Patios are mostly set in damp and green environments, this leads to natural growth from biological agents. Lichen is a common sight on patios, and this is a composite organism that results from algae and they are living organisms. See en.wikipedia.org for further reading. Without treatment these organisms discolour patios and overtime stain the surface.

How Do We Treat Patios?

Depending on various factors we may use a surface cleaner to offer a pressure washing service; if so then the process includes a large circular machine directly releasing pressurised water onto the patio slabs. The reason for this method is that a surface cleaner will create a uniform finish on the patio and clean deep into the joints as well.
We are also able to clean patios in Dunfermline and other areas with a biocide wash that kills lichens, this substance is PH neutral and so does not harm any nearby environments but does break down the dirt that’s accumulated on the surface while also is approved by the Health and Safety Executive for use in the UK. The particular certificate number of the one we use is 9936.

Below is a before and mid clean image of some patio cleaning in Dunfermline that we carried out recently, note the colour difference and the fact this has eliminated a very dangerous and slippery surface. See our home page for all the other exterior cleaning services we offer.

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A driveway takes up a large percentage of your home exteriors appearance, much more than often your garden itself does. Not only is a clean driveway suggestive that the rest of the home is well maintained but also makes your home stand out from the rest of the homes within the area. Don’t just take our word for it, look at the attached before and after photo of a standard driveway we cleaned in Dunfermline and see the dramatic increase in colour enhancement alone. Next doors driveway still looks like the before photo, and I am sure you will agree on which looks the most inviting. Have a look at our driveway cleaning page for more information on the services we offer.

Resale Value

Lisa Mackenzie; the director of Kingleigh Folkard and Hayward states that “the front and rear of a property is just as important in making a good impression as the inside is” when selling a home. There are various articles describing that poorly maintained properties can sell for far less than a well maintained property, and buyer psychology is an important factor, a factor that is often influenced when the property is first seen from the roadside. For more information on selling influences and home selling ‘to do lists’ see www.primelocation.com.

Bespoke Services

We can offer a variety of effects on your driveway such as sealants that then provides a slight sheen, or perhaps a coloured sealant? This in itself is a bespoke service, and one that you can tailor in to suit the surrounding themes. Some customers choose to have a driveway wash only, but especially on darker paving a re-sanding service really stands out. We use the highly regarded www.resiblock.co.uk for our sealants.

Improvement on Physical Wellbeing

One study led by associate professor NiCole R. Keith, Ph.D supported the fact that those whom live in a clean and organised environment are physically healthier. This was a large scale study and is backed up by many more, that all find those that have a cleaner and more positive environment have less chance of physical health deteriorations. This may seem a million miles away from driveway cleaning but the fact remains that it is at very least a positive environmental health signal. For more information on the above study please see www.psychologytoday.com.

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Driveway sealing is the use of a liquid coating mixture that is directly sprayed or rolled onto the driveway after it has been washed (and dried). The best way to describe sealants is akin to superglue, but where it is set on exterior paving areas. See our driveway cleaning page for information on our services.

Typically all driveways and forms of block paving are laid without sand and certainly not with a protective coating; this is a cost saving measure and one which can lead to issues of stability and discolouration in later years.

Types Of Driveway Sealing

The main types of sealers are water based emulsions, solvent based acrylics, moisture cured urethanes and hydrated polymer glues. For most driveways we seal, Resiblock trade is used. This is a universal sealer and one that is suitable for almost all surface types. Water based sealers have the same properties as solvent based ones, but are mixed with water instead of with solvents such as xylene. This makes water based sealers safer for environments and less harmful to surrounding habitat.

Process Of Driveway Sealing

The process begins before we even pressure wash the driveway or patio. It is important that we identify drainage issues, otherwise if we have problems with drying the driveway it could be problematic when it comes to applying a sealer.

Once the driveway has been pressure washed, we always go over the full drive a second time; this second pass is used to ensure all joints are free of biological growth. We often will use mild chemicals to post treat the surface, because we have to return at a later date to re-sand and seal the drive. The use of sodium hypochlorite acts as a barrier to future growth within this drying phase and is applied at a safe dilution.

The application of sealers is best achieved using a spray canister, this leads to a lot less wastage of the chemical and also allows us to directly spray into the joints. One coat of Resiblock is advised although a second coat can offer a light sheen. Have a look at the below image of a driveway cleaning job in Dunfermline, at this stage the translucent sealer is wet although it will dry clear. See our Facebook page for more images of our work.

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Why Hot Water Window Cleaning?

When we are window cleaning in Dunfermline, there are some commercial units that are impossible to reach by ladder. Using the purified water waterfed pole system is essential, however as I am sure you can imagine-windows many levels high are hard to clean. Using a hot water system increases the scrubbing power, and similarly to cleaning dishes at home, hot water simply cuts through dirt faster. At www.fifewindowcleaningservices.co.uk there is mention of the various surfaces we may use this system to clean, ie upvc and fascia cleaning in Fife and only recently we carried out a conservatory roof clean in Dunfermline, fife. Have a look at our images on this blog, to see for yourself how much of an improvement our hot water system made to this conservatory roof.

How Does It Work?

Our van is kitted out with a diesel boiler supplied by www.grippatank.co.uk and is plumbed into our fuel system. When we want more or less heat, we digitally control this. Not only does this allow us to clean a variety of surfaces easier but it also means less working days are lost per year due to cold weather and equipment freezing in the van.

So How Is The System Used When Cleaning Windows?

We have a twin DI vessel in our van, tap water is fed into these vessels and the ion exchange resin inside the vessels alters the particles that make up tap water itself, the alkaline particles in this resin remove hard mineral particles from the tap water such as magnesium. Our newly purified water is stored in a 500 litre tank in the van and heated before it reaches the glass, allowing us to guarantee a spot free finish on glass by using 000ppm (parts per million water) which has no trace of minerals and also when this is combined with the heated element we are enabling us to remove stubborn marks from glass and frames much easier.

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