Why does everyone think concrete striping is from overlap?

Weaver Pro Wash

New member
Seriously.. it's like they never experimented with different ways to clean the surface.

Look, There is a way to run a surface cleaner without leaving stripes so you clean the surface fast, and usually don't need to treat it...even with 3500 psi at 4gpm. I'll post a video of it someday. I have some video on my website of a surface cleaner running but I am just going in straight lines on that video, it is old, before I figured out the best way.

Here is how I do it... First, if you'll notice, there is a sweet spot that cleans better than the rest of the surface cleaner, the far left and right (don't ask me why I'm not a physicist). You can think of it like your trying to engage that sweet spot onto all parts of the surface as quickly as possible. I move the cleaner to and fro as far as i can reach and as close to me as I can get, do this as fast as you possibly can without bouncing the thing around. While doing this, walk sideways, moving over just maybe 3 to 8 inches per pass.

this is gonna be the way to do a good job for your customer. I have tried everything, nuking it with clorox, higher psi, long dwell times, moving really slowly. I promise you this is the way to go, give it a shot. Having hot water and really high GPMs changes a lot but for some people this strategy is going to help you out a lot, I swear.
 
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I never leave stripes on a customers driveway. I didn't know some people accepted this as "ok" by reputable people. This strategy is killin doing big wide circles like i saw in that video someone in another thread referred people to. I tried the big circles for a long time and it does prevent striping but for speed purposes you need to be in the mindset of engaging those sweet spots. You can run the weak parts of surface cleaner over a spot all day long and never fully clean it sometimes. Of course the absolute BEST way to do driveways is to have a 8 gpm hot water pressure washer... and in that scenario you would probably be able to just clean it like your mowing a lawn then maybe come back with a few swirls to knock out striping of the red clay and/or other stuff that oxalic and Muriatic acid works on.

Again I just cannot over stress how important it is to know this strategy and to understand that the sweet spot does cleaning that the middle of the surface cleaner won't do after a million passes.. especially if your equipped how I was for a long time... cold water 3500psi 4gpm. It turns a driveway job from being stressful, long, and not done right to easy, straightforward, and perfectly cleaned. Also you can avoid having to apply chemicals at all.

A lot of customers know about the striping and mentioning that "I don't leave any stripe marks after the job is complete" definitely helps me sell work.
 
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In your thread title you wrote "EVERYONE",...don't paint with such a broad brush.

For a customer to mention striping,..it must have been REALLY bad. I never heard that even when I was a greenhorn back 20 years ago. And I didn't even start with a surface cleaner,..never even heard of one. I didn't have the internet until 2003,..and started business in 1996. But,..as far as a surface cleaner goes,..and I used to use just water and I remember that striping you speak of,..seems to me it usually disappears when it dries and isn't that visible when it's wet,..unless,..like I said,..it was a REALLY bad job. I now use chemicals when I clean concrete,..and it does make it easier and gives a thorough cleaning,...but even if I use the method you talk about,..I would still use chemicals,...a chemically cleaned roof,..or house or concrete stays clean of mold alot longer than one cleaned with just water. And a kiss of oxalic finishes it up nice,..although not all jobs get this extra step.

If your method is so much faster,..even without cleaner,..think how fast it would be with cleaner. Unless what you're cleaning really isn't that moldy or dirty. I never seen a big green dot on a concrete sidewalk that doesn't come clean easier with the use of some detergent of sorts,..and when you get a gaggle of these things together,..serious PITA without cleaner,..especially on old rough concrete.

But,.I love to learn,..when you post the video I will watch and see what you can show me.

"I'm ignorant, but not ignorant enough to think I'm not ignorant"

*Hey,.that saying could go down in history

Jeff
 
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In your thread title you wrote "EVERYONE",...don't paint with such a broad brush.

For a customer to mention striping,..it must have been REALLY bad. I never heard that even when I was a greenhorn back 20 years ago. And I didn't even start with a surface cleaner,..never even heard of one. I didn't have the internet until 2003,..and started business in 1996. But,..as far as a surface cleaner goes,..and I used to use just water and I remember that striping you speak of,..seems to me it usually disappears when it dries and isn't that visible when it's wet,..unless,..like I said,..it was a REALLY bad job. I now use chemicals when I clean concrete,..and it does make it easier and gives a thorough cleaning,...but even if I use the method you talk about,..I would still use chemicals,...a chemically cleaned roof,..or house or concrete stays clean of mold alot longer than one cleaned with just water. And a kiss of oxalic finishes it up nice,..although not all jobs get this extra step.

