Weeds On Sealed Block Paving?

[Neilmnwc]

Hi All,

I’ve got a question, and a problem that I’m hoping to solve/remedy.

last October I cleaned a customers block paving, around 300m2 of it.

there are now weeds growing in the cracks which are easy enough to get rid of or kill off, but the customer isn’t happy they’re there after less than a year.

therein lies the problem.

my method of Cleaning and treating was as follows:

Blackwash Applied to kill off mould, lichen, algae.

Pressure wash & manual removal where necessary between the joints of any moss/weed growth. 

At this stage there was little of any jointing substrate left.

re sand using kiln dried sand,

followed by Resiblock Superior sealer applied by roller.

on completion all surfaces in good order as you’d expect.

the place has got a lot of vegetation surrounding it which can’t help, I’ve explained that the sealer manufacturer offers no guarantee regarding longevity before weeds appear & that weed seeds generally blow onto and take root rather than come up from underneath.

in an case I would have expected longer before weeds appear and have offered to kill off the weeds. F.O.C.

My questions are:

Is there anything I could have reasonably done  to prevent this happening that I haven’t already?

Is it merely unfortunate and due to the environmental conditions surrounding the premises that cause growth to occur from seeds blowing onto it?

The rest of the surface is still in good order with no growth of any kind.

Cheers, this has caused me some concern & id like to make right with them.

 

[CleanerWindows]

Neil after cleaning sanding and sealing I advise customers that they should on a regular basis (at least 4 times a year) they should maintain there drive by brushing soapy water around and rinse off to stop any contamination from making it's way into the sealed gaps.
This genuinely will work and also covers you if they are lazy gits can't be bothered.
When advising I do warn them that failing to maintain will shorten the lifespan of the work carried out.

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Also is there areas were the sand has dropped as this could be down to poor application of the sand/sealent

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[Neilmnwc]

Cheers.

Once I’d finished I sent an email explaining that nothing can guarantee weed or maintenance free, but that it should be considerably reduced maintenance. 

Since cleaning nothing has has been done by the customer as they’re under the impression they should get more weed free time.

I’d sanded and brushed quite a bit into the joints, certainly enough to avoid it fouling the surface on sealing. I can still see the fresh looking sand under the sealer.

its just that albeit small weeds have taken root in it.

My train of thought to remedy is this.

kill off surface weeds, remove and sand if necessary, then use what little sealant the customer had left to re seal.

I can’t think of another way to stop it going messy. They’re not lazy, they just expected more (or less in terms of maintenance) for their money.

All the time while doing it I had to keep re iterating it’ll only reduce maintenance not eradicate all weed growth for years.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

One thing I think you have left out Neil. After you pressure wash it and it dries off a bit, then apply a biocide ( I use biocide-max ) so it will seep in and kill off any remaining spores. Then re-sand with kilndried and finally seal. I'm not sure that this sealing business is worth the hassle nor money and will not be doing it unless the custy especially asks for it. The block paving may just be laid on thin layer of sand and the weeds will soon be back again. After I do a driveway or patio, I will telling the custy to use weedkiller each year to prevent them coming back again. :1f609:

 

[Neilmnwc]

I’d used Blackwash beforehand which did kill off lichen, mould and algae, but it isn’t a herbicide so wouldn’t have much of a lasting effect on weeds.

im sure there’s a fail safe way, just that I either didn’t find it or used it on the wrong driveway for the circumstances.

 

[THL4KEL]

Offer a monthly maintenance plan. Sweep or leaf blower it and wash with soapy water service. 

 

[Pjj]

You cannot be held responsible for what has happened in the last 7 months yes it’s regretable but if you cleaned there windows would they expect them to look the same 7 months later of course not it is like a garden it needs regular maintenance I would recomend a good weed killer 3 or 4 times a year 

 

[CleanerWindows]

Neil it seems your doing all you can to rectify this dilemma for the customer which shows good after sales service. But.. don't go down the road of "I'll do it all again for free" . Like previously said maintaining the area worked on is a must. I had a customer comment on how they had a few blades of grass coming through there driveway the following year. I reminded them about brushing soapy water periodically. We don't have a hose they said. I nearly fell over with laughter. Really!! I said.. so if you were to book a holiday but didn't have a suitcase would you pay for the holiday but just not go?.. a look of confusion was given.. well you could book a holiday for what it cost to have a drive as big as yours done.. then the penny dropped...
Next time I was there to do the windows the few blades of grass were gone and a nice new hose and cradle was mounted on the wall.
Drive still looks great to this day

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[scottish cleaning service]

I'm beginning to realise that customers expect things to stay clean after we do it. We need to inform them that regular maintenance is always required. I will be adding this to my vocabulary from now on.

