Block Pave Driveway Cleaning & Restoration. SmartSeal Paving Sealer. High Pressure Washing ASMR

Driveway cleaning and restoration. High pressure jet washing.
70sqM block pave driveway that had a chemical pre treat then a high pressure jet wash. It was then sanded and a 2 coat acrylic sealer applied several days later.
Sealer of choice was smartseal matt and was applied with an IK9 viton sprayer.
Pressure Washing, jet washing ASMR.
Skip to around 9:25 to jump straight to the cleaning.

[@HandyChick]

You're great at explaining things, great job ❤

[@Powershiftcleaning]

Brilliant job and great advice offered as normal. What would I do without my mentor. Cheers Phil.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

I know lol, I try

[@robsmith2343]

Looks smart, I think I’ll stay away from sealing 👍

[@YuriPeriotto]

Thank you for this video! Very helpful Im going to seal a driveway for the first time and ill be using a chapin 1949 pump sprayer. Its imprinted concrete and the customer wants lowslip granules. Ill be using pureseal concrete sealer pro. Any tips for me before i do it?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@YuriPeriotto low slip granules won't spray, personally I wouldn't be using anything like that as it will feel funny. No different then leaving sand scattered on it. I would put the customer off that idea. You'll need some xylene to clean the spray pack out after.

[@lusean193]

Only got your vid now for some reason great a new one from Phil for me

[@hasnaintejani9307]

Hi phil, Great video. Loved it. Just a quick question. After washing the blocks, how long do you leave them to dry before sanding?. Also Is sealing essential, as sealers are incredibly expensive. Thnx

[@DirtyDriveAway]

I leave it overnight before sanding. Sealers aren't essential m, it's personal choice. Like you say they are expensive especially to do it properly.

[@hasnaintejani9307]

Thank you for replying. Despite googling, i can't find an answer. One more quick question: For 80sq M, (5mm deep) how many 20kg bags of sand would I need, roughly,? I even asked a guy in Travis perkins and even he didn't know!!!. Any idea, please?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@hasnaintejani9307 depends on the block style. Conventional 100x200 blocks you would be safe with 4. Providing the joint gaps aren't too wide. If they are tegula (more square with rounded edges) you may need 5. I normally base it on 20sqM per 20kg bag. That's plays it safe.

[@hasnaintejani9307]

@@DirtyDriveAway thank you

[@slim439]

An, anudder handy tip. get an old length of a lance. About 10 inch's is perfect. Quick connect at the end, female, attach ones desired nozzle, & away you will go. Less spray, & a tighter spray.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Did you see I did away with the trigger.

[@slim439]

@@DirtyDriveAway Notice the difference?

[@Baztard1068]

Great job Phil, great intro full of info 👍

[@glennbraiden3310]

Interesting. I normally stay away from sealing them but that looked ok, I've also got a 10lt battery powered sprayer which I'd use for constant consistent spray, what product did you use for sealing?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It was smartseal. I have a battery sprayer that I use for other stuff but I think the sealer will gunk up the pump. I don't really like sealing as its so weather dependant, it can really balls you up and put you back if the conditions aren't right.

[@glennbraiden3310]

@@DirtyDriveAway yes, I must admit there’s too much to cause problems from loose sand to over spray to a little rain and it all comes back on you! Think I’ll just carry on bringing them back to life 😀

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@@glennbraiden3310 on block pave there is little chance of over spraying as the block absorbs it. Get it much more on riven sandstone. Actually doing the work isn't a problem it's just the knock on from having bad weather. I have to admit it is something I am considering dropping. A lot of professional cleaners are doing the same because of weather and drying etc. It really is more grief than its worth. Does make the drive look smart though but if it does go wrong it's not usually our fault it's the weather, but like you say it still comes back to us.

[@marbrad3254]

Nice work. How many bags of sand and how many litres of seal did you use? If you can remember.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Not much sand after cleaning. Maybe 3, sealer was about 60L.

[@slim439]

Gadzooks!! Tis that a ball valve ones sees? Go you!....[notice the difference?]....

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It does tend to spin a bit quicker. Almost wants to lift off the floor.

[@mikeys4u]

Can I use an £12 weed killer pump action pressure sprayer from wilko for the sealant? Or is the sealant to thick to be sprayed by that?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It can be sprayed with any sprayer, however the sealer does tend to go sticky after a while. You would then need to rinse through before the 2nd coat with a solvent like xylene. This is where the issue will come in as the solvent could destroy the rubber seals in the trigger assembly. Most companies who apply by sprayer would use a chemical-resistant viton sealed sprayer.

[@polomora]

Great video and explanation. One question which you didn't cover: Does the sealant also stop rainwater draining away? In other words, if the paving wasn't originally laid on a natural slope, does the rainwater pool up on the paving until it evaporates?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Hi, yes a typical block paved sealer will bind the sand making it impermeable, its one of the drawbacks to sealing a flat driveway. Uneven or flat surfaces will encourage the surface water to pool up. Sealing is only really advised if the drive has a slope to a drain. I've had many customers who have a drop towards the house, but no drainage (ACOs), and sealing wasn't advised because in heavy rain it will run towards the house and pool up.

[@Tooma1979]

I just came across the viddie u did 5 yrs ago showing your van set up, I was just wondering how much different is it now 5 yrs on ? New subscriber cheers

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Completely different now. I got a bigger van

[@CRAIGCA15]

Can I just paint instead of sealing or would it be sealant first, then paint?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Why would you paint a driveway?

