Asphalt, Gum, Oil

OkanoganPressureWash

OkanoganPressureWash

New member
I'm looking at cleaning several asphalt surfaced gas stations, drive thru's and fast food restaurants in my area very soon!

Just started businesses and I have an 18" surface cleaner with a 3000 PSI hot/cold 180-200 deg. 5.0 GPM machine.

Gum everywhere, old oil stains and other food messes.

Any gum removal tips or other helpful techniques to use on this asphalt scope of work?

Thanks...
 
Pressure washing on asphalt can be done but it usually weakens the asphalt, and removes the sealcoat.

I have removed gum but warned the owner about the sealcoat and had him watch and he agreed about the asphalt but had to have the gum removed as that DM was about to lose their franchise for their 4 locations if they did not have the gum cleaned up.

Oil and grease stains....I would not use a strong degreaser as that also can remove the sealcoat along with weakening the asphalt. The sealcoat is like a black-paint that covers the asphalt and seals it to try to keep water from soaking through it. If the area looks like it was painted with black paint then it was probably sealcoated. If the asphalt is turning to a gray color then the sealcoat is worn off.



You can put down the kitty litter, Oil Dry or other substance to absorb the oil then clean that up and rinse with low pressure but the high pressure will destroy asphalt.

Asphalt comes from crude oil with rock/gravel added in so most degreasers, heat and other forms of pressure cleaning will affect the asphalt in a bad way.
 
Christopher said:
Pressure washing on asphalt can be done but it usually weakens the asphalt, and removes the sealcoat.

I have removed gum but warned the owner about the sealcoat and had him watch and he agreed about the asphalt but had to have the gum removed as that DM was about to lose their franchise for their 4 locations if they did not have the gum cleaned up.

Oil and grease stains....I would not use a strong degreaser as that also can remove the sealcoat along with weakening the asphalt. The sealcoat is like a black-paint that covers the asphalt and seals it to try to keep water from soaking through it. If the area looks like it was painted with black paint then it was probably sealcoated. If the asphalt is turning to a gray color then the sealcoat is worn off.

You can put down the kitty litter, Oil Dry or other substance to absorb the oil then clean that up and rinse with low pressure but the high pressure will destroy asphalt.

Asphalt comes from crude oil with rock/gravel added in so most degreasers, heat and other forms of pressure cleaning will affect the asphalt in a bad way.
Click to expand...

Hi Christopher,

A very helpful reply! Thank you.
It almost sounds like 80% of my commercial customers in this area I'm unable to successfully help because of the asphalt? Dairy Queen, Burger King, Shell Gas and others. Most have asphalt with bad oil and gum stains. I see where the asphalt has been broken away at some of the real bad oil stains in the more frequented parking spaces also. This is a bummer. I have a surface cleaner machine but you say that will chew it up huh?
 
Concrete or Asphalt.......that is the question that the owners have to make when building these places or buying them and doing renovations.

Concrete, when poured by good contractors, when done correctly can last decades easily. Downside, oil stains show up so easily and a lot of places don't want to pay to clean or maintain the cleanliness and then when it is really thick and bad they want to get it cleaned for almost nothing.

Asphalt, when applied and rolled correctly can last for many years as long as they have the sealcoat applied every 2-4 years to help keep it water tight will help to prevent potholes.

A lot of places have been burned by shady characters that do not use the good sealcoat or water it down too much to make more profit or just don't know what they are doing. Correctly done can help keep the asphalt good for many, many years.

The owners know that you cannot and should not pressure wash asphalt so they know that they will not be paying to pressure wash the asphalt vs. cleaning the concrete regularly to keep it clean, the asphalt will hide some stains.

Downside, oil stains, gum and other things that can be cleaned with heat and pressure on concrete will not be easily cleaned on asphalt because it will break apart under pressure, heat or with strong chemicals since it is oil-based. You will see it deteriorate where there are a lot of oil stains or where there is a lot of traffic or lack of sealcoating. Sealcoating is not the cure-all for asphalt, just something to help it last longer before it is time to replace it.

I would not run a surface cleaner over it as it can dislodge rocks and gravel from the asphalt or kick up rocks that you don't see and could damage your spray bar, nozzles or shoot out and possibly break a door glass, window glass or hit someone close by.

Just becuase it is a surface cleaner does not mean that it is safer to use on asphalt, it is still applying pressure.