 

[CleanerWindows]

Dear customer.
We have taken great pride in restoring your driveway/patio where it is now free from any organic material i.e. moss,weeds,algae.
Now your driveway/patio has been cleaned,re-sanded and sealed it still needs maintaining to minimize organic infestation (like it does is you just have it pressure washed).
Every 6 weeks brush soapy water around cleaned area and rinse off.
You can still use weed killer as an extra preventive measure.

CleanerWindows.


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[Neilmnwc]

Cheers for the replies. I’m going to kill off the surface weeds as agreed with them to make good and keep them on side. After which I’ll advise (again) about the need for regular treatment with soapy water and/or herbicide.

I'm. It going to go down the route of doing it again as it’ll leave me massively out of pocket and won’t achieve anything (IMO) other than how it was left originally.

they’ve had great expectations and didn’t really want to hear that they have to maintain it, albeit to a lesser degree.

if weeds can get through concrete and tarmac, then a thin seal surely doesn’t stand a chance?

its made me a bit reticent to do a full seal again though. I know others on here make a good living on it, maybe I've  just been unlucky.

 

[CleanerWindows]

Don't be disheartened pal. And regarding thin seal. if done correctly the sand should be rock hard to touch and unable to press a key into all the way to the bottom.

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[CleanerWindows]

Ffs I must be getting complacent.
At no point have I blah blah'ed on about PPE.
On that note, if you haven't got your PPE for yourself and others around you then your asking for it.[emoji85][emoji86][emoji87].
That's my rant done.

CleanerWindows.

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[CleanerWindows]

One thing I think you have left out Neil. After you pressure wash it and it dries off a bit, then apply a biocide ( I use biocide-max ) so it will seep in and kill off any remaining spores. Then re-sand with kilndried and finally seal. I'm not sure that this sealing business is worth the hassle nor money and will not be doing it unless the custy especially asks for it. The block paving may just be laid on thin layer of sand and the weeds will soon be back again. After I do a driveway or patio, I will telling the custy to use weedkiller each year to prevent them coming back again. :1f609:

Your bang on regarding a bio whilst drying but regarding hassle and worth sealing! I demand they have a seal and they pay per 20l tin that I bring with me. Each tin makes me £30.
With 2 coats your average semi front and side takes 4/5 tins.
That's an extra £150 and Your customer is in control of the amount of sealent they want to buy.
More sealent. Easier to maintain.

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[Neilmnwc]

Don't be disheartened pal. And regarding thin seal. if done correctly the sand should be rock hard to touch and unable to press a key into all the way to the bottom.

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I’m sure I can find a positive somewhere to come out of it all...

the chap said it’s nothing personal but when it’s just you and you’re no fly by night it’s unavoidable.

ill see how it goes killing off what’s there then re iterate the maintenance and go from there.

Ta for the support and suggestions.

 

[THL4KEL]

Your bang on regarding a bio whilst drying but regarding hassle and worth sealing! I demand they have a seal and they pay per 20l tin that I bring with me. Each tin makes me £30.
With 2 coats your average semi front and side takes 4/5 tins.
That's an extra £150 and Your customer is in control of the amount of sealent they want to buy.
More sealent. Easier to maintain.

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Which sealant are you using?

 

[Incheck]

Im not big on weedkillers as once the rains been its completely ineffective. Decent biocides mainly but its a lot of mucking about compared to a good old two stroke engine. Tell them to invest in a petrol strimmer i would mate. Lot of driveways weed problems solved in ten minutes once a fortnight. I dont seal myself its a big expense and dread to think how difficult it makes life on the next jet wash if there is still sealant present.



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[CleanerWindows]

Im not big on weedkillers as once the rains been its completely ineffective. Decent biocides mainly but its a lot of mucking about compared to a good old two stroke engine. Tell them to invest in a petrol strimmer i would mate. Lot of driveways weed problems solved in ten minutes once a fortnight. I dont seal myself its a big expense and dread to think how difficult it makes life on the next jet wash if there is still sealant present.



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If you use a fsc on a low pressure setting whilst cleaning a driveway thats sealed shouldn't be a problem.
I have customers that ask me to do it the following spring after being sealed

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