Newbridge driveways, start to finish
For most Newbridge homes, the first thing that needs a wash is the drive. The estates that went up around the town over the last few decades are full of block-paved drives, many laid in a herringbone pattern like the one in the photo above. They're tough and they clean up well, but the joints hold moisture, and over a few winters the whole drive turns a flat green-grey.
Here's how a driveway clean goes:
- Move the cars off the night before if you can, and the bins out of the way.
- We protect what's nearby: the front door, the garage door and any drains or gullies.
- Hot water does the work, taking the moss and algae off the blocks and clearing out the joints.
- Edges, kerbs and steps get finished properly, since that's where moss hides.
- We rinse everything down, including any walls, windows or doors the spray has reached.
The difference shows straight away: the clean strip stands out against the untouched paving long before we've finished. More detail is on our driveway cleaning page.
Keeping it clean afterwards
How long a drive stays clean depends mostly on shade and trees. A sunny, open drive can look good for a long time; one under a hedge on the north side of the house will go green sooner. Sweeping regularly, clearing leaves before they rot, and rinsing off oil drips while they're fresh all buy you time. We'll give you an honest idea on the day of when it's likely to need doing again.
Out towards the Curragh
Leave the town towards the Curragh, Athgarvan or Kilcullen and the houses change. Plots get bigger, drives get longer and gravel or tarmac becomes more common than block paving. There are more trees and hedges, which means more shade, more leaves and more moss.
For these houses, we usually clean whatever is paved near the house and around the turning area, and leave loose gravel alone, since there's no benefit in pressure washing it. Big hedges also tend to mean full gutters, so it's worth asking about gutter cleaning while we're there, and a look at the roof if moss is building up on the shaded side.
Back gardens: patios, decking and walls
Behind the house, Newbridge gardens tend to have a concrete or sandstone patio, a side passage and sometimes a timber deck. Each needs a slightly different approach.
| Surface | What usually builds up | How we clean it |
|---|---|---|
| Sandstone slabs | Black and green staining, slippery in winter | Hot water, with the pressure kept to what the stone can take |
| Concrete slabs | Algae film, dirt in the joints | Hot-water pressure wash |
| Timber or composite decking | Green slime in the grooves | A gentler wash that doesn't raise the grain |
| Rendered garden walls | Streaks of algae | Low-pressure soft wash |
Older terraced houses nearer the town centre are a little different. Some have no side passage, so the only way to the back garden is through the house. That's fine: tell us when you send photos, and we'll plan how to bring the hoses through without marking the floors.
Where the surface suits it, hot water alone does the cleaning with no chemicals, which matters when the patio sits next to the lawn and the flower beds. See patio cleaning and decking cleaning for more.
spotless.ieSelling, letting or looking after an estate
People often book a wash when they're getting a house ready for something. Sellers want the front looking its best before the estate agent's photographer arrives. Landlords want a rental clean and safe underfoot between tenants. Residents' associations want the entrance and shared paths tidy.
For landlords, there's a practical side too: a green, slippery path is a fall waiting to happen, and it's one of the first things a new tenant notices. We can quote all three from photos, and for estate work we're happy to deal directly with whoever manages the common areas.
Getting a Newbridge house ready? Send photos of the drive, paths and patio on WhatsApp with your Eircode. You'll get a fixed price back, usually the same day.
Before the van arrives
To make the day go smoothly:
- tell us where the outside tap is, and if the side gate will be unlocked
- close the windows and doors nearest the area being washed
- mention any loose slabs, cracked blocks or dodgy drains you already know about
- warn the neighbours if their car is usually parked close to your drive
Everything else we clean, from walls to roofs, is on our power washing page.
