[AndyDS]

Is anyone still cleaning blocks this time of year?
I quoted for a drive in the summer and the customer has contacted me this week to carry out the work.
I'm concerned that the drive will not dry out enough to get the sand down - even with a full dry day.
How do others get on?
Is it worth trying, or bump it to next year?

Regards, Andy

[Matt Gibson]

I still have two driveways waiting to be sanded that i cleaned in September. The customers were well informed about weather, dry days and sanding. I haven't had a call from them complaining. If you inform the customer correctly, manage their expectations, or just tell them you wont be sanding due to the weather.

That's what I'm going to be saying next year if i get any drives in this time of year, I'll just tell them the weather is poope and we don't sand this time of year. I may offer to provide them with the sand though and price accordingly.

[Jettaway]

Yes I still do, I've still got a stack of block work to get through.

One is similar to yours Andy, quoted in summer, accepted a few weeks ago.

I still sand, it is more difficult to plan work but its do able. I still give it a few rain free days, then wait for the morning dew to dry up and sand in the afternoon. I did one last December and went back to check on it in last Spring, sand still in virtually every joint and hadn't sunk any more or less than a summer job.

[chris scott]

Go for it...if you waited for the weather to be right in this country (for anything) you would never get anything done!
We will get a few bright cold days during the month...have a day sanding all your outstanding jobs.
Don't leave it somebody else will do it.....where is it?

[drive surgeon]

Rule one. Always take cleaning money up front and sanding money separate. Otherwise you could be waiting months for your money for the whole job. We tell most custies to sand it themselves to save money as we don't like going back to sand. It can mess up your whole schedule if you have a load of sanding jobs waiting to be done and you have a full diary of cleaning jobs. Soon as you get a dry suitable period all the custies expect you to sand their drives and yet you have too many cleaning jobs to do. Pain in the ass really. We hate sanding.

[AndyDS]

Chris,
I expect we get better weather than most here down south - Hampshire. However, the driveway is shared and will get little sun between the two houses.

I will contact the customer and explain that sanding may be delayed. I like the idea of allowing the customer to sand it themselves, but the owner is and landlord, so I cant see tenants doing the work.
All my work is paid on completion - so I idea to ask for payment for the cleaning then payment for sanding when complete.

Thanks for all your comments.
Andy