Concrete driveway half pressure washed, showing the algae removed, Brunswick GA

Driveway & Concrete Cleaning

Driveway and Concrete Cleaning in Brunswick, GA

A driveway is the first thing anyone sees at a Brunswick home, and in Glynn County it is usually the first thing to go green.

Call (912) 571-0639 for a Free Quote

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Atlantic Coastal Cleaning cleans concrete, paver, brick and exposed aggregate driveways across Brunswick, St. Simons Island and Sea Island. This is the one job on the property where real pressure is the right tool, and it is the job where the before and after is most obvious. Call (912) 571-0639 for a free quote, or read on for what comes out, what does not, and how we do it.

Concrete, pavers, brick and aggregate

Most driveways in Brunswick are poured concrete. The newer subdivisions on the islands and out toward Sterling and the Golden Isles Parkway lean toward pavers, and the older streets in Old Town have brick walks and aprons that are older than anyone living on them. Each one gets cleaned a little differently.

Concrete

Takes pressure well. We use a rotary surface cleaner across the whole slab so the finish comes out even, then a wand for the edges and the stains.

Pavers

Hold algae in every joint, and the joint sand washes out if you hit them too hard. We clean pavers at a lower pressure than concrete and keep the nozzle moving so the sand stays put. If a joint does lose sand we tell you, because the fix is simple and it stops the pavers shifting.

Brick

Is softer than it looks, especially old brick. High pressure can pit the face and blow out the mortar. We treat brick more like siding: cleaning solution first, then a gentle rinse.

Exposed aggregate

Is concrete with the stones showing. It cleans up well, but a careless wand will pop the stones loose, so we stay with the surface cleaner and let the detergent do the work in the pits.

Tire marks, rust, oil and algae: what comes out and what does not

Honest answers, because the driveway is where people are most often disappointed by a wash.

Green and black algae, mildew, pollen, leaf stains.These come out completely. This is 90 percent of what we are called for.
Rust.Orange rust from well fed irrigation is everywhere in coastal Georgia. Pressure does not touch it. It needs a rust remover made for concrete, applied by hand, and it usually comes out. Rust that has been there for years may fade rather than vanish.
Oil.Fresh oil comes out. Old oil that has soaked deep into the slab lightens a lot but can leave a ghost.

Tire marks.Hot tires leave a plasticizer that soaks into concrete and sealed pavers. A degreaser and heat lift most of it; on a sealed surface some shadow can stay behind.
Paint, tar and battery acid.These are outside a wash. We will tell you on the visit rather than promise something the driveway cannot give.

Surface cleaners vs a wand

If you have ever seen a driveway with pale stripes across it, that was a wand held at different heights. A rotary surface cleaner is a hooded disc with spinning nozzles that keeps the same distance from the concrete the whole time, so the clean is even edge to edge. We do the field of the driveway with the surface cleaner and only pick up the wand for the edges, the expansion joints and the stains. It is slower to set up and faster to finish, and it is the difference between a driveway that looks washed and one that looks new.

We also pre-treat the slab with a cleaning solution before the pressure goes on. The solution kills the algae at the root so it does not grow straight back, which is why a driveway we clean stays clean longer than one that has only been sprayed with water.

Rotary surface cleaner running on a brick paver walkway, Brunswick GA

Walkways, sidewalks and curbs

Front walks, the sidewalk strip, the curb and the apron where the driveway meets the street all go green at the same rate as the driveway and get forgotten. We clean them in the same visit for a small addition to the quote, and the property looks finished instead of half done. Pool surrounds and back patios are their own job; see our patio and pool deck cleaning page for those.

Driveway cleaning sits under our pressure washing for hard surfaces, which is the only place on your property where we use real pressure. Siding, roofs and painted surfaces are always soft washed.

Home entry and front walk after cleaning, Glynn County GA

Driveways under live oaks on St. Simons Island

The island driveways are the ones that call us back the most. Under the oak canopy along Frederica Road and in Sea Palms, concrete never fully dries, and the moss and the tannin from the leaves stain it dark within a season. Long paver drives at the north end of the island hold algae in every joint. We are on the island most weeks; see washing driveways on St. Simons Island for how we work there and what island homes need that mainland homes do not.

Getting ready for the visit

Move the cars, pick up hoses and planters, and close the garage. That is all. We bring the water and the equipment, wet down the plants along the edges, and rinse everything before we leave. The longer version is in our guide on how to get ready for a pressure washing visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does driveway cleaning take?

A typical two car concrete driveway takes one to two hours including the pre-treatment and the rinse. Pavers and heavy algae take longer. You can drive on it as soon as it is dry.

Will pressure washing damage my concrete or my pavers?

Not when the pressure is matched to the surface. Concrete is cleaned with a surface cleaner that keeps an even distance; pavers are cleaned at lower pressure so the joint sand stays put; brick and aggregate are treated more gently again. The damage people worry about comes from a wand held too close for too long, which is exactly what the surface cleaner avoids.

How often should a driveway be cleaned in Brunswick?

Once a year keeps most driveways clean. A driveway under live oaks, or on the shaded side of the house, usually needs it every eight to nine months because it never fully dries out.

Can you get the orange rust stains out?

Usually, yes. Rust from irrigation water needs a rust remover made for concrete, not pressure, and we apply it by hand. Very old rust may fade rather than disappear completely, and we will tell you which before we start.

Do you clean the sidewalk and the curb too?

Yes. Walkways, the sidewalk strip, the curb and the apron are done in the same visit for a small addition to the quote.

Get a free driveway cleaning quote

(912) 571-0639

Call or text (912) 571-0639, or send a message through the site. We come out, look at the surface and the stains, and give you a written price with no charge for the visit. Most driveways are done in a single morning.

Call (912) 571-0639 for a Free Quote

Veteran ownedLicensed & insuredFree written quotesBrunswick · St. Simons · Sea Island