Parking Lot
Maintenance & Cleaning
Annual Cleaning
Oil, grease and other petroleum-based substances can damage the surface of concrete. While grime will not cause serious structural damage, these stains can worsen over time and become permanent. Cleaning your parking lot annually will ensure that your concrete looks beautiful, even as it ages. Clean concrete will last longer and create a better impression on your potential customers.
Annual Joint Sealing
Concrete expansion joints prevent the material from cracking as easily as asphalt. These joints allow the concrete to contract and expand with changing temperatures and stresses. Because of this, the concrete cracks in a controlled way without breaking down. These joints help eliminate the need for more serious maintenance. That said, the joints themselves must be regularly maintained. Left unsealed, water and dirt could penetrate the joints and damage the base of the concrete. To properly maintain your concrete parking lot, seal the expansion joints annually.
Repairing Cracks
As noted above, expansion joints prevent concrete surfaces from frequently severely cracking. However, over the years some cracking will occur. These cracks can allow water to penetrate the base of the concrete, causing serious damage; the cracks must be filled and sealed to avoid this damage. To preserve your concrete, perform this maintenance as needed — if and when the cracks occur.
Cleaning
4 Easy Steps To Clean Concrete
- Preparation. Before you begin cleaning the concrete, it is always beneficial to prepare for the task at hand. At this time you would want to make sure the desired area is clear of any obstacles including vehicles or other mechanical equipment, all electrical wires or outlets are covered as well as any plants or trees that may be in the direct area. If you will be working in a high traffic area, you may wish to block off the entrances or divert traffic to another location. By preparing well, not only will you save time in the long run, but you will ensure the process produces the best results possible.
- Apply The Detergent. Both detergents mentioned above can be applied directly to the concrete. The easiest and most effective way this can be done is by using a pressure washer at the lowest setting. Apply the detergent liberally to the affected area.
- Allow Detergent To Set. As mentioned earlier concrete is porous, so in order to clean and remove the oil or grease, you need to allow the detergent to set or dwell on the concrete. Best results come from allowing the soap to dwell for 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse. After you have allowed the detergent to set and soak into the pores of the concrete, it’s time to rinse. Set your pressure washer on high. First, test rinse a small area to see if the concrete comes clean, if not it may need a bit more time to dwell. For heavily affected spots, pass over the area several times until you see your desired result.
Tips To Keep In Mind When Cleaning Concrete With A Pressure Washer Handle With Care
Handle With Care
Always wear protective clothing and eyewear when operating a pressure washer. Before you begin, sweep the area and remove any small objects. Loose debris can become airborne under the pressure of a power washer. Never point the pressure washer towards yourself or anyone else as the pressurized water can cause bodily harm.
Working With High Pressure
It’s important to be cautious when working with high pressure. This is especially true when it comes time to rinsing parking lots because often times they have designated painted-on parking spaces. Paint of any sort can easily be removed by high pressure. Unless your intent is to remove the painted lines, it would wise to cover them beforehand or use extra care when rinsing around them.
Proper Nozzle Distance
Proper Nozzle Distance is also important to keep in mind when using a cleaning concrete. The distance is based on how powerful the pressure washer is. For example, with a pressure washer running at less than 2,000 PSI the nozzle shouldn’t be more than a foot away from the surface. For a pressure washer running between 2,000-3,000 PSI one to two feet is recommended, while running more than 3,000 PSI should be at least two feet from the area. Be aware that power washing is a science. If done incorrectly, it can damage the concrete, leave ugly lines, and even take the top layer off which can expose the aggregate causing the concrete to look ugly and be prone to future water damage. If power washing is needed, then always get a professional who can warranty the work and insurance. If there are any damages, then their insurance should pay for the cost to replacing. Always inspect the work after it’s complete, before issuing final payment.
Flat wheel mounted pressure washer
If you are planning on cleaning a large area, such as a parking lot, garage, or warehouse floor you may want to consider using a flat wheel mounted pressure washer. The task of using a pressure washing wand to this large of an area can be very time consuming. A wheel mounted pressure washer, which is very similar to pushing a lawn mower, is very effective and can save you much time.
cleaning
Repair
repairing
sidewalk
Maintenance & Cleaning
A few proven ways to maintain a concrete sidewalk have been mentioned below
- Concrete is one of the most low maintenance product available in the market. However, it is important to remove dirt and grime build up on the sidewalk on regular basis to increase the life of sidewalk.
- Wear and tear occurs naturally or with a lot of stress that the sidewalk undergoes on day-to-day basis. We should definitely pay attention to repairing the small cracks that occur on the sidewalks. If not taken care of at an early stage, these small tears can turn into larger cracks and fissures.
- The constant wear and tear can also lead to water intrusions. This can make the surface of a sidewalk weak over a period of time. Hence, it is imperative to take care of any known water intrusions that might have occurred in the sidewalk.
