Tarmac is a fantastic driveway surface but it is also the most commonly damaged one in our experience. Many homeowners assume tarmac can take the same jet wash treatment as block paving. It cannot. Done with the wrong nozzle and the wrong pressure, a powerful cleaner will pit the surface, expose the aggregate and leave the drive looking worse than when you started.
The soft wash approach
For tarmac driveway cleaning in Leicester, we use what is known as a soft-wash approach. Instead of focusing pressure into a tight stream, we apply a low-pressure biocide treatment that breaks down algae, moss and surface mould chemically. We then rinse the surface with a wider, gentler nozzle that lifts the loosened contamination away without attacking the bitumen binding the aggregate together.
What a clean tarmac drive should look like
A properly cleaned tarmac drive should look uniform, slightly darker than before, and most importantly should not have any pale patches where the binder has been stripped. If you see a tarmac drive that looks like a chequerboard of dark and light areas after cleaning, that is a sure sign the wrong technique was used.
How often to clean a tarmac drive
For most homes in Leicester, a soft wash and biocide treatment every two to three years is plenty. Drives that sit in heavy shade, particularly under trees, may benefit from a yearly treatment to keep moss at bay. The biocide does most of the long-term work — it kills the spores that would otherwise re-establish within months.
Booking a tarmac drive clean
Tarmac drives across Leicester, Hinckley and Loughborough are very common, and we are familiar with all the typical issues. Call 07732 187000 for a free quote and an honest opinion on whether your drive needs cleaning, sealing, patching, or simply leaving alone for another year.