[Del Boy]

I have been on the phone today to smart seal and I was asking about a product they sell call drive clean extreme. I have been advised that this product will remove block spot, as I am new to driveway cleaning I was wondering if this product would cut the mustard. I have seen people on here talk highly of hypo and wondered of the 2 products what is better.

If hypo is the better choice of product would cleaning the driveway first with a turbo nozzle and flat surface cleaner and then using the hypo were needed be good practice.

How often on average would I be likely to come across black spot on exterior surfaces. As I was wondered if I should stock up on a chemical to remove it, and do you included it in your pre set sq charge or charge extra for this service.

Advice would be much appreciated.

[Iain macdonald]

With out sound rude your just starting out and u seam be jumping in everything at once sealing if never did before there lot down fall in can happen. Your now want use hypo (witch be hounst have only started to use my self last year great stuff for black spots your talking about). I know u want know everything u need know but my advice would be at least get few basic cleans under your belt before start jump into everything. As for extreme never used it sure one other guys will know better what in it but most likely have hypo in it. I find smart seal very over priced

[Del Boy]

With out sound rude your just starting out and u seam be jumping in everything at once sealing if never did before there lot down fall in can happen. Your now want use hypo (witch be hounst have only started to use my self last year great stuff for black spots your talking about). I know u want know everything u need know but my advice would be at least get few basic cleans under your belt before start jump into everything. As for extreme never used it sure one other guys will know better what in it but most likely have hypo in it. I find smart seal very over priced

Your reply is appreciated and constructive criticism is good. But as for cleaning with turbo nozzle and flat surface cleaner its pretty simple to pick up, plus I done a job today that looked good but had some black marks left on the slabs and customer asked me if I could remove them. So I don't see it as jumping in as such, because I want to be able to satisfy my customer.

[Smurf]

I bet you can't guess what the main active ingredient is in that... It's hypo lol

[surrey pressure clean]

Hi there
When I started over 10 years  ago I had customers asking me to move lichen that is what your calling black spots I could not leave a job with black spots left on the surface.
Me and Roger Oakley  used to be a member on here done a 30 year old York stone paving around about 500 sqm we got every black spot out of that using hypo that how good it is. The process I use it is wash the surface first then put hypo and water in garden sprayer if it's covered in black spots go 50-50 on mix leave for 20 mins in summer months Longer in colder weather then just wash surface again if you have large areas just a bit at a time don't let it dry out keep it wet. If you going to use hypo don't just do one area it will bleach paving.

[Del Boy]

Hi there
When I started over 10 years  ago I had customers asking me to move lichen that is what your calling black spots I could not leave a job with black spots left on the surface.
Me and Roger Oakley  used to be a member on here done a 30 year old York stone paving around about 500 sqm we got every black spot out of that using hypo that how good it is. The process I use it is wash the surface first then put hypo and water in garden sprayer if it's covered in black spots go 50-50 on mix leave for 20 mins in summer months Longer in colder weather then just wash surface again if you have large areas just a bit at a time don't let it dry out keep it wet. If you going to use hypo don't just do one area it will bleach paving.

Great reply. Thank you so just to sum up if I clean the area first then discover there's lichen  marks on some of the slabs I would be better off cleaning the whole area as oppose to just cleaning the effect area ?

[surrey pressure clean]

Yes you have to spray whole area I use hypo on all my jobs cheers

[Del Boy]

Yes you have to spray whole area I use hypo on all my jobs cheers

Brill. sorry to be a pain when you say you use hypo on all your jobs is that because 99% of the time there will be lichen on an exterior surface. Thanks

[Peter J Haigh]

It`s just rebranded Hypo, I have used both and see absolutely no difference (apart from price !).
What I do is let the customers know about drive clean extreme just in case they need to use something, and they can look at the smartseal website and buy the stuff direct themselves - Better than telling them to get some hypo

[Smurf]

It`s just rebranded Hypo, I have used both and see absolutely no difference (apart from price !).
What I do is let the customers know about drive clean extreme just in case they need to use something, and they can look at the smartseal website and buy the stuff direct themselves - Better than telling them to get some hypo

Interesting you mention that and price as there are a few brands that I can think of that are either  sh or quat based products that can do the same/similar job. Regards to telling custards what to use just in case they want to do it themselves I find that a bit odd.

[Del Boy]

It`s just rebranded Hypo, I have used both and see absolutely no difference (apart from price !).
What I do is let the customers know about drive clean extreme just in case they need to use something, and they can look at the smartseal website and buy the stuff direct themselves - Better than telling them to get some hypo

Interesting you mention that and price as there are a few brands that I can think of that are either  sh or quat based products that can do the same/similar job. Regards to telling custards what to use just in case they want to do it themselves I find that a bit odd.

What you mean smurf so it's not a good idea to tell the customer what products to buy if they ask ? Thanks

[Smurf]

You're supposed to be the pro that they call to provide a cleaning  service and get paid are you not?
It's a bit like when someone askes for a price to do their windows. Then you say why not just go to the likes of B&Q and buy a karcher window vac and/or some trad gear with a long  enough  pole instead. Any dish soap will do. Most will also be aware of other diy cleaning chems being sold for patio and driveway cleaning but it don't mean they will buy them now dose it.  lol

[Del Boy]

Yep makes perfect sense smurf I total agree. But I'd imange some customers ask what you are using then what do you say ? Keep you nose out you cheeky f***er and get back in the house lol

[Peter J Haigh]

  I`ve been doing this quite a few years now,  using Hypo and various other products. People nearly always ask whats the best to use if they wish to get rid of the lichen themselves ( I would rather not tell them to get 14%/15% Sodium Hypochloride ! ) I therefore point them to the Smartseal Xtreme product, its polite and easy plus the smartseal products are quite expensive. They still come back and you have helped them.

[Mike Halliday]

I tell them to use household bleach monthly , a litre in a bucket of water and throw it on the surface, give it a scrub the leave it.

You could tell them exactly what to use but the reason the use us is they are...too lazy....too old....too rich or to busy to do it themselves, so telling them what to use is no gaurentee they will actually do it

[Smurf]

Yep makes perfect sense smurf I total agree. But I'd imange some customers ask what you are using then what do you say ? Keep you nose out you cheeky f***er and get back in the house lol

At the quote stage if applicable a surface treatment is required I give them options like "The  surface can be treated with a biocidal wash which is rather expensive". So no you don't have to tell them what product you are using if you don't want to. In my case I have a few products that I can use depending on the job in hand. Therefore why would I say beforehand I'm going to use one product as I may decide to use another on the day.

As for offering a surface cleaning service I suppose it's all about pricing well, using the right methods/chems for the job for best results, whilst maximising profits at the same time. Otherwise why bother?