Q. Will the weeds come back
A. YES, THEY WILL. Just like grass grows, there is nothing to stop weeds getting a hold again on your surface. On cleaning day we’ll get rid of everything you can see, but there may still be roots below the surface, so it’s a case of taking care of regrowth on an ongoing basis. Little and often is the answer. These drives are low maintenance, but not N0 maintenance.

Q. Will applying weed killer in advance help keep them at bay.
A. Yes it will - but only for a limited period - you’ll need to do it regularly. All methods of weedkilling are only temporary.

Q. You said you might be using some bleach as part of the process – isn’t that a weed killer and what are the implications of using bleach generally?
A. It can kill vegetation, but no, bleach isn’t specifically a weed killer. Bleach kills organic growth, so is effective at getting rid of algae, blackspot, and general organic staining. It can’t remove oil, rust, graffiti etc. (there are other chemicals for that). It may damage lawns, plants, and other surfaces it meets, so we must be careful using it. We’ll only use it after we’ve washed with water first. And we’ll tell you when we’re about to start using it, so that you can keep pets, children, and yourselves off the surface. There will be a strong smell for a day or so, but bleach is effectively dead after 45 minutes or so, so it works straight away and then we rinse it off. And of course, we won’t use it if you specifically tell us not too, or any other chemicals either, but that might mean the job isn’t completed to the standard that we both want.

Q. If I have the surface sealed will that help prevent weed growth?
A. Yes it will. Sealant sets the sand which significantly reduces the likelihood of weeds establishing themselves. It’s one of the main advantages of sealing. But there are sealants and sealants. Good ones are expensive. Cheap ones are cheap for a reason. So, you get what you pay for. We will be happy to share with you the names of sealants we are happy to use and those that we’re not.

Q. After you’ve given us the price will it change?
A. Our quotations are fixed for 30 days. It will only change if when we’re here you ask us to clean something else that we haven’t quoted for. The price is all inclusive of materials and time.

Q. Do you require any payment in advance?
A. In most cases, No. You pay when the job is finished and the sand is in. If we must make a significant investment in materials beforehand, like sealant for example, we may ask you to cover the cost of that in advance.

Q. We’ve had our driveway sanded before and much of it blew away. Will it do that when you do it?
A. Yes some will. It’s only sand. On the day we’ll be as tidy as possible with the sand and leave your drive-in great shape, but some loss is inevitable due to wind and rain, especially if you’re on a slope. Sand isn’t there for decorative purposes, it’s a structural thing, to keep the pavers apart, so even if you lose some, if there is enough to fulfill that function, it’ll still be doing its job.

Q. You’ve told us there will be a lot of mess as part of the cleaning process. What will happen to that mess?
A. All the mucky water will go down the drains - that’s why we’re asking about drainage as part of the quotation. We’ll stop all the solid mess, old sand, and weeds, going down the drains so that we don’t block them. We’d like to find somewhere on your property to leave this waste – in a border for example – but if that isn’t possible, we’ll take it away.

Q. Will you clean up all the walls and other surfaces when you’re finished
A. Yes, we will. There will be ‘splatter’ as we’re cleaning, but the last part of the process will be making sure all of this is cleaned up and everything looks as it should.

Q. We’re on a water meter here. How much will the water cost in addition to your price.
A. Very little. Water in our area costs £1.70 per 1000 litres. We’ll be using about 2000 litres of water to clean your drive, so that’s less than £5.

Q. How effectively will you be able to remove the oil stains from the drive.
A. We’ll do our best. We use an effective oil remover called xxx but it’s important to point out that you’ll probably still be able to see a shadow of the oil, especially if it’s been there for some time and has soaked right into the surface. The time to get rid of oil as best you can, is straight away, as soon as its spilled.

Q. If we cancel will we still be charged?
A. We hope you don’t cancel and no we won’t charge you if you do, (unless we have bought materials specifically for your job, like sealant for example, which we will charge you for). All we ask is that you give us as much notice as possible, so that we have a chance to replace your work.

Q. How and when do we pay you
A. We would like to be paid when the job is finished. Unless you’re a commercial client with an account, or we have made a different arrangement (which is unlikely) there are no exceptions to this.

Q What if we’re not happy with some aspect of what you’ve done
A. While we’re doing the quotation, we hope to have spotted any issues which may prove difficult and to have discussed them, like oil for example – so that by the time we’re finished you should receive the quality of job you were expecting. If that isn’t the case, we’ll try very hard to answer your concerns – but we’re confident you’ll be happy with what we’ve achieved for you.

Q. You’ve told us the job will take x days. Will it cost more if it takes longer – and will it be cheaper of you do it quicker.
A. No. The price is ‘for the job’ regardless of how long it takes and we’re confident our time estimate is accurate based on the size of the job and your water supply, but really our time estimation is just to give you an indication of how long we might be here.

Q. The pointing on our patio is weak. Will it come out when you’re cleaning?
A. The loose pointing will probably come out – and we’re not a pointing company – so you may like to call xxx who will be happy to give you a quotation once we’re gone, or if you’re confident look at these products and do it yourself. Either way it should really be done to help preserve the integrity of your patio.

Q. How long will the surface stay clean once you’ve done it?
A That’s a difficult question to answer as there are any number of factors that can dirty a surface sooner than you might like – but as a rule of thumb we clean drives for regular customers every other year.

Q. What happens if you cause any damage when you’re here
A. We’re only cleaning, so this is unlikely but if we do make any mistakes or cause any damage which is our fault then we’ll discuss with you the best way of rectifying them. We have public liability insurance and can provide proof of this if required.

Q. Do we need to be in when you’re working?
A. No you don’t. We don’t need electricity, or to go into your house, so if we have access to all the areas to be cleaned and your tap, please don’t wait in on our account.

Q. What do we have to do before you arrive?
A. (If necessary) tell your neighbours and if they are close by, ask them to move their cars on cleaning day. There may be some overspray and of course the process can be noisy, so it’s always polite to tell people. Please move all your pots and garden furniture as far away as possible. (We can do this for you, but that will add time and cost) and arrange to keep your pets/children away from the site for the duration of the clean.

Q. What will we need to do once you’re finished?
A. if your surface is going to be sanded, please don’t put the pots and furniture back yet. They’ll go back when the sanding is done. You can park on the drive between cleaning and sanding.

Q. What if it’s raining on cleaning day. When will the sanding get done?
A. We’ll be back as soon as we can to complete the job. Sanding must be done when the surface is dry, so we’ll need to wait for the first suitable day when we’re free to come back. You can use the drive in the meantime though and we never ask for any payments after cleaning, but before sanding.

Q. What time will you start work?
A. We’ll be with you at an agreed time and by the time we’ve filled our tank with water and prepared, the action will begin at around 30 mins later. 

Q. Are there any circumstance – poor weather for example – where you won’t be able to work?
A. We won’t work when its frosty or icy as this can be dangerous (creating black ice for example) as well as being unpleasant and chemicals can be significantly less effective in cold weather. And of course, you can’t seal or sand in poor weather. Other than that we’re out in all weathers. We get wet and dirty in any case, so rain makes no difference. The opposite side of that is that it can be too hot to seal on some occasions, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Q. Your price is far more than we paid (someone else) last time. Can you reduce it?
A. Our prices are very competitive and are based on our experience, the results we expect to achieve and the costs we anticipate incurring to do an exceptional job for you.

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