Driveways · Pavers · Council crossings
Driveway cleaning and sealing, Sydney
Cleaning and sealing for exposed aggregate, concrete pavers, and sandstone and limestone driveways, with the council crossing included. Northern Beaches, North Shore and Eastern Suburbs. Owner-operated: Peter does the work himself.
Typical pricing from $1,800 · most whole-frontage jobs $3,000–$4,500 · usually two visits · $20M public liability
What is actually on your driveway
Oil and tyre marks are the obvious ones, but a driveway collects more than that. Rust spots from anything metal that has sat on it, efflorescence (the white salt bloom that comes through concrete and pavers), organic growth along shaded stretches, and tannin from leaf litter.
Each of those needs a different treatment, and sealing over any of them locks it in. That is why the clean comes first and takes most of the thought.
Surfaces we do
- Exposed aggregate: the usual Sydney driveway, and the one that shows oil most
- Concrete pavers: driveways, paths and alfresco areas
- Sandstone and limestone: stone driveways, entry paths and steps
- Council crossings: the strip out the front that most quotes quietly leave out
Clean first, properly
1. Degrease
Oil and tyre marks are treated with a degreasing clean before anything else. Older, deep-set oil may lighten rather than disappear, and the test patch tells us which we are dealing with.
2. Treat rust and efflorescence for the surface
Rust and efflorescence are treated with a product chosen for the surface in front of us. On sandstone and limestone that means an acid-free approach, because acid etches calcium-based stone. Neither is ever sealed over.
3. Test patch and dry
We test the cleaner and the sealer somewhere out of sight, then let the whole surface dry before sealing. That is why the job is normally two visits.
Why the sealer matters on a driveway
We use SiF penetrating sealers: Australian-made, water-based, breathable and non-film-forming. For a driveway, or anywhere cars park, we use the oil-resistant option, a fluoropolymer sealer that repels oil as well as water. It soaks into the surface instead of sitting on it, so there is no film to scuff, peel or lift under tyres.
The water-repellent silane-siloxane sealer is the better choice for paths, steps and walls, where oil is not the concern. We choose per surface and tell you which is going where.
Colour-enhancing option
On exposed aggregate and pavers you can have a colour-enhancing finish that deepens the tone, the way the surface looks when it is wet. It is an option, not the default: the standard finish is deliberately invisible. Ask for it at quote stage so the test patch shows you both.
After sealing, and when we do it
Keep cars off for 24 hours and avoid rain on the surface for the same period. We watch the forecast and will not seal into rain, so the second visit moves if the weather does.
The surface should be under 30 °C when we seal, so summer driveway jobs run early in the day.
Recent work
Castlecrag: sandstone driveway and council driveway
Cleaned and sealed as part of a whole sandstone frontage, over two consecutive days.
Castlecrag: rear pavers
Pavers cleaned and rust staining removed.
Manly: shopfront footpath pavers
Pavers and tiles pressure washed with a surface cleaner. Because of foot traffic, the chemical was applied with a spray bottle to keep it off passers-by.
What it costs
Clean and seal is priced on area, condition and which sealer the surface needs, not on a flat rate per square metre. A shaded path thick with lichen is a different job from a clean surface that just needs protecting.
As a guide: smaller jobs start from $1,800. Most whole-frontage jobs (path, driveway, balconies, council strip) land between $3,000 and $4,500. It is usually two visits, because the stone has to dry before it is sealed.
A driveway is most often quoted together with the rest of the frontage. Send photos of the surface and the council strip and we will price all of it in one go.
You get a quote inside 24 hours, from photos or a site visit.
Common questions
Can you get oil stains out of a driveway?
Usually they lighten a lot with a proper degreasing clean. Deep-set or old oil may not disappear completely, and we will tell you what to expect after the test patch.
Why an oil-resistant sealer for a driveway?
Cars drip. A fluoropolymer sealer repels oil as well as water, so a drip sits on the surface to be wiped up instead of soaking in. It is the one we use anywhere cars park.
How soon can I drive on it?
Keep cars off for 24 hours after sealing, and keep rain off the surface for the same period. We will tell you exactly when we finish.
Can you do it in summer?
Yes, but the surface has to be under 30 degrees to seal, so summer driveway jobs run early in the day.
Do you do the council crossing as well?
Yes, and we would normally recommend it. A spotless driveway meeting a stained strip at the kerb looks half done. It is included in our quotes unless you ask us to leave it.
Related
Sandstone, North Shore
Soft wash and seal for sandstone walls, paths and frontages.
Travertine and pool decks, Northern Beaches
Neutral-pH clean and penetrating seal for travertine and limestone.
All stone cleaning & sealing
How we clean and seal, what it costs and what we do.