Driveway Cleaning & Sealing by Hertsmere Driveways

St Albans

Driveway Cleaning & Sealing in St Albans

A pre-treat, a rotary clean, fresh joint sand and a seal, on a surface worth keeping. Free survey, a fixed written price, and you only pay when you're happy with the work.

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Driveway Cleaning & Sealing in St Albans, explained

The first useful thing we can do is tell you not to bother. On a sound surface a proper clean is one of the best-value jobs in this trade and the colour underneath is nearly always still there. On a surface that has actually failed, washing it only makes the fault easier to photograph, and we would rather quote you for the repair than take the cleaning money.

Assuming it is worth doing, the price comes in three parts and we show them separately so you can stop at any of them. The clean itself. The re-sanding that block paving needs afterwards.

And the sealing, which is optional, is a separate visit, and is the part people most often decide against once they know what it does and does not do. We are based in Hatfield and this area is part of our normal round. The visit and the written price are free, there is no deposit, and nothing is payable until the work is finished.

We cover the AL1 and AL3 postcodes in St Albans, and the rest of Hertfordshire.

What your quote covers

An honest look first, and a straight answer on whether a clean will actually fix it
One fixed price in writing, no deposit, nothing payable up front
A pre-treatment on heavy moss and algae so it dies rather than just moves
A rotary flat-surface clean across the whole area, not a striped hand-lance job
Block paving joints refilled afterwards, because a clean empties them and an empty joint lets blocks shift
Sealing as a return visit once the surface is properly dry, where you are having it sealed

Choosing driveway cleaning & sealing in St Albans

A surprising number of drives that look finished are simply dirty. Block paving, patios and concrete all hold algae, moss and traffic film in the texture, and cleaning them back frequently buys years before replacement is worth discussing.

Cleaning suits a surface that is structurally sound. Where blocks have sunk, edges have failed or tarmac is breaking up, washing it only makes the problem easier to see, and the honest answer is a repair. We will say which of the two you are looking at rather than take the cleaning money.

Sealing afterwards is a separate decision. On block paving it stabilises the joint sand, deepens the colour and makes spills easier to lift. It is not permanent, and it is not a repair, but it makes the surface easier to keep on top of.

Thinking about driveway cleaning & sealing in St Albans?

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From first visit to finished job

Step 1
Tell us about it
Call or send a photo or two. On a cleaning job a photo tells us a great deal, and often whether you need a clean or a repair.
Step 2
Free look and price
We check the surface is sound, measure up, and say plainly if cleaning is not the right spend.
Step 3
Fixed written price
One figure in writing, split so you can see the clean, the re-sanding and the sealing separately and decide.
Step 4
Pre-treat and clean
Heavy growth is treated, then the surface is cleaned with a rotary head so it comes up evenly.
Step 5
Re-sand
On block paving the joints are refilled and worked over, so the surface locks up again instead of being left loose.
Step 6
Seal and settle up
Sealing waits for a properly dry surface, so it is usually a second visit, and you pay once the work is complete.

What happens on site in St Albans

We pre-treat where there is heavy moss or algae, so the growth is killed rather than just blasted off and left to come back from the roots. Then the surface is cleaned, usually with a rotary flat-surface cleaner, which works far more evenly than a hand lance and does not leave stripes.

Cleaning block paving takes the joint sand out. That is unavoidable and it is why re-sanding is part of the job rather than an extra: fresh kiln-dried sand goes back into every joint and is worked in.

If the surface is being sealed, it has to be properly dry first, so sealing is normally a return visit rather than the same afternoon. The sealer is applied evenly and given time to cure before the drive goes back into use.

What affects the price in St Albans

We do not publish a rate per square metre, because the number would be wrong for most properties. The survey is free and the price you get afterwards is fixed and in writing. These are the things that move it:

The area being cleaned, and how much of it is intricate or awkward to get a rotary head across
How much moss, algae and weed has built up, and whether it needs pre-treating
The surface type, since block paving carries the re-sanding and concrete does not
Whether you are having it sealed, and which sealer suits the surface
Any repairs the surface needs first, which we would quote separately
Access to water and power, and where the run-off can safely go

Looking after driveway cleaning & sealing

A sealed surface typically wants redoing every three to five years, depending on how much sun and traffic it takes. You will see it start to wear at the tyre lines first.

Between times, brush the leaves off, keep gullies and channels clear, and deal with green growth early with a biocide rather than waiting for it to take hold.

Avoid strong household chemicals and neat bleach on any paved surface. They can bleach the colour unevenly and leave marks that are far harder to sort out than the algae was.

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Around St Albans

As well as St Albans itself, we take on driveway cleaning & sealing work in Leverstock Green, Borehamwood, Watford, Woodside Park and Finchley Road, and across the rest of Hertfordshire. If you are just outside the towns listed here it is still worth a call, because we cover more ground than any list of names can sensibly show.

Driveway Cleaning & Sealing in St Albans: Common Questions

Do you offer driveway cleaning & sealing in St Albans?

Yes. St Albans is one of the areas we cover as standard, including the AL1 and AL3 postcodes. We work out of Hatfield, and the survey and the written quote are free wherever you are.

Do you charge to come and look?

No, and that includes being told a clean will not achieve much if that is the answer. Nothing is payable up front, and you settle the bill once the work is finished.

Will jet washing damage my paving?

Not at the right pressure and distance. The damage people see usually comes from a close, concentrated jet held in one place. We use a rotary head at a sensible pressure, which is gentler and far more even.

Why does the sand have to go back in?

Because cleaning takes it out, and empty joints let blocks move and let weeds root. Re-sanding is what turns a lot of separate blocks back into one locked surface, so we price it into the clean instead of offering it as an optional extra afterwards.

Can you clean and seal on the same day?

Rarely, and we would not promise it. A sealer will not bond to anything damp, so we come back for it a day or more later. Rushing that is how you end up with a patchy, milky finish that then has to be stripped.

Is it worth doing before I sell the house?

It is one of the cheapest things you can do to the front of a property, and it photographs well. A clean, re-sanded and sealed drive reads as looked after, which is the impression a tired one undoes before anyone gets to the door.