How much for patio/driveway cleaning & sealing?

[parapaul]

As above, really....I have block paved driveway and patio, both of which desperately need weeding, cleaning, resanding and sealing.

I know that it's perfectly practical and fairly cheap to DIY, but TBH I don't fancy it much with the prolapsed disc I've got

Is there such a thing as an 'average' price per square metre, or do I just need to phone for quotes and see who sounds best?

[R60EST]

A subject I have also pondered, I got quotes last year from various companies , average was £1200 for my 200 sq m drive. I looked into buying a decent quality petrol pressure washer and surface cleaner attatchment and doing the job myself, on the basis I'd have the equipment to do it annually and stop the moss etc building up in the joints. The surface cleaner is series of rotary jets encased inside a typically 12-18 inch diameter surround , thus cleaning a large surface area at a time. I went off the idea eventually and was let into a little secret by someone in the business. He buys drums of a chemical called sodium hypochlorite , commonly used in agriculture , from a local farm supplies. It costs about £15 for a 25 litre tub. Mix it 1:1 or 2:1 with water and use a brush to spread the solution over your drive. Beware , its a very powerful bleach , so wellies , gloves and other suitable attire is a must. Leave the solution down , dont rinse. At first it looks like not much has happened , within 1 hour the blocks look much cleaner , a day or so later all the moss and algae as well as anything else attempting to grow in the gaps dies , turns white, eventually dries and goes brittle and just goes away. The treatment seems to keep the moss and algae at bay for months to come. It is the ideal preperation before applying sealer. It works just as good on regular flags. I was so impressed I didn't end up sanding or sealing mine , just treated it again about 9 months later

Edited by R60EST on Wednesday 20th May 19:34