Boost Your Curb Appeal: Concrete Cleaning
Whether you’re looking to sell your home or business or not, its curb appeal tells those who are driving by a lot about you as an individual. In order to boost curb appeal, you must first identify your trouble areas. This means taking a careful inventory of everything, and being very objective while doing so.
Concrete stains are a real pain!
Don’t let concrete stains ruin your property’s curb appeal. Your concrete driveways and sidewalks are not immune to mold and mildew and seem to attract stains like a magnet; rust stains can be especially difficult to remove! Over time, your concrete surfaces can begin to lose their light gray appearance and begin to look black or green when mold and/or mildew are present and myriad colors where stains are concerned.
Concrete is very easy to clean (as long as you have the right detergents and the know-how) and is a cost effective way to increase your home’s value and curb appeal. Cleaning concrete periodically will extend its service life and enhance its beauty.
Is saving a few dollars really worth it?
Unprofessional cleaners can quickly damage the surface, thereby compromising what lies beneath. The lowest bid is not always the one that will protect your property best or give you the most satisfactory cleaning results; some homeowners may even find themselves paying someone else to come in and do the job right after paying the other guy who came in and did it wrong.
It can be difficult to tell when concrete is in need of cleaning in some instances because the dirt and grim build up slowly over the course of many years. However, once the process is completed, the results are very noticeable. The key to the entire cleaning process is using the proper detergent (this can vary widely depending on what caused the stain in the first place) and maintaining the correct pressure.
Pressure, pressure, pressure
If the water pressure used to clean the surface is too high, sand can be blown out of your concrete, which will expose the rocks just below the surface; this will expedite the weathering process and could leave you with a hefty concrete repair bill sooner than you’d like. A professional cleaner will be able to tell you what pressure is applied by each accessory used and, upon request, should be able to connect a pressure gauge to show you that pressure.
Although water alone can remove dirt from concrete, cleaning chemicals are often needed to remove specific stains. The cleaning procedure can be accomplished efficiently by using the appropriate cleaning solutions in conjunction with the appropriate pressure carried out by professional quality equipment. Removing any one part from the equation will lead to a finished product that is less that acceptable for our viewpoint.
The dry summer months are the perfect time to refresh the outdoor look of your home or business in simple ways such as cleaning concrete walks, patios and driveways. Years of weathering, fading oils, dirt, gasoline and general traffic can make a first impression of an outdoor space less than exciting. Refresh your curb appeal and lighten up your outdoor entertainment spaces with specialty concrete cleaning and driveway sealing to clean, protect and brighten it by calling CPR.