Sweep Walkways Weekly
Use a densely bristled long-handled broom to sweep your concrete walkways weekly. This is especially important in the autumn, when fallen leaves left on the walkway will stain it with leaf mold after a rainfall. Brush off sidewalk chalk promptly. Frequent sweeping will also keep ants and other insects from making your concrete walkway their travel route.
Wash Concrete Walkways Twice a Year
Wash off salt, sand and other deicer residue from winter from your concrete walkway in the spring. Use an environmentally friendly cleaner to avoid harming your lawn and garden. Dampen the walkway with water, apply the cleaner with a stiff bristle brush and scrub any stains that have formed. Rinse with a power washer to get all the soapy residue and dirt off. Once the majority of leaves have dropped in the fall, wash your concrete walkways again with a cleaner that removes mold and mildew. After a thorough cleaning, apply a penetrating sealer to your concrete walkways to retain their fresh appearance longer.
Preventive Care for Your Walkways
Don’t allow hedges, flowering shrubs and trees to grow over your concrete walkway. Trim back to create a clear grass border of 4 inches on both sides of your walkway. You can keep this grass trimmed with an edge trimmer. Prune trees to allow as much sunlight as possible on your walkway. This will slow the growth of thick green moss between the concrete slabs. Roll a narrow-bladed edger once a year between all the slabs to dig up moss and weeds. Fill the divides with special sand made for paving stone installations, to discourage plant growth. Repair cracked concrete immediately with an epoxy repair kit, available at building supply centers. Replace a concrete slab that has cracked through. Take care to level the ground effectively below it with coarse gravel and sand before putting down the new slab.
Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t use a power washer near crumbled or cracked concrete slabs. The pressure will cause them to break down faster. Keep the pressure washer nozzle 12 to 20 inches above any concrete surface. Allow repaired concrete to dry for 24 hours and cure for 2 days before walking or putting furniture on it.
Cleaning
4 Easy Steps To Clean Concrete
- Preparation. Before you begin cleaning the concrete, it is always beneficial to prepare for the task at hand. At this time you would want to make sure the desired area is clear of any obstacles including vehicles or other mechanical equipment, all electrical wires or outlets are covered as well as any plants or trees that may be in the direct area. If you will be working in a high traffic area, you may wish to block off the entrances or divert traffic to another location. By preparing well, not only will you save time in the long run, but you will ensure the process produces the best results possible.
- Apply The Detergent. Both detergents mentioned above can be applied directly to the concrete. The easiest and most effective way this can be done is by using a pressure washer at the lowest setting. Apply the detergent liberally to the affected area.
- Allow Detergent To Set. As mentioned earlier concrete is porous, so in order to clean and remove the oil or grease, you need to allow the detergent to set or dwell on the concrete. Best results come from allowing the soap to dwell for 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse. After you have allowed the detergent to set and soak into the pores of the concrete, it’s time to rinse. Set your pressure washer on high. First, test rinse a small area to see if the concrete comes clean, if not it may need a bit more time to dwell. For heavily affected spots, pass over the area several times until you see your desired result.
Tips To Keep In Mind When Cleaning Concrete With A Pressure Washer
Handle With Care
Always wear protective clothing and eyewear when operating a pressure washer. Before you begin, sweep the area and remove any small objects. Loose debris can become airborne under the pressure of a power washer. Never point the pressure washer towards yourself or anyone else as the pressurized water can cause bodily harm.
Working With High Pressure
It’s important to be cautious when working with high pressure. This is especially true when it comes time to rinsing parking lots because often times they have designated painted-on parking spaces. Paint of any sort can easily be removed by high pressure. Unless your intent is to remove the painted lines, it would wise to cover them beforehand or use extra care when rinsing around them.
Proper Nozzle Distance
Proper Nozzle Distance is also important to keep in mind when using a cleaning concrete. The distance is based on how powerful the pressure washer is. For example, with a pressure washer running at less than 2,000 PSI the nozzle shouldn’t be more than a foot away from the surface. For a pressure washer running between 2,000-3,000 PSI one to two feet is recommended, while running more than 3,000 PSI should be at least two feet from the area. Be aware that power washing is a science. If done incorrectly, it can damage the concrete, leave ugly lines, and even take the top layer off which can expose the aggregate causing the concrete to look ugly and be prone to future water damage. If power washing is needed, then always get a professional who can warranty the work and insurance. If there are any damages, then their insurance should pay for the cost of replacing. Always inspect the work after it’s complete, before issuing final payment.
Flat wheel mounted pressure washer
If you are planning on cleaning a large area, such as a parking lot, garage, or warehouse floor you may want to consider using a flat wheel mounted pressure washer. The task of using a pressure washing wand to this large of an area can be very time consuming. A wheel mounted pressure washer, which is very similar to pushing a lawn mower, is very effective and can save you much time.
cleaning