Surface-Cleaner Discipline · Pre-Treatment · Tannin & Rust Post-Treatment
Driveways & Concrete, Done The First Time.
The Gold Standard, Every Time.
Concrete drives, garage aprons, sidewalks, pool deck flatwork, walkways. Pre-treatment soak, surface-cleaner pass, post-treatment for organic stains and irrigation rust. Even passes, no zebra striping, no streaks.
Why Most Driveways End Up Striped
A wand alone leaves stripes. A surface cleaner doesn't.
Walk most Northeast Florida neighborhoods and you'll see the same flaw on freshly-washed driveways: parallel light-and-dark bands running the length of the slab. That pattern — what the industry calls "zebra striping" — happens when an operator works a single-tip pressure wand over concrete by hand. The pressure varies with hand speed and tip distance, and the result is uneven cleaning that telegraphs every wand pass. The fix is a surface cleaner: a 16–20" rotating-bar tool that holds two opposing nozzles at fixed pressure and fixed distance, sweeping the slab in even passes. Surface cleaners are what professional pressure-washers use. They're not optional — they're the difference between a driveway that looks done and one that looks half-done.
FCPE Flatwork Method
- Surface-cleaner sweep at 2,500–3,500 PSI
- Pre-treatment soak with surfactant for organic load
- Even, overlapping passes — no streak risk
- Post-treatment for tannin (oak/magnolia) and irrigation rust
- Edges hand-detailed with adjustable wand
- Final fresh-water rinse to remove all chemistry residue
Cheap Wand-Only Driveway Wash
- Single-tip wand worked by hand — uneven pressure
- Visible "zebra stripes" parallel to wand strokes
- No pre-treatment — chemistry can't lift mildew
- Tannin and rust still visible after wash
- Edges left dark, center over-pressured
- Post-rinse skipped — chemistry residue dries on slab
The Process
Six steps from arrival to handoff.
Pre-Inspection
Walk the driveway, identify oil drips, irrigation rust streaks, magnolia tannin, mildew zones. Note any cracks or spalling so we don't get blamed for pre-existing damage.
Pre-Treat & Dwell
Apply hypochlorite + surfactant at appropriate concentration for organic load. Let it dwell 5–10 minutes — chemistry kills the bloom before pressure does the lift.
Surface-Cleaner Pass
16–20" surface cleaner sweeps the slab in even, overlapping passes at 2,500–3,500 PSI. Same speed across the entire driveway — no streak risk.
Edge Detail
Wand-work the perimeter edge, garage door track, control joints, and any tight spots the surface cleaner can't reach. Hand-controlled pressure for clean edge lines.
Post-Treatment
Oxalic-based pass for tannin (oak/magnolia stains), separate iron-out treatment for irrigation rust streaks. Spot-treat oil drops with a degreaser before final rinse.
Final Rinse & Walkthrough
Whole slab rinsed to neutral. Adjacent landscaping rinsed of any drift. Walkthrough with the homeowner — anything we missed gets a second pass before we leave.
What We Treat
All flatwork on a residential property.
Driveway & Garage Apron
The main project — surface-cleaner pass with full chemistry protocol. Most NE Florida driveways are 600–1,500 sqft.
Walkways & Sidewalks
Front walks, side gates, stepping-stone paths. Same protocol, scaled to area. Often bundled with driveway visit at no upcharge.
Pool Deck (Concrete-Only)
Plain-concrete pool decks get standard flatwork treatment. Decorative finishes — paver, travertine, stamped — see pool deck cleaning.
Patio & Lanai
Concrete patios, screened or open. Hand-detail under furniture and around drains. Furniture moved and replaced as part of the visit.
Pool Coping
The hard edge between deck and pool. Needs detail attention because organic load lives in the joint. We hand-detail every coping seam.
Curb & Mailbox Pad
Front curb tannin and mailbox pad concrete are the first things visible from the street. Often included free with driveway service.
Sealing After Cleaning
A clean driveway is a starting point. A sealed driveway stays clean.
After a deep flatwork clean, plain concrete benefits from a penetrating silane/siloxane sealer ($1.75/sqft) — invisible finish, blocks staining, dramatically slows mildew return. Decorative stamped concrete benefits from a wet-look acrylic ($3.00/sqft). Pavers and natural stone have their own sealing playbook — see Sanding & Sealing. We sequence cleaning visits 5–10 days before sealing to allow full dry-down.
Common Questions
What homeowners ask before booking driveway cleaning.
How much does it cost?
Driveway cleaning starts at $125 a-la-carte (for drives under 400 sqft) and scales to $375 for larger flatwork (2,000–3,000 sqft). Most Northeast Florida driveways land in the $175–$300 range. Annual-plan clients pay roughly 15% less. Custom pricing over 3,000 sqft.
How often should I clean my driveway?
Once a year for most NE Florida homes. Heavily-shaded drives under oak canopy benefit from twice-yearly. The annual exterior plan handles the cadence — usually paired with a March house wash and an October pre-holiday refresh.
Can you remove oil stains?
Most. We pre-treat oil with a degreaser, surface-clean the area twice, and post-treat with hot water if needed. Old oil that has soaked deep into the concrete may not lift completely — we'll set expectations on the walkthrough before we start. Sealing afterward prevents new oil drips from soaking in.
What about rust streaks from my sprinklers?
Iron from well-water irrigation leaves orange streaks that pressure alone won't lift. We post-treat with an iron-out chemistry that converts the rust to a soluble form and rinses clean. The longer-term fix is a softener on the irrigation line — but that's a plumber call.
Will it damage my pavers?
Concrete drives, yes — surface cleaner is fine. Paver drives, no — we use a softer pressure protocol and chemistry-led approach. See paver cleaning and paver sanding & sealing.
Ready When You Are
No stripes. No streaks. No second wash needed.
The Gold Standard, Every Time.
