If you live in the Greater Philadelphia area it is difficult to walk five minutes in any direction and not see concrete. Builders can use concrete for almost any structure including parking garages, sidewalks, basement foundations, patios, and warehouses. If Thomas Edison had it his way all of our homes would have been constructed entirely of cement. I bet you didn’t know that he filed for a patent in 1908 to construct entire residential homes with one pour of cement. Unfortunately for Edison and his cement plant in Stewartsville, New Jersey, his plans never caught on.

Concrete Cleaning Tips

If you are planning to clean concrete on your own you should be wary of a few things. First, when using a pressure washer on concrete the water being used exits with such a force that you can create flakes, chips, popouts and even concrete spalls. It is not as simple as putting the setting on full blast an inch away from the surface and going at it. With concrete the majority of the work is done by the cleaning agents and hot water you use.

In some cases, depending on the quality of concrete, the type of pour, and the finish, you may use a lot of pressure, medium pressure or relatively low pressure. You also have to keep in mind the age of the concrete, if it is solid or porous, and if there are specific stains or gum in the area.

Cold Water or Hot Water?

Nearly all residential pressure washers are of the cold variety. They are cheaper, lighter and easier to use than hot water units. While cold water units are suitable for removing dirt and debris on a small scale hot water units clean faster and more efficiently and generally work better with the cleaning agents used. Benefits are abundantly more clear on concrete areas when dealing with cleaning oil and grease and gum removal.

Wheel-mounted Flatwork Machine

While you do not necessarily need a wheel-mounted flat work machine like you can see in the photo to the right we highly recommend using one if available. In addition to getting larger areas completed in just a fraction of the time, wheel-mounted flatwork machines guarantee that the entire area is cleaned by a nozzle from the same distance. When using a powerwashing gun you walk and sway the nozzle a couple feet at a time. When doing so your nozzle may be 6 inches from the concrete to your right or left and 4 inches from the concrete at your feet. A wheel mounted machine has multiple nozzles that are set in place a few inches above the surface so you will have the same finish throughout.

I often compare cleaning an area of concrete to mowing grass. Sure, you can use a weedwacker to clean any size grass area but even the most skilled person will have some areas of grass higher than others. A lawn mower is quicker and guarantees all the grass will be the same length. J&J Power Wash offers commercial concrete pressure washing services. No matter how dirty your concrete is we can help. To set up a free estimate call us at 215-703-8306 or fill out our online form. Click on the images below to enlarge them or visit our portfolio page for additional before and after pictures.

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Before & After Picures