With a little bit of care you driveway will retain its looks for many years to come.

The joints between the block paviors will be relatively porous. It's important to re-fill with further jointing sand to replace any that is lost. Mechanical sweepers, sweepers with high suction forces and high pressure water jets should not be used with your new block paving as you'll lose jointing sand from between the paviors.

Efflorescent

A temporary salt residue, more commonly known as efflorescent can occur on concrete products in their initial life. This is a temporary phenomenon that is often mistaken for fading of colour and will usually disappear within 12 to 18 months. Within this period the best course of action is to leave the paved area to weather.

Cleaning and stain removal for paving

For the cleaning of dirt & algae, brush forcefully with a stiff broom adding hot detergent solution (washing up liquid or non-bio washing powder), then rinse thoroughly with water. Treatment may need to be repeated for areas near trees or in permanent shade. In certain circumstances, prolonged contact with wet leaves can result in staining of the paved area. Such contact should be avoided whenever possible.

If a stain appears on a single block it may be advisable to remove just that single unit. Save some of the leftover blocks and put them into the garden so that they weather at the same rate. If you need to replace a stained block, use one of these for a better colour match.

For moss: Contrary to popular belieft, moss, lichens and algae can exist under a wide range of moisture conditions. Where you are looking to get rid of them either a fungicide (check for an acid content of below 5%) or a basic wash of household bleach diluted 1:5 with water should do the job. Remember to resant the joints with joining sand.

For oil stains: Oil penetrates into concrete but prompt removal of an oil spill will prevent staining. Soak up the oil with absorbent paper towels or cloth, try and avoid wiping as this will spread the stain and drive the oil further into the concrete. Cover the affected area with an oil degreasant (obtainable from most car accessory shops), wash off immediately. Repeat until no more oil is extracted by the degreasant.

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