Weed growth complaint after pressure wash.....

Hi Guys, how would you respond to the email below, i have previously told them we provide a cleaning service and not a weed prevention service, and advise our clients to control their own weeds after the clean , ******** about the sand as they would grow around a brick ! dont mind sending one of my guys to spray some weed killer to keep the peace ?

Having spoken to my husband and our neighbour Robert, who you were in contact with too (both copied), we agree that the speed at which the weeds have been regrowing (unacceptable) must have something to do with a lack of quality in the resanding process, if the weeds were indeed removed properly.

Can I please ask you to send someone from your team to remove the weeds and resand the driveway properly this time?

Thank you very much in advance,

I don't do this type of work but know what I'd say to them. We've had the wettest summer in a long time and weeds are growing rapidly everywhere. Nothing to do with quality just nature. I would also think you would have to seal it to prevent weeds growing.

I think they need to understand that they paid you to clean and re-sand the drive not to eradicate weeds forever. They need to understand the sand is there to hold the blocks in place nothing more. While PW will chop weeds off it won't and can't remove or kill the roots. 

I assume you didn't write on your quote that you would kill or remove the weeds?

I would say as a gesture of good will you will come and weedkill (if you have appropriate qualifications?) but to re-sand would require you to re Pressure Wash then re-sand but that wouldn't cure their weeds. 

Sounds like they expected PW to eradicate weeds for a year or so which is not a reasonable expectation at all.

I would try and keep things amicable and offer to weed kill on the understanding that all weed killing will do is kill weeds that the solution comes into contact with. As far as I know there isn't a legal long term weed killer available in the UK that will render the sand uninhabitable for weeds.

Good luck.  

What’s the time scale  from clean to the complaint??? I always stress we are cleaning the area NOT preventing weed growth , we usually spray with weed killer before doing the clean to make sure that as much as possible is killed off but I dont give a guarantee or time period before they will grow again , I explain to keep it weed free will involve THEM taking regular action to spray regularly to prevent re growth . Personally if it is re sanded ok I would politely but firmly explain weed re growth is beyond my power to prevent and that would be it . 

Ges Clean Ltd said:

Hi Guys, how would you respond to the email below, i have previously told them we provide a cleaning service and not a weed prevention service, and advise our clients to control their own weeds after the clean , ******** about the sand as they would grow around a brick ! dont mind sending one of my guys to spray some weed killer to keep the peace ?

Having spoken to my husband and our neighbour Robert, who you were in contact with too (both copied), we agree that the speed at which the weeds have been regrowing (unacceptable) must have something to do with a lack of quality in the resanding process, if the weeds were indeed removed properly.

Can I please ask you to send someone from your team to remove the weeds and resand the driveway properly this time?

Thank you very much in advance,

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Re-sanding is Purely gap filling and in no way weed prevention, weed killing or a guarantee of no more weed growth. 

Due to humidity and the change of season and heavier rain weed growth has escalated due to weather and wetter conditions after summer. Dry warm weather makes weed growth slower due to lack of ground moisture.

I'd personally tell them to F#@k off 

Part Timer said:

I don't do this type of work but know what I'd say to them. We've had the wettest summer in a long time and weeds are growing rapidly everywhere. Nothing to do with quality just nature. I would also think you would have to seal it to prevent weeds growing.

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Is your reply similar to mine, starts with an F and ends with an F 

I really don't see how she can claim poor workmanship on weed re-growth as even a tiny fraction of root of a weed will regrow weed seeds are blowing around all the time a simple web search would also tell her this also tell her you ain't licenced to spray chemicals 

I bought a £200 backpack sprayer so I can go back a few months later and give it a spray with weedkiller. I found it keeps them happy or the weeds and spores will love the new condition.

scottish cleaning service said:

I bought a £200 backpack sprayer so I can go back a few months later and give it a spray with weedkiller. I found it keeps them happy or the weeds and spores will love the new condition.

