Block Paved Driveway Cleaning in
Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire

When Christine contacted us, the block paved driveway at her home in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire had not been professionally cleaned since it was installed more than 20 years ago.

As a garden designer, Christine has a particularly keen eye for detail. She had recently transformed the front garden herself, creating a beautifully considered entrance to the property. The landscaping was complete, but the ageing block paved driveway no longer matched the standard of its surroundings.

Christine had heard about our approach of treating every exterior surface individually. Rather than applying the same cleaning process to every driveway, we assess the surface, its condition and the surrounding environment before creating a tailored treatment package.

She was also interested in our use of polymeric sand and the additional joint stability and resistance to weed growth it can provide when correctly installed.

During our free site visit, we assessed the approximately 45m² block paved driveway, including the condition of the blocks, existing joints and level of organic contamination.

After more than two decades, black spot, lichen and other organic contamination were visible across areas of the paving. The existing jointing material had also deteriorated and contained accumulated debris and organic matter.

Rather than simply pressure washing the driveway and replacing the lost sand, we recommended a complete block paving cleaning process.

We discussed the available jointing options with Christine and selected a silver/grey polymeric sand, which we felt would complement both the block paving and the newly designed frontage of the property.

The clean began with a thorough deep clean of the entire driveway.

This removed accumulated surface soiling while clearing the old sand, debris, seeds and organic material from between the paving blocks.

Once the initial clean was complete, we inspected the exposed paving again and identified areas where persistent black spot and lichen remained.

These selected areas received a targeted high-pressure lance treatment, allowing us to tackle stubborn contamination without unnecessarily subjecting the entire driveway to the same level of pressure.

Following the mechanical cleaning, we applied a carefully controlled chemical treatment across the block paving.

This stage treated remaining organic contamination while further cleaning and brightening the blocks to help recover more of their original appearance.

The dwell time was determined by the degree of surface soiling, ambient temperature and airflow on the day. These variables affect how quickly a treatment works, so the paving was monitored throughout rather than relying on a predetermined treatment time.

Once the treatment had completed its work, the driveway was thoroughly rinsed and given sufficient drying time before the re-jointing process began.

The final treatment was an application of Chiltern EverGuard™.

Surface cleaning on its own is not enough. Chiltern EverGuard™ is a biocide: it penetrates the pores of the block, kills the organic growth living inside the paving rather than only on top of it, and inhibits regrowth.

Chiltern EverGuard™ forms part of our preventative maintenance approach following exterior surface cleaning. It is designed to inhibit the redevelopment of organic growth such as algae, lichen and moss, helping a professionally cleaned surface stay cleaner for longer.

The appropriate maintenance interval depends on the surface, location, exposure and surrounding environment, with reassessment typically recommended within a 12-24 month cycle.

The complete block paved driveway clean in Hazlemere took approximately seven hours, including the necessary drying time.

Following a final clean-down of the working area, the driveway was handed back to Christine.

The transformation was significant. More than 20 years of accumulated soiling had been removed, the blocks had been cleaned and brightened, persistent black spot and lichen had received targeted treatment, and the deteriorated joints had been completely renewed using mechanically compacted silver/grey polymeric sand.

Most importantly, the cleaned driveway now complemented the beautiful front garden Christine had created.

Christine was extremely happy with the finished result and asked us for a supply of Chiltern Surface Co business cards and flyers so that she could recommend us to her own garden design clients and neighbours.

Chiltern Surface Co carried out this block paved driveway clean in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire.

We also offer driveway cleaning, patio cleaning, roof cleaning and roof moss removal for premium homes across Oxfordshire and Berkshire — including Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford, Maidenhead and Cookham.

Our approach goes beyond simply pressure washing block paving. Depending on the condition of the surface, a tailored driveway clean can include deep cleaning, black spot and lichen treatment, controlled chemical cleaning, removal of old jointing material, polymeric re-sanding and mechanical compaction, and Chiltern EverGuard™ preventative treatment.