Start by choosing the proper pressure and nozzle tip. To help you setup your pressure washer correctly, check out these tips and tricks. A pressure washer with about 3 gpm and 3000 psi is ideal for most concrete and brick cleaning jobs. Choose the tip with the widest angle that still gets the job done to prevent degrading the surface of the hardscape.
3 Steps To Pressure Clean a Brick Driveway:
Soak the brick driveway down with water. Do this with your most delicate spray nozzle. The point of this is to get the entire brick surface wet so it doesn’t absorb the detergent.
Now apply the proper detergent with the proper nozzle ensuring you get the entire surface covered. Let it to its work for 5 minutes ensure you keep the surface wet the entire time.
Now attach the 25-degree rinsing nozzle to remove all the dirt, grime, mildew and detergent. The key is more detergent and less pressure with brick. You don’t want to destroy the mortar (which is strong but the weak point in a brick driveway).
Materials
Brick and concrete in areas with daily shadowing will often acquire mold or algae through the fall and winter season. Older surfaces also tend to be more porous from age and wear. This only encourages grime to build up more quickly.
Luckily, this will clean up fairly quickly with just water and the correct technique. Unfortunately, these older and more porous surfaces can also be damaged by the wrong tip or technique more quickly. If you are cleaning an area stained by oil, consider using a soap attachment to assist in pulling those stains out.
Technique
With proper technique, you can clean most brick and concrete surfaces fairly quickly.
Starting at one end of the hardscape, hold the tip about 12" from the surface and use an even and consistent sweeping motion.
This will help prevent damage to the surface as well as minimize streaking. Keep the spray at a slight angle to direct the cleaning across the surface of the brick or concrete and prevent the force from degrading the surface. As you move across the area, try to direct the run off to a pervious area. Finish by using a push broom or wide spray tip to remove the loosened debris from the surface.
If you have a large area to clean, consider renting a rotating sweeping attachment. This attachment has a rotating head that can consistently clean large areas quickly without causing arm fatigue.
Which Pressure Washer Should You Use?
A medium-duty gas or electric pressure washer will do the job quick-smart. A gas is more expensive but will complete it faster. An electric is less powerful, more quiet, more affordable and requires electric cord to be plugged in (less portable).
Let’s go further with the buying help… Choosing the correct pressure washer for the concrete or brick driveway pressure cleaning job is easy. What you need to decide is your answer to these three questions:
Is price the most important factor?
Yes – If all you care about is lowest cost – then go a medium-duty electric
No – Continue to next question
Is ease of use and zero-maintenance the most important factor?
Yes – If you refuse to deal with gasoline, oil, air filters and regular maintenance then you’ll want an electric powered pressure washer
No – Keep reading
Is being portable, durable and powerful enough for any job around the home the deal breaker?
Yes – Gas pressure washers are more portable because they don’t require connection to electric outlet.
They will also have a longer life due to the better pump and durable engine that can be offered on it because of the higher upfront cost
Now you know if you want gas or electric – what about the cleaning power? Cleaning power is measured in cleaning units:
Cleaning units (CUs) = Pressure x Flow Rate (PSI x GPM)
A 2,000 PSI electric machine with 1.8 GPM has 3,600 CUs.
The more important factor for the vast majority of power washing of concrete and brick driveways is the GPM because that dictates the speed you can complete the job in. A driveway that fits 4 cars will take an electric pressure washer a 2 hours to clean. Same driveway would be cleaned in 30 minutes with a gas powered unit.
3 Steps To Pressure Clean a Brick Driveway:
Soak the brick driveway down with water. Do this with your most delicate spray nozzle. The point of this is to get the entire brick surface wet so it doesn’t absorb the detergent.
Now apply the proper detergent with the proper nozzle ensuring you get the entire surface covered. Let it to its work for 5 minutes ensure you keep the surface wet the entire time.
Now attach the 25-degree rinsing nozzle to remove all the dirt, grime, mildew and detergent. The key is more detergent and less pressure with brick. You don’t want to destroy the mortar (which is strong but the weak point in a brick driveway).
Materials
Brick and concrete in areas with daily shadowing will often acquire mold or algae through the fall and winter season. Older surfaces also tend to be more porous from age and wear. This only encourages grime to build up more quickly.
Luckily, this will clean up fairly quickly with just water and the correct technique. Unfortunately, these older and more porous surfaces can also be damaged by the wrong tip or technique more quickly. If you are cleaning an area stained by oil, consider using a soap attachment to assist in pulling those stains out.
Technique
With proper technique, you can clean most brick and concrete surfaces fairly quickly.
Starting at one end of the hardscape, hold the tip about 12" from the surface and use an even and consistent sweeping motion.
This will help prevent damage to the surface as well as minimize streaking. Keep the spray at a slight angle to direct the cleaning across the surface of the brick or concrete and prevent the force from degrading the surface. As you move across the area, try to direct the run off to a pervious area. Finish by using a push broom or wide spray tip to remove the loosened debris from the surface.
If you have a large area to clean, consider renting a rotating sweeping attachment. This attachment has a rotating head that can consistently clean large areas quickly without causing arm fatigue.
Which Pressure Washer Should You Use?
A medium-duty gas or electric pressure washer will do the job quick-smart. A gas is more expensive but will complete it faster. An electric is less powerful, more quiet, more affordable and requires electric cord to be plugged in (less portable).
Let’s go further with the buying help… Choosing the correct pressure washer for the concrete or brick driveway pressure cleaning job is easy. What you need to decide is your answer to these three questions:
Is price the most important factor?
Yes – If all you care about is lowest cost – then go a medium-duty electric
No – Continue to next question
Is ease of use and zero-maintenance the most important factor?
Yes – If you refuse to deal with gasoline, oil, air filters and regular maintenance then you’ll want an electric powered pressure washer
No – Keep reading
Is being portable, durable and powerful enough for any job around the home the deal breaker?
Yes – Gas pressure washers are more portable because they don’t require connection to electric outlet.
They will also have a longer life due to the better pump and durable engine that can be offered on it because of the higher upfront cost
Now you know if you want gas or electric – what about the cleaning power? Cleaning power is measured in cleaning units:
Cleaning units (CUs) = Pressure x Flow Rate (PSI x GPM)
A 2,000 PSI electric machine with 1.8 GPM has 3,600 CUs.
The more important factor for the vast majority of power washing of concrete and brick driveways is the GPM because that dictates the speed you can complete the job in. A driveway that fits 4 cars will take an electric pressure washer a 2 hours to clean. Same driveway would be cleaned in 30 minutes with a gas powered unit.
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