afcs.co.za - Paving and Concrete Cleaning (Gauteng & Surrounds)

Brick Paving & Concrete Cleaning

Incredibly Effective	No Harsh Chemicals	A Permanent Solution
Very Fast	Saves Money	Paint/Cement/Sealant Stripping Done Chemically

beforeafterC Concrete and brick paving surfaces have many of the same properties as natural stone: they are also porous (which means they are prone to staining) and they also have rough surfaces (which means they are difficult to keep clean).

Their great advantage is that they offer a cheap and effective solution to covering large areas such as patios, driveways and parking areas. However this also means they are usually situated in areas where they are subjected to high volumes of dirt and mechanical wear. Let's face it, they get rained on, cars and trucks drive all over them, oil gets spilt, paint and cement dropped ... the list is endless. Point is: they get dirty!

DIY

Many people think that the simple solution is to go out and buy a pressure washer and clean the problem paving themselves. This won't actually work for several reasons:

To begin with nothing can grind dirt into brick paving more effectively than a car tyre can. So it's going to take quite a bit of pressure to get it out; and any pressure washer you can buy is just not going to hack it. In fact, because water under high pressure is actually very dangerous, any pressure washer you can buy isn't even 'allowed' to do it. In contrast, the machines we use can generate enough pressure to literally cut your leg off, right through the bone. No, you can't borrow one...

Secondly any pressure washer you buy isn't going to generate heat and heat is a key ingredient in the process; oil and other stains simply won't budge without it.

Thirdly, any pressure washer you buy isn't going to make dent in paint spots and cement residue. If paint stuck to a wall the same way it can stick to brick paving we would only have to paint houses once in a lifetime!

Fourthly, pressure washers leave delightful snake-like trails all over your paving, so by the time you have spent an hour on your paving, the paving will actually look worse. Sorry, but it will. And now we would have to come and take out the snake marks from your pressure-washing attempts too.

So pressure washers are great for 4x4s, dirt bikes and golf clubs, but don't bother with a pressure washer on your parking area or driveway. It's just going to cost you a lot of time, money and water without a good result at the end.

Groundbreaking Technology

We are the first and only company in South Africa to use real steam at very high temperatures and pressures to clean and restore cement and brick paving areas. We bring out the monster when we are confronted with a large problem that will only be cleaned with steam. It is so effective it has become the industry standard in both Europe and America. And now it’s available right here in South Africa! Note, however, that not all problems require the machine, sometimes it is just too much for too small a job. In the event of the latter, we have different ways to get your floors clean that are more appropriate for the particular and smaller problem.

The Power Of The Steam We Generate As Opposed To What Anyone Else Can

When you have a huge issue and the monster machine does come out, we generate far more power than you could ever get out of a pressure washer. The biggest machine you can buy for a normal house power supply, will give you about 2 - 4 kW. We use large machines that can generate 38kW. Our diesel burners heat steam to a consistent temperature of 260˚ Celsius. That’s hot! Then we pump it through hose lines to the work area at 200 bars of pressure. That’s almost 100x the pressure that is in your car tyres. Then we use a rotating cleaning head specifically designed for use on concrete and brick paving.

Under this tremendous heat and pressure all that build-up on the surface that took years to accumulate breaks down before your eyes. It comes away bringing the dirt with it. If the paving or concrete wasn’t sealed it doesn’t even matter. The steam is under such pressure that it actually penetrates into the porous surface forcing the dirt out. Hardened fat and oils literally melt and the stains and black marks simply disappear. As if that isn't enough, we don’t even use toxic chemicals; we don’t have to. The steam does virtually all the work. So it's great for the environment too!

It’s fast and very effective and the result is quite simply astonishing! We can literally turn back the clock on paving and concrete so that it looks like it was laid yesterday. It comes up fresh and clean and the natural colour returns. In fact, this is the perfect time to discuss with us your options of having your brick paving or concrete sealed. After we've finished, it is so clean that any sealer we apply will bond perfectly and last a very long time.

Remember that we do not strip old sealant or cement or grout residue and/or paint spills with the steamer. We remove these problems in other ways.

Sealing And/Or Staining Your Brick Or Concrete

Your brick paving is quite an asset as it represents a large part of the cost of your business or home. Yet, there it often sits, dirty and unprotected, suffering years of abuse. You should consider the possibility of having it professionally sealed. We have a range of options to choose from. We can seal it simply to protect it from dirt and stains with very little change to its appearance, or we can colour enhance it by staining it so that it becomes an impressive feature adding thousands of rands to the value of your home. Go to our paving and concrete sealing section for more.

The Best Way To Get A Quote from Us

All surfaces are different and we can therefore not give you an "average per sqm price" over the phone. We prefer to get all the information about a problem so that we can forward an accurate quotation. In order to do this, we need:

1. The area size in sqm (please, we don't quote "per room" ... just do the best you can with area size).

2. A detailed description of the problem. So please "tell us the full story" of your floor and its problem and try and be as thorough as possible. The more we know, the better we can quote. For example, telling us that your floor is "very dirty" doesn't help us; rather tell us whether there is old sealant on the floor, oil, what stains, wax, polish, soil ... whatever it may be, just tell us about it.

3. The physical address of the work site. If not the full address, then at least the suburb please.

4. Pictures of the problem. If emailing pics is a problem, send the pics via Whatsapp or Signal on 076 030 8191 (... remember to send the other info via email as it helps us keep track of our customers' specs and needs). Also, please, the pictures need to include a wide shot or two so we can get a sense of the area, then close-ups of tiles and its problems: pretend we are there, sitting on our haunches, having a look at the floor.

So, a good variety of pics is always good.

And in absolutely no time, we will send a tailor-made quote, just for you. If the job is too complicated or you don't feel like sending pics and measuring up, we will come out.

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