If your method is so much faster,..even without cleaner,..think how fast it would be with cleaner. Unless what you're cleaning really isn't that moldy or dirty. I never seen a big green dot on a concrete sidewalk that doesn't come clean easier with the use of some detergent of sorts,..and when you get a gaggle of these things together,..serious PITA without cleaner,..especially on old rough concrete.

But,.I love to learn,..when you post the video I will watch and see what you can show me.

"I'm ignorant, but not ignorant enough to think I'm not ignorant"

*Hey,.that saying could go down in history

Jeff


I mostly want people to understand that if you are passing back over a spot that wasnt cleaned, hit it with the sides of the surface cleaner, not the middle. And yes, figure out how to apply chemicals in such a way that they work. Too many people apply chemicals to driveways in a way that is a total waste of time, and they say so in these forums
 
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Ya, id say I shouldnt have said the stuff about not using cleaner. My main point though is people need to understand about the left and right edge of the surface cleaner. If your going back over an area that wasnt cleaned initially you should pass over it with the side of the surface cleaner, not the middle. If moving it to and fro.
 
Michael kreisle made a video explaining this phenomenon

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Post a video showing what you are talking about so you can help more people.
 
Great Video Ralph, nicely done, professional and dramatic difference.
 
its not BS. People clearly state they think it's overlap all over these forums. But it's not... the left and right edge cleans better. There is a way to move the surface cleaner to maximize this effect. if you don't know what i'm talking about your either oblivious or you haven't done much hard surface cleaning.

Look I know most people don't need any help cleaning driveways, but there are some newer folks with lesser equipment that could benefit from knowing that the left and right edge cleans better.
 
in the video on your website, you go over the same spot three times then you overlap halfway. That is not efficient or fast. I overlap about two inches and only because the Classic cover is 19 inches and the bar is 17 inches. I haven't seen a stripe or line in 3 years.






That isn't an example of how to operate the thing best. Im gonna update that one day. Lol I really should have just posted a video instead of writing all that. Ill give you that one. Maybe other people dont have trouble with driveways but I swear I come across a lot of them that get lines in them pretty bad.
 
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Thinking every surface cleaner has its own how to figure out. Now I only own 1 sidewinder and never owned another. Its a floater watching other guys walk their sc mine reacts different. Theres 2 points of great cleaning left and right probably because of the handle mount points. If a surface is heavily soiled requires slowing down and a slight swimming motion with one edge higher to prevent suction and spraybar bogging down so the flow can escape fast. If its run totally flat like a lawn mower cleaning is much slower because theres so much water impending the spraybars path. All that psi and gpm trapped will cause positive pressure charge also acting as a obstruction to the nozzles. Just like shooting a bullet into water theres just no travel room. Aerate the water and there's less obstruction. Let the surface cleaner breath a little and improve the technique especially if its a floater. I couldn't say its the same 100% with a wheeled version where everything is mechanical but trapped postive pressure will play there by slowing the spray bar as well. A little spraybar height adjustment or slightly raising the brush guard should increase equipment function but not technique..
 
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If you put a strong enough mix down first an your walk speed is correct there will be no marks period use the tools you have the proper way an you will be fine.
 
in the video on your website, you go over the same spot three times then you overlap halfway. That is not efficient or fast. I overlap about two inches and only because the Classic cover is 19 inches and the bar is 17 inches. I haven't seen a stripe or line in 3 years.





Great video of a true professional driveway cleaning company in palm harbor florida
 
Thinking every surface cleaner has its own how to figure out. Now I only own 1 sidewinder and never owned another. Its a floater watching other guys walk their sc mine reacts different. Theres 2 points of great cleaning left and right probably because of the handle mount points. If a surface is heavily soiled requires slowing down and a slight swimming motion with one edge higher to prevent suction and spraybar bogging down so the flow can escape fast. If its run totally flat like a lawn mower cleaning is much slower because theres so much water impending the spraybars path. All that psi and gpm trapped will cause positive pressure charge also acting as a obstruction to the nozzles. Just like shooting a bullet into water theres just no travel room. Aerate the water and there's less obstruction. Let the surface cleaner breath a little and improve the technique especially if its a floater. I couldn't say its the same 100% with a wheeled version where everything is mechanical but trapped postive pressure will play there by slowing the spray bar as well. A little spraybar height adjustment or slightly raising the brush guard should increase equipment function but not technique..
I think the clean strips have to do with what direction you are traveling. Not too sure because I don't get them anymore. And you are right about the water bogging the spray bar down. Whisper wash recommended cutting out little sections of the skirt to allow more water to escape.
 
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