealing all together as sealants are crap and don't last. Although I've got 3 driveways to seal this week!  :-\
I've been overpricing them this year as I can't be doing with the headache of going back to sand and seal them around the weather and other work booked in.
spot on. lost mega bucks through sealing over the years. there all poope as i tell the custie. clean/sand walk.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 24, 2012, 08:41:50 pm
At Last 1 deck completed now only 3 to go, the is the wettest drought I have ever known  >:(
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 24, 2012, 08:52:19 pm
At Last 1 deck completed now only 3 to go, the is the wettest drought I have ever known  >:(

2mw looks good  :P
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 24, 2012, 08:59:08 pm
At Last 1 deck completed now only 3 to go, the is the wettest drought I have ever known  >:(

2mw looks good  :P

Sorry Mike don't do text speak?
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: mike roberts on April 24, 2012, 09:04:53 pm
At Last 1 deck completed now only 3 to go, the is the wettest drought I have ever known  >:(

2mw looks good  :P

Sorry Mike don't do text speak?
Sorry old chap... The weather looks absolutely splendid tomorrow  ;D ;D especially if you are a duck! (almost spelt that wrong!)

Heavy rain all day with a mix of hail  :o
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on April 24, 2012, 10:21:03 pm
I know rain all day by all accounts, In St John's Wood starting another deck and climbing frame.
Looks like it will have to join the list, as for getting finished  :(
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: BDCS on April 24, 2012, 10:39:19 pm
I've got two bulk oxy vessels to clean in a Hospital tomorrow - it won't affect me.
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: M W. on May 07, 2012, 08:30:24 pm
So you go back to jobs atleast 3 times.... To use a sealer on block paving which offers no stabilisation is frankly a waste of time cheap acrylics would do a better job if they are applied to the letter weather conditons prefect ....well laid drive blah blah .... hence previous comments from the other guys

How do you sell that seal to a customer ? Does it help inhibit weed growth? er no... But it helps protect the block if you spill on it (but not the sand )  ;D

I normally go back once to sand as I try to seal on the day of cleaning if it's not raining.  I also want to make it clear we do very few domestics these days because we found that we needed to book up 3 or 4 in a street minimum to make any economical sense of it and then customers used to moan and say things like "Why are we paying you so much"  You have only been here 2 hours.  Pressure washing these days is just an add on for us to large restoration works.  Everyone is entiltled to their opinion about sealing but if it is treated as an add on extra it pays well and prevents deep staining and aids ongoing cleaning.

kev i dont understand, how can you go back to sandafter sealing, also what sealer are you using to seal the same day as cleaning. cheers mal

Kev Martin
Marble Life Ltd
Title: Re: driveway clean and weather
Post by: Roger Oakley on May 07, 2012, 08:42:31 pm
All up to date at long last, finished of 5 decks this week, (sanded & oiled) plus other work that was booked in.
Hope this bloody weather sorts it self out, we have Wimbledon starting in a couple of weeks so need the dry weather, all decking sand & oil.