Stains
Red clay stains
Every driveway in Troup County eventually looks pink. That color is clay, and a bottle of house wash will not touch it.
Clay is not mildew
Mildew is alive. It likes shade, it is usually green or black, and it smears. Red clay is orange, it tracks in from the yard, and it sits in the pores of the concrete or the brick. They are not cleaned the same way, so the first thing I do is look at the color.
Why bleach fails
Sodium hypochlorite kills growth. Clay is soil ground into the paste of the concrete. It needs a treatment made for mineral stains, then a surface cleaner on concrete that can take it. On siding and brick, clay splash on the bottom courses is a separate step from the mildew above it.
The honest limit
Open, broom-finished concrete that has held clay for ten years may lighten and keep a shadow. Sealed or painted concrete can react badly. A test spot is cheaper than a surprise, so when I'm not sure, I test first. If it will only lighten, that is what the quote says.
Edges matter
A surface cleaner that stops short of the expansion joint leaves a dirty picture frame. The edges get finished, and the grass and beds get rinsed so the clay doesn't just move into the mulch.
It comes back if the water does
If clay is still washing across the drive every time it rains, it will come back. I'll show you where it is coming from.
Call (706) 415-7564Get an instant priceSend photos for a straight quote
The price is agreed before the hose comes off the reel.
Questions people ask me
- Will bleach get red clay off my driveway?
- No. Bleach kills growth. Clay is a mineral stain and needs a treatment made for it, then a surface cleaner on sound concrete.
- Will the clay come out completely?
- Fresh clay usually does. Clay ground into open concrete for years often lightens and leaves a shadow. I say that in the quote.