7am to 5pm, seven days a week when needed07951 294145 HomeAboutServices Areas Our WorkContactRequest an Estimate Home/Services/Driveway Cleaning # Driveway Cleaning In KentThat Lifts The Moss,Not Just The Colour Block paving, slabs and concrete pick up moss, algae and black weathering fast in a damp Kent winter. Pressure cleaning done at the right distance and pressure, with joints resanded afterwards, brings the surface back without blasting the face off the blocks. Request an Estimate07951 294145 25 years working on these surfaces · Joints resanded after cleaning · Priced in person after a site visit · 10% deposit secures the booking ## Get This Job Priced Tell us the basics and Shane will arrange a visit to price it properly. ## 25 Years In The Trade Hands-on experience behind every job Shane prices. ## Qualified Plant Operator NRSWA street works, full digger ticket, core drilling, ducting. ## Priced In Person Site visit first, real figure second. No guesses over the phone. ## We Come Back If It's Not Right No formal warranty period, a direct commitment from Shane. The Service ## Driveway Cleaning In Kent: What's Involved ### What it is Pressure washing of driveways, patios, paths and hard standing: clearing weeds and moss, rotary and lance cleaning of the surface, cleaning out and resanding block paving joints, and dealing with edges, steps and thresholds. Where a surface is beyond cleaning, we will tell you that rather than take the money. ### Who it's for Homeowners whose drive or patio has gone green, slippery or black; sellers and landlords getting a property ready to market or let; and anyone who has had a drive laid a few years ago and wants it brought back rather than replaced. ### When you need it When the surface is slippery underfoot, a genuine hazard on a sloping drive or near a door, when moss is building in the joints, when weathering has dulled the colour, before selling or letting a property, or before sealing a drive. ### Why it pays to get it right Cleaning is only half the job. A rotary head blasts the jointing sand out of block paving, and if that sand is not replaced the blocks lose their interlock, start to move and let weeds straight back in. Resanding is not an optional extra; it is what makes the clean worth doing. ## Driveway Cleaning Before & After BeforeAfter⇔ Moss-stained paving lifted What Happens If It's Left ## The Problems That Get Worse And More Expensive ### Algae and moss make hard surfaces genuinely slippery A shaded, damp drive or a north-facing patio grows a film of algae that becomes treacherous in wet weather, particularly on a slope or at a doorway. It is one of the most common causes of slips around a house, and it builds up gradually enough that people stop noticing until someone goes over. ### Moss in the joints breaks paving apart Moss and weeds rooting in the joints hold moisture against the block edges and slowly prise the units apart. Open joints let more sand wash out, the blocks lose their interlock, and what started as a cosmetic problem turns into paving that rocks and rutts under a car. ### Wrong technique damages the surface permanently Too close, too much pressure or the wrong nozzle strips the face off block paving, etches concrete and eats out soft sandstone and mortar joints. Zebra striping from an uneven pass is nearly impossible to hide. The damage is permanent, and it is the single most common mistake made with a hired machine. Our Process ## How The Job Runs, Step By Step - Step 1 ### Site visit and surface check We look at the surface type and condition, how much moss and staining there is, the drainage, where the run-off will go, and whether cleaning is genuinely the right answer. You get a price for the area. - Step 2 ### Clear and prepare Weeds and heavy moss are cleared, loose material swept off, and anything that needs protecting: planting, doorways, air bricks, garage thresholds, is covered or worked around. Drainage routes are checked so the run-off has somewhere to go. - Step 3 ### Pressure clean at the right settings The surface is cleaned with a rotary head for consistent coverage and a lance for edges, corners and detail, at a pressure and distance suited to the material so the face of the blocks or slabs is not damaged. - Step 4 ### Rinse, clear and resand Slurry and debris are rinsed and cleared away rather than left to dry across the surface, and block paving joints are refilled with kiln-dried sand and compacted in so the blocks regain their interlock. - Step 5 ### Final check and walk round Edges, steps and thresholds are finished off, the area cleared, and we walk it with you. If anything is not right after we have finished, you call and we come back. What You Get ## The Difference It Makes ### Safer underfoot Removing algae and moss takes the slip risk out of a wet drive, path or patio. ### Joints put back properly Kiln-dried sand is replaced and compacted so blocks keep their interlock. ### No surface damage Pressure, nozzle and distance are matched to the material rather than turned up to maximum. ### Cheaper than replacing A sound drive that only looks tired is usually worth cleaning, not relaying. ### Better first impression A clean front drive makes an immediate difference when selling or letting. ### An honest verdict If the surface is failing rather than dirty, we tell you and price the alternative instead. In Detail ## Materials, Methods And The Things That Matter ### Surface types and how each is treated Block paving cleans well and takes a rotary head confidently, but the jointing sand comes out with the dirt and must be replaced. Concrete is tough but can be etched or striped if the lance is held too close or moved unevenly. Indian sandstone and other natural stone are porous and softer, they need lower pressure and more care, especially around mortar pointing that a strong jet will cut straight out. Imprinted or pattern-imprinted concrete is cleaned gently because the colour layer and sealer sit on the surface, and it normally needs resealing afterwards to look right. Resin-bound surfaces need a light touch to avoid dislodging aggregate. Tarmac is cleaned at low pressure only, as the jet will lift the binder and loose chippings. ### What is actually growing on your drive The