Professionally fitted resin-bound driveways require minimal maintenance, but if you’d like to keep your driveway looking in perfect condition all year round, there are lots of things you can do to remove moss from your resin driveway and retain a clean, as-new finish.
During the colder months, outdoor upkeep inevitably becomes a little less easy, so preparation is key if you live in a coastal or exposed area, commonly experience snow, or are expecting ice and ground frost on those chilly mornings.
One of the key concerns is that the smooth, flawless surface of a resin drive could potentially become slippery if residue builds up or ice is untreated, so we have compiled advice from the Flexflooring team to help.
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Winter Safety Features of a Resin Driveway
Resin drives are considerably safer than conventional concrete or asphalt. They have multiple benefits, with a porous texture that allows for natural drainage and prevents water from building up that can turn into treacherous ice.
If you wish to lay a little rock salt along your drive to pre-empt potentially icy conditions and make your morning journey a little less stressful, that is completely fine! We recommend you give your driveway a good wash once the temperatures warm up to prevent salt residue from becoming embedded in the resin.
We’ll run through removal techniques for moss, snow and other possible issues shortly, but the key benefit is that poured resin has zero gravel or stones. Hence, shovelling or sweeping leaves, snow, and other debris is significantly easier without having to repave your drive!
Metal snow shovels are best avoided since the sharp, hard edges can potentially damage your resin.
Removing Moss From a Resin Drive
Moss doesn’t often grow on a resin-bound drive. Still, it is possible if your driveway is in a shady or damp area – sunlight is a natural moss deterrent, so if you can trim back shrubbery to bring sunlight onto your drive, it should resolve the problem for you!
If that isn’t possible, you can use an algae remover which will remove all traces of moss with a few applications, but the soundest advice is to try and welcome in the sun with our UV-resistant finishes that won’t fade or become damaged.
You can also give your resin driveway a sweep with a stiff garden broom to remove any exterior moss and use a hose or power washer for a deep clean.
You can use pressure washers up to 150 bars as excessively powerful water jets can strain the resin, and it’s wise to use cold water and a sweeping, fluid motion.
General Resin Driveway Maintenance
A few quick cleans a year are normally more than sufficient to look after a resin driveway, although prevention is always better than the cure!
- Avoid turning the wheel when your car is stationary (this can also wear down your tyres!). It can leave tyre marks on your drive, although you can remove these with a little white spirit and another power wash.
- Place heavy items such as skips, bike stands or gardening equipment elsewhere, or have a skip craned into place rather than dragged across the drive to prevent damage.
- If you need to use a car jack, place wooden planks underneath to spread the pressure across the driveway surface.
- Clean spillages of oil, grease, cement, plaster, petrol or solvents quickly – we’ll run through the recommended approaches next.
Regular brushes with a stiff broom are a great way to remove any leaves or debris, prevent moss growth, and tackle spillages that could become stains, so this is a great option and will deal with the vast majority of potential maintenance requirements.
Handling Fuel Spillages on a Resin Drive
Cars can leak oil from time to time, and this issue doesn’t solely relate to older model vehicles. Corrosion or engine leaks happen, and the key is to act quickly before the fuel or oil becomes ingrained.
The correct strategy is to wash the driveway thoroughly and apply a liquid soap mixed with water to break down the oily residue. Next, scrub and rinse the driveway before pressure washing lightly if necessary.
It’s essential never to pour boiling hot water into resin as it could burn the surface so always go for cold or cool water, even if the weather is already cold.
Removing Snow or Ice From a Resin Drive
If it snows heavily, the easiest prospect is to use a regular snow shovel – as we’ve mentioned, you should avoid metal shovels.
Melted snow will run through the permeable surface, so you shouldn’t need to do much apart from removing accumulated snow in wintery weather.
Ice is more common, and you can sprinkle a little salt or sand onto the drive and wash it away once the weather improves.
How to Get Gum Off a Resin Driveway
Finally, let’s talk about chewing gum. This sticky, stubborn stuff is usually picked up on your car tyres and becomes very tough to remove once it has dried out. If you notice a blob of chewing gum on your resin drive, you might be able to extract it there and then with your pressure washer.
Once the gum has dried out, it’s important not to try and pry the gum away, as you could damage the resin or rip a little of the surface material out.
A more suitable solution is to use a freezing spray, which makes the gum far easier to remove without any sharp implements.
Professional Resin Driveway Maintenance
Flexflooring fits a vast range of bespoke resin-bound driveways and can recommend an array of finishes, textures and products that remove the risk of slipping in icy conditions and make your drive as maintenance-free as possible.
If you’re tackling a particularly difficult stain or persistent patch of moss, please get in touch with us before you try to remove it, as our driveway experts can offer advice about the right approaches.
Otherwise, if you’d like further information about our maintenance suggestions, pressure washing a drive or dealing with moss or any other type of growth, give us a call, and we’ll walk you through the next steps.
