Pressure washing in Sarasota removes the algae, mildew and organic staining that Gulf Coast humidity grows year round. Different surfaces need different pressure. Concrete and pavers take a surface cleaner at higher pressure, while roofs, screens and painted surfaces need low pressure soft washing with cleaning agents. Call 941-266-5284 for a quote.
Sarasota Paver Sealing Pros has been cleaning exterior surfaces across Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and Lakewood Ranch for over ten years. We clean driveways, lanais, pool decks, pool cages, patios, walkways, concrete and roofs. The right method depends entirely on the surface, and getting that wrong is how surfaces get damaged. This page explains how we decide, and links to the detail for each surface.
That is almost always irrigation rust. Water pulled from a well or from a reclaimed system carries dissolved iron. When it sprays onto pavers and evaporates in the sun, the iron oxidizes and bonds to the surface. Repeat it every morning for a couple of years and you get the fan shaped orange arcs that track exactly where the heads throw.
Nearly every village here is deed restricted, with an HOA and in most cases a CDD as well. Homes sit close together with heavy irrigation on common turf and on individual lots. That combination, well or reclaimed irrigation water spraying onto light colored pavers day after day, produces the orange staining that Lakewood Ranch homeowners call about more than anything else.
What makes Lakewood Ranch different?
We can remove the stain. We cannot stop your irrigation from putting it back. On most Lakewood Ranch lots the fix is small, a head that has drifted off its arc, an overspray onto the driveway apron that was never intended, or a run time that leaves the pavers wet through the morning sun.
We will point out what we see when we are on site. If heads are throwing onto your pavers, adjusting them before we come back is the difference between a driveway that stays clean for years and one that starts spotting again in a season. Sealer helps a great deal because iron cannot bond into a sealed pore the way it does into raw concrete, but the sealed surface still wants the overspray corrected.
What we see on Lakewood Ranch properties
- Irrigation rust from well and reclaimed water is the number one paver complaint in Lakewood Ranch and it will not come off with pressure alone.
- Nearly every village is deed restricted with an HOA, and many also carry a CDD, so contractor documentation and posted work hours apply.
- Newer villages east of Lorraine Road have young pavers that are still pushing efflorescence.
- Lots are close together with heavy common area irrigation, so overspray onto driveway aprons is extremely common.
Which surfaces do you clean?
Driveways, walkways, patios, lanais, pool decks, pool cages and screen enclosures, concrete slabs, paver fields of any type, and roofs. Our Google profile lists concrete cleaning, deep cleaning and roof sealing among our services, and cleaning is the first step of nearly every sealing job we do.
Lanais are the surface Sarasota homeowners ask us about most. The screen cage that keeps bugs out also blocks direct sun and slows air movement, which makes the shaded side of a lanai the fastest growing surface on most properties. Pool cage frames and the gutter track above them collect their own mildew line that most homeowners never look up at.
Do I need to clean before sealing, or is that a separate service?
It is not separate, and you should not pay for it twice. Sealer is not paint. It soaks into the surface and hardens what is already there. If there is algae, dirt or old organic staining in the pores, the sealer locks it in permanently and you are looking at that stain for years.
Every sealing job we quote includes the cleaning required to get the surface ready. On pavers that also means re-sanding the joints once the surface has dried, because sealer needs sand in the joint to bind to. If you are planning to seal a driveway or lanai, the cleaning is already in the number.
HOA rules, color and finish in a deed restricted village
Some Lakewood Ranch associations have language about exterior appearance that touches on driveways, including uniformity of color across a street and whether a high gloss finish is acceptable. Others say nothing at all. It varies village by village and it is worth two minutes of checking before we start.
We are comfortable working inside deed restricted communities. We provide license and insurance documentation to management companies routinely, we work within posted contractor hours, and we clean up completely. If your documents restrict sheen, tell us and we will bring the appropriate finish. We would rather match the requirement than have you get a letter after the fact.
How often should Sarasota homeowners have exterior surfaces cleaned?
It depends far more on exposure than on the calendar. A driveway in full sun with no tree cover can go a long time between cleanings. The same driveway under a live oak, or a lanai floor on the north side of a house, will show growth in a fraction of that time.
Sealed surfaces stay clean noticeably longer than unsealed ones, because the sealer closes the pores that growth roots into. That is one of the practical reasons homeowners seal a lanai or pool deck. It is not only about color, it is about how often you have to deal with the surface at all.
| Surface | Method | Typical approach | What goes wrong with too much pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | Pressure wash | Rotating surface cleaner, even passes | Exposed aggregate, wand stripes, chalky finish |
| Pavers | Pressure wash | Surface cleaner, then joints re-sanded | Joint sand blown out unevenly, pitted paver faces |
| Tile or shingle roof | Soft wash only | Low pressure application, dwell, rinse | Broken tile, granule loss, water driven under the roof |
| Pool cage and screens | Soft wash only | Low pressure on frame and mesh | Torn screen, stretched mesh, loose spline |
| Stamped or colored concrete | Low pressure | Reduced pressure, wider tip, more distance | Color layer lifted, permanent light patches |
| Stucco and painted surfaces | Soft wash only | Cleaning solution, gentle rinse | Paint stripped, water forced behind the finish |
| Travertine and natural stone | Low pressure | Gentle cleaning, no aggressive tips | Etched and pitted surface, opened joints |
What should I expect on the day of the job?
We need a working water spigot and access to the surface. We ask that vehicles, planters, furniture and grills be moved off the area if you are able, and we move what is left. Pets should stay inside during the work. Windows and doors near the work area should be closed.
We are a service area business covering Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding communities, and our crews are our own trained employees rather than subcontractors. Phones are answered around the clock at 941-266-5284, so scheduling around a work week or a rain window is usually straightforward.
Ask any exterior cleaning contractor these questions before you book
- Will you use pressure or soft wash on my roof, and why that choice
- What pressure will you run on my pavers, and will the joints be re-sanded afterward
- Is the cleaning included in the sealing price or billed separately
- Are the people doing the work your employees or subcontractors
- Are you licensed, bonded and insured in Florida
- What happens if it rains partway through the job
- Will you clean the pool cage frame and the gutter track, or only the screens
How do we schedule work in Lakewood Ranch?
We clean, re-sand and seal pavers across Lakewood Ranch, from Greenbrook and Summerfield to the newer villages east of Lorraine Road. Irrigation rust staining, efflorescence on newer installs and shaded lanai algae are the three issues we handle most here. Every sealing carries a 3 year warranty. Free on site estimate at 941-266-5284.
Call 941-266-5284 and we will set a time to come look at it. Estimates are free, they happen on site rather than over the phone, and there is no obligation attached. We are reachable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