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Do you charge for the additional service or is it included (time is money)

scottish cleaning service said:

I bought a £200 backpack sprayer so I can go back a few months later and give it a spray with weedkiller. I found it keeps them happy or the weeds and spores will love the new condition.

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With respect, not everyone has a licence and legally can not use weedkiller for any form of paid work. 

Pjj said:

What’s the time scale  from clean to the complaint??? I always stress we are cleaning the area NOT preventing weed growth , we usually spray with weed killer before doing the clean to make sure that as much as possible is killed off but I dont give a guarantee or time period before they will grow again , I explain to keep it weed free will involve THEM taking regular action to spray regularly to prevent re growth . Personally if it is re sanded ok I would politely but firmly explain weed re growth is beyond my power to prevent and that would be it . 

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We did the clean 1 month ago

Ges Clean Ltd said:

We did the clean 1 month ago

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Hummm yes it’s a difficult one  this is why we  spray weeds before cleaning , it does tend to slow down re growth but any seeds there when you wash it tend to germinate and with the warm weather they grow quickly . Depending on size of drive get a spray bottle of resolva week killer and give them a spray with that you don’t need a licence to do that .  Perhaps this is a bit of a learning curve and in future tell them that weeds will re grow  and that’s  down to them 

Slightly off topic but has anyone thought of or tried adding a bag or 2 of salt to the sand when brushing it in? I have no idea if it's legal or how effective it might be but my partner adds salt to boiling water to kill the weeds in our paths and she recons adding the salt works better.

ched999uk said:

Slightly off topic but has anyone thought of or tried adding a bag or 2 of salt to the sand when brushing it in? I have no idea if it's legal or how effective it might be but my partner adds salt to boiling water to kill the weeds in our paths and she recons adding the salt works better.

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Problem doing that is as the salt desolves the sand level will drop 

If they had a problem with your resand then im shore they would have addressed it before payment was made i think it's more sower grapes as weeds are now starting to come through and they think buy saying there not happy with resand you will jump back and rip them out . I allways say with block paving they will need to pull the weeds out as and when or spray to keep the paving looking good 

Ges Clean Ltd said:

Do you charge for the additional service or is it included (time is money)

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No, I ask them if they want me to come back and give it a spray. Its all part of the package, sometime they call me to say the weeds are beginning to grow. Only takes half hour and I have bought plenty of strong weedkiller. I hardly use much because of the sprayer, not had any complaints yet.

Apw1210 said:

With respect, not everyone has a licence and legally can not use weedkiller for any form of paid work. 

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Aye, but I'm in Scotland and not taking any remuneration for it. ?

scottish cleaning service said:

I ask them if they want me to come back and give it a spray. Its all part of the package,

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scottish cleaning service said:

Aye, but I'm in Scotland and not taking any remuneration for it. ?

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?

The problem with this client is it is a consortium of 6 owners (communal drive) who are all giving their  2 pence worth opinions on sanding and pressure washing...........

Ges Clean Ltd said:

The problem with this client is it is a consortium of 6 owners (communal drive) who are all giving their  2 pence worth opinions on sanding and pressure washing...........

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I wonder how many have any experience ? if you did the quote in writing and stipulated a pw and re-sand and nothing about weed control they have no grounds to complain about the weeds, it's there problem and they need to sort it out themselves it won't cost much if they all chip in ?

Ges Clean Ltd said:

The problem with this client is it is a consortium of 6 owners (communal drive) who are all giving their  2 pence worth opinions on sanding and pressure washing...........

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I have now found that it you want to take up PW then you must accept that weeds will grow like winky after the wash and sand. Customers don't expect this and don't accept it. That's why I bought the sprayer and offer to come back and spray area for free. I have found this keeps everyone a happy camper and I get good reviews and more work through it. fwiw

Iron Giant said:

I wonder how many have any experience ? if you did the quote in writing and stipulated a pw and re-sand and nothing about weed control they have no grounds to complain about the weeds, it's there problem and they need to sort it out themselves it won't cost much if they all chip in ?

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Yep i might resend the quote to them that they accepted that has no mention about weeds, just pressure wash and re sanding with kiln sand.