Lichens represent a symbiotic partnership between algae and fungi. They thrive in dark, damp conditions and rapidly spreads on moist, porous surfaces like driveways. Although they pose little threat to human health, lichens are an eyesore. They diminish curb appeal and make entire properties look worse for wear. While bleach, vinegar, and other topical applications can remove lichens and deter their growth, they aren’t always effective. Read on to discover the pros of cons of using pressure washing to clean a lichen-infested driveway.
Pro: Fulfill Your Duty of Care and Protect Building Residents
Among your many responsibilities as a homeowner is keeping your grounds free of dangerous slip-and-fall hazards. Lichens don’t undermine the integrity of driveways, but they can become slippery when wet. In all seasons, a lichen-infested driveway creates the risk of serious slip-and-fall injuries.
Pressure washing offers an effective and convenient solution to lichens. These services strip away lichens and prevent them from returning. By applying high-pressure jets across all affected areas, we remove all traces of this spotty, white growth.
Con: DIY Pressure Washing Could Cause More Problems Than It Solves
Having your driveway professionally pressure washed is a great way to get rid of lichens for good, but pressure washing your own driveway can cause more problems than it solves. Professionals use high-end pressure washing equipment with multiple, adjustable pressure settings. This allows our team to minimize pressure as needed to avoid problems like pitting and other surface degradation.
Pro: Pressure Washing Can Get the Job Done Fast
Most lichen-infested driveways need only a single, professional pressure washing treatment to look like new. Unlike DIY home remedies that use vinegar and bleach, there’s rarely a need to re-treat affected areas. Whether you’re sprucing your home up before listing it or preparing for important houseguests, you can get rid of this fast-spreading eyesore in less than an hour.
Pro: Protect Living Landscape Elements
Dumping copious amounts of vinegar, bleach, or other topical solutions onto your driveway can have a devastating impact on your lawn and all other living landscape elements. Because driveway surfaces are porous, anything that you apply to them can eventually make their way into your yard. Worse still, if you use a toxic cleaning solution to eliminate lichens, you run the risk of contaminating the local water supply with the resulting runoff.
Pressure washing is an effective way to strip off unsightly growths of lichen on driveways that are in generally good condition. It is much safer for both living plants and local water supplies. Pressure washing leverages pressure for cleaning and sanitization and rarely requires the addition of strong chemicals. The hot, high-pressure streams that our pressure washers emit are sufficient for swiftly ending your lichen problems.
Con: Pressure Washing Isn’t for Every Driveway
If your driveway has cracks, potholes, pitting, or raised sections due to invasive roots, pressure washing to solve your lichen problem might not be best for you. When driveways are already severely damaged, scheduling replacement or repair services is often the most effective choice.
To make an appointment for quality pressure washing services for sidewalks and driveways in Sterling Heights, MI, get in touch with Turbo Power Washing today.