[@CRAIGCA15]

@@DirtyDriveAway because I don't like the colour of the bricks. Assumed it would be cheaper to paint than replace

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@CRAIGCA15 you don't paint driveways as it simply won't stick for long. You can get a product called colour restore. It's a coloured sealer that highly tinted.

[@CRAIGCA15]

​@@DirtyDriveAwaysmartseal driveway piant have good reviews will give that a go

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@@CRAIGCA15 that's the one.

[@IsacsCleaningServices]

👍Nice video!

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Thanks 😊

[@davegill7614]

What was the foamy stuff you put on at the start mate?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Biocide with a surfactant, sodium Hypochlorite diluted 3:1

[@Bdspro-clean]

What sealant is that you’re using Phil? I’ve got one of those sprayers however I switched to the Gloria 410t for spraying solvent sealants and you shave about half the time off applying due to the increase pressure and far better can you get have a look at them. 100% worth the money

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It's smartseal matt. I looked at the gloria 410T but some of the reviews said they are poor quality and pricey. I like the IK just a shame the biggest they do is a 9L. Mines a 6L as I had it lying about from the hypo days. It works quite well and the 4 hole head gives a good flood coat to the joints.

[@Bdspro-clean]

@@DirtyDriveAway nice one I use their sealants myself. Really? I couldn’t see any negative ones. Haha I actually use the ik9 for hypo when it’s required for small areas! I couldn’t see any bad reviews but yeah they’re expensive but I wouldn’t be without it.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@@Bdspro-clean may look again at the 410. The IK9 is good but its small.

[@simonmay1814]

Do you recommend smartseal over resiblock sealers

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Smartseal is easier to use than resiblock. Resi is harder but it can only be rollered which leads to possible sand lifting etc. Smartseal is acrylic and can be sprayed.

[@simonmay1814]

@@DirtyDriveAway thanks mate appreciate your help

[@spencerj1413]

What you useing to apply the hypo .

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It's a dosatron unit. Also known as a clever injector.

[@deathski2]

How do you find the smart seal stuff? I have a 500 sqm drive to do this week with their sealer.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

It's OK, cosmetically it will last about 12 months. It will keep the sand hard for a few years. It's best if sprayed down as a roller tends to pick up the sand. 500 sqm is massive, and I would be breaking that down into smaller sections as you're supposed to do the 2nd coat 3-4 hours after the 1st. I prefer it over polyurethane as it's easier to work with. Just have some xylene to hand for cleaning after, especially if using a sprayer, as it will gunk it up. I would advise only trying to do half that area at a time, as 500 sqM is a big slog if doing it on your own. Realistically it's impossible to do two coats in 1 day if working solo.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Also be wary of the heat. A lot of sealers don't like being applied if the ground temp is above 30 degrees. Not sure why exactly but it can make the solvent dry off too fast. Yes it will dry quicker but not sure if it can lend itself to blistering when dry. Also make sure it's thoroughly dry if you've cleaned it. Typically it's 5-7days after cleaning before sealing. If its still wet (on sloped driveway it can still be wet at the bottom after 5 days) it can go white.

[@deathski2]

@@DirtyDriveAway I Have a Gloria I bought from Nigel at smart seal, yes it’s massive, been cleaning it for the last 3 days. I am going to break it down it to about a third size a day, that’s what I did with the wash. Going back on Tuesday to start it, as would be 5 days from that area been washed. I have had to buy tarps to cover it as it’s on a cliff at the sea and their are seagulls shitting everywhere on the drive. If I knew the extent I would had tuned down the job. Added £400 to my expenses 😂 but can use some of the tarps for my roof cleaning that I’m starting at the end of the month. Thank you very much for the reply, first time sealing and bit nervous, nothing like a monster job yo burst the cherry 🍒 I have a cleaner to run through the sprayer to clean out the nozzles that I got from smart seal as well. Also a bit of Tarmac paint to go on at the end. Will be glad to see the back of this one. Priced well though.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@Steve Johnstone sounds good. I dropped doing sealing last year. Too much ball ache getting it right with the weather. Been doing it 10 years and the stress was unreal. Hoping it will dry OK and playing everything on the British weather was just hard. A lot of people have stopped doing it now as its a headache. I lost too much money in wasted days.

[@deathski2]

@@DirtyDriveAway Too be fair, I have been quite stressed about it all. I have another 2 booked in the just going back to drives / patios and then roofs. That’s enough to keep me going. Far too much different variables and I’m up in the north if of Scotland, so that does not help with the weather. Thanks for all the advice mate.

[@miriam2909]

That turned out looking fabulous! Impressed

[@DirtyDriveAway]

Thank you, it did look much better after being sealed.

[@miriam2909]

@@DirtyDriveAway I think it did. It looked finished when it was sealed.

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@@miriam2909 it's not a cheap process so it's not something a lot of people have done. It's also very weather dependant and time consuming so a lot of contractors have stopped doing it.

[@Nillersoon40]

have you ever figured the need for using hot water?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

No, never had a need for it. Just more expense to buy and run.

[@Nillersoon40]

@@DirtyDriveAway Sure but would it not open up for grafitti and wall cleaning? Once I cleaned some grafitti off a wall...but the mortar surely did'nt like it! Crazy idea...a 4-way lance with 15's, 2 left spinning and 2 right ...a competitor to your amazing blue 5'er?

[@DirtyDriveAway]

@@Nillersoon40 possibly but even hot water won't always shift graffiti. To hook my washer up with a boiler would be another £3500. I don't need to take on graffiti work etc as I have enough residential stuff. Residential is easier as its a quick turnaround. Commercial stuff is a bugger for being paid, been there, done it, can't be arsed with it.