Pressure washing blasts grime from tough, flat materials like poured concrete, brick and stone with a strong jet of water. Rob, who works from Woodstock without subcontractors, pressure washes driveways, walks and patios in Lakewood, IL, where winter salt and lake-area algae build up quickly. Pressure washing starts from $75. Text a photo to (815) 451-0106 and the quote is free.
Concrete looks permanent, but it behaves more like a hard sponge. Water soaks into the surface, freezes, thaws, and carries dirt, salt and spores with it. In Lakewood that cycle runs most of the year, helped along by lake humidity and shade from tall trees. By spring a gray slab can be streaked black, slick green, or crusted white.
Pressure washing is the right tool for that job, provided it is applied to the right surface. Rob uses it on concrete, certain pavers, steps and block, and chooses gentler methods for wood, siding and old mortar. Here is how it applies to Lakewood properties, from lakeside walks to long driveways, plus the surfaces Rob leaves alone and the stains that need more than water.
Slick, green and dangerous: lakeside walks and steps
Concrete near water stays damp, and damp concrete grows algae. The film is slippery, which matters on steps down to a dock, a path to a beach or the stairs from a walkout basement. A pressure wash removes the growth and restores traction.
It is worth saying that the slip risk is real. Anyone with older relatives or children running to the water should treat green steps as a safety job, not only a cosmetic one. A slick landing at the bottom of a walkout can send someone down faster than a stain ever bothered them.
What a Lakewood winter leaves on a driveway
Road salt tracks onto driveways and garage aprons all winter. The white crust that remains in spring is dried salt and sometimes efflorescence, which is mineral deposit pulled up from within the concrete. Salt can also speed up spalling, the flaking of the surface.
Pressure washing clears the residue and shows you the true condition of the slab. If the surface is already scaling or cracked, Rob will say so. The concrete salt, rust and efflorescence guide covers the reasons for each stain.
Surfaces that should not get a hard blast
Wood decks, vinyl siding, window seals, old brick mortar and soft stone can all be damaged by high pressure. A narrow stream can gouge wood, loosen mortar and force water behind trim. For these surfaces, Rob switches to a low-pressure approach. A concrete walk that stays shaded all morning needs cleaning more often than the same slab in full sun, and he adjusts his advice to match.
That is where soft washing and deck wash & staining come in, and why a single property can need two different methods in one afternoon. The point is not to use the strongest method, but the one that cleans the surface without taking part of it away.
- Wood decks and railings
- Vinyl and painted siding
- Window glass and seals
- Aged mortar joints
- Painted garage doors
Rust, oil and other stains water alone will not lift
Orange rust spots on concrete come from metal furniture, fertilizer or iron-rich water. Oil from a parked car soaks deep. Pressure alone often fades them but does not erase them, and sometimes a pre-treatment is needed.
Rob explains what is likely to improve and what will probably remain a faint shadow. A lot depends on how long the stain has been sitting. Sending a close-up photo helps with a realistic answer, and a wide shot shows him how water moves across the slab. Lakewood driveways that tilt toward the garage tend to hold stains at the low end.
Sealing, or leaving it alone
A sealer can slow salt and water absorption, but it is not mandatory and not right for every slab. On new concrete, many contractors recommend waiting before sealing. On older, damaged slabs, sealing will not hide cracks.
If you are curious, raise it during the quote. Reapplication every few years is part of the deal. Rob can tell you whether a clean-only approach or cleaning plus sealing makes more sense for your driveway, and for patios there is a dedicated page about driveway & patio cleaning.
Pressure Washing through the year in Lakewood
Early spring
Rinse off winter salt before it works deeper into the slab. Check cracks and low spots that held meltwater.
Late spring
Best time for a full wash of driveways, walks and steps before summer lake traffic.
Late summer
Algae on shaded concrete and slick steps are at their worst. A mid-season wash helps.
Late fall
Clear leaves and stains before salt season begins, so winter does not lock them in.
Getting a quote
Hard surfaces are the part of a Lakewood property that takes the most abuse and gets the least attention. If your driveway, steps or lakeside walks have gone gray, green or crusty with salt, text Rob a photo at (815) 451-0106. He will tell you what a pressure wash can fix, what it cannot, and give you a free quote based on what he sees.