green film is algae, thriving anywhere that stays damp and shaded, very common on north-facing Kent frontages and under trees. Moss takes hold in the joints where silt collects and holds water. Black spot lichen, the stubborn dark circles that will not budge under a jet, is a living organism bonded tightly to the stone and it typically needs chemical treatment and time rather than more pressure. Oil, tyre marks and rust from metal furniture or a leaking vehicle are different problems again, each needing its own treatment; we will tell you honestly at the visit what will come out and what is likely to remain as a shadow. ### Resanding, sealing and preventing it coming back Once block paving is cleaned, kiln-dried sand is brushed and vibrated into the joints and topped up until the joints are full to just below the chamfer. This restores the interlock that makes block paving work as a surface rather than a collection of loose units. Some clients then want a sealer, which slows staining and makes future cleaning easier, but sealing only works on a fully clean, fully dry surface with correctly filled joints, sealing over damp or dirt locks the problem in. Longer term, keeping the drive swept, clearing leaf litter from the edges and improving drainage where water sits does more to hold back regrowth than the strength of the clean. ### When cleaning is not the answer Cleaning improves how a surface looks. It does not fix a surface that is failing. If blocks are rutting in the wheel tracks, if slabs rock or ring hollow, if the edge restraint has given way and the perimeter is spreading, or if water is ponding because the falls are wrong, then the base and drainage are the problem and a pressure wash simply gives you a clean version of the same fault. Because we build driveways and patios as well as clean them, we will say so plainly at the visit and price the repair or the relay instead. That is a better outcome for you than paying for a wash that looks good for a season. Questions ## Driveway Cleaning: Frequently Asked How much does driveway cleaning cost?It is priced after a site visit, based on the area, the surface type, how heavy the moss and staining are, and whether resanding or sealing is wanted. Shane looks at it and gives you a straight figure. How long does it take?Most domestic drives and patios are a single-day job. Very large areas, heavy moss or areas needing chemical treatment take longer, and you will be told at the visit. Will pressure washing damage my block paving?Not when it is done at the right pressure, nozzle and distance for the material. Damage happens when a machine is turned up to maximum and held too close, it strips the face off blocks and etches concrete, and it cannot be undone. Do you put the sand back in the joints?Yes. Cleaning removes jointing sand, so kiln-dried sand is brushed and compacted back into the joints as part of the job. Without that, the blocks lose their interlock and start to move. How often should a driveway be cleaned?It varies with shade, tree cover and drainage. A shaded, damp frontage greens up far faster than an open sunny one. Many Kent drives benefit from a clean every year or two, with sweeping and clearing leaf litter in between. Will black spots come off?Black spot lichen is bonded to the stone and usually will not come off with pressure alone. It needs chemical treatment and time. We will tell you before we start what is realistically achievable rather than promising a perfect finish. Do you seal afterwards?Sealing can be done where it suits the surface, but only once the paving is fully clean, fully dry and correctly resanded. Sealing over damp or dirt traps the problem underneath. Do you need my water and electricity?Access to an outside tap and power is helpful and usually the simplest arrangement. Mention it at the site visit and we will confirm what is needed for your property. What if the drive is damaged rather than dirty?We will tell you. If the blocks are rutting, the edge restraint has failed or water is ponding, the problem is the base and cleaning will not fix it. We build driveways too, so we can price the repair instead. Which areas do you clean in?Across Kent, including Maidstone, Medway, Canterbury, Ashford, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Dartford and Gravesend. ## Related Services - DrivewaysNew driveways dug out, sub-based and laid properly, with drainage and edging finished to last. - Roof CleaningCareful removal of moss and build-up from tiles, with gutters and surroundings left clear. - PatiosPatios laid on a correctly prepared base, set to fall so water runs away from the house.See all services ## Where We Cover Driveway Cleaning across Kent. If your town isn't listed it's still worth a call, travel depends on the job as much as the postcode. - Maidstone - Ashford - Canterbury - Tunbridge Wells - Sevenoaks - Sittingbourne - Faversham - Medway (Chatham, Rochester, Gillingham) - Dartford - GravesendMore about our Kent coverage ## Get Your Drive Or Patio Cleaned Properly Tell us the surface and rough size, or call Shane directly. Site visit, straight price, and a start date once a 10% deposit secures the booking. Request an Estimate07951 294145 7am to 5pm, seven days a week when needed. 10% deposit secures your booking; the balance is settled on completion. Groundworks, driveways and hard landscaping across Kent. Founder-led by Shane Brooker, with 25 years in the trade. ### Services - Driveways in Kent - Patios in Kent - Concrete Bases in Kent - Fencing in Kent - Decking in Kent - Driveway Cleaning in Kent - Roof Cleaning in Kent - Underpinning in Kent - Tree Work in Kent ### Areas Covered - Groundworks in Maidstone - Groundworks in Ashford - Groundworks in Canterbury - Groundworks in Tunbridge Wells - Groundworks in Sevenoaks - Groundworks in Sittingbourne - Groundworks in Faversham - Groundworks in Medway - Groundworks in Dartford - Groundworks in Gravesend ### Get In Touch - 07951 294145 - info@smb-groundworks.co.uk - 7am to 5pm, seven days a week when needed - Kent, United KingdomRequest an Estimate - About SMB Groundworks and Servicing - Driveway & Patio Photos © 2026 SMB Groundworks and Servicing. All rights reserved.Privacy PolicyTerms & Conditions Call NowGet an Estimate