I know there are guys that use surface cleaners on asphalt and if the asphalt is in good shape, is tightly packed then there is a chance that the asphalt might not get damaged but I don't like to take the risk.

I think that if you tried to clean up the stains and/or gum on the asphalt and damaged it or removed the sealcoat and the owner took you to court they could easily make you look like you don't know what you are doing, make you look stupid and get you to pay for the damage and possibly for the sealcoating of that area.

I would stick to looking for customers that offer other surfaces to clean. You can still clean the canopies, store fronts, sidewalks and offer other services for those customers that have the asphalt parking lots.
 
Christopher said:
Concrete or Asphalt.......that is the question that the owners have to make when building these places or buying them and doing renovations.

Concrete, when poured by good contractors, when done correctly can last decades easily. Downside, oil stains show up so easily and a lot of places don't want to pay to clean or maintain the cleanliness and then when it is really thick and bad they want to get it cleaned for almost nothing.

Asphalt, when applied and rolled correctly can last for many years as long as they have the sealcoat applied every 2-4 years to help keep it water tight will help to prevent potholes.

A lot of places have been burned by shady characters that do not use the good sealcoat or water it down too much to make more profit or just don't know what they are doing. Correctly done can help keep the asphalt good for many, many years.

The owners know that you cannot and should not pressure wash asphalt so they know that they will not be paying to pressure wash the asphalt vs. cleaning the concrete regularly to keep it clean, the asphalt will hide some stains.

Downside, oil stains, gum and other things that can be cleaned with heat and pressure on concrete will not be easily cleaned on asphalt because it will break apart under pressure, heat or with strong chemicals since it is oil-based. You will see it deteriorate where there are a lot of oil stains or where there is a lot of traffic or lack of sealcoating. Sealcoating is not the cure-all for asphalt, just something to help it last longer before it is time to replace it.

I would not run a surface cleaner over it as it can dislodge rocks and gravel from the asphalt or kick up rocks that you don't see and could damage your spray bar, nozzles or shoot out and possibly break a door glass, window glass or hit someone close by.

Just becuase it is a surface cleaner does not mean that it is safer to use on asphalt, it is still applying pressure.

I know there are guys that use surface cleaners on asphalt and if the asphalt is in good shape, is tightly packed then there is a chance that the asphalt might not get damaged but I don't like to take the risk.

I think that if you tried to clean up the stains and/or gum on the asphalt and damaged it or removed the sealcoat and the owner took you to court they could easily make you look like you don't know what you are doing, make you look stupid and get you to pay for the damage and possibly for the sealcoating of that area.

I would stick to looking for customers that offer other surfaces to clean. You can still clean the canopies, store fronts, sidewalks and offer other services for those customers that have the asphalt parking lots.
Click to expand...

Thank you Chris.
 
Christopher said:
Concrete or Asphalt.......that is the question that the owners have to make when building these places or buying them and doing renovations.

Concrete, when poured by good contractors, when done correctly can last decades easily. Downside, oil stains show up so easily and a lot of places don't want to pay to clean or maintain the cleanliness and then when it is really thick and bad they want to get it cleaned for almost nothing.

Asphalt, when applied and rolled correctly can last for many years as long as they have the sealcoat applied every 2-4 years to help keep it water tight will help to prevent potholes.

A lot of places have been burned by shady characters that do not use the good sealcoat or water it down too much to make more profit or just don't know what they are doing. Correctly done can help keep the asphalt good for many, many years.

The owners know that you cannot and should not pressure wash asphalt so they know that they will not be paying to pressure wash the asphalt vs. cleaning the concrete regularly to keep it clean, the asphalt will hide some stains.

Downside, oil stains, gum and other things that can be cleaned with heat and pressure on concrete will not be easily cleaned on asphalt because it will break apart under pressure, heat or with strong chemicals since it is oil-based. You will see it deteriorate where there are a lot of oil stains or where there is a lot of traffic or lack of sealcoating. Sealcoating is not the cure-all for asphalt, just something to help it last longer before it is time to replace it.

I would not run a surface cleaner over it as it can dislodge rocks and gravel from the asphalt or kick up rocks that you don't see and could damage your spray bar, nozzles or shoot out and possibly break a door glass, window glass or hit someone close by.

Just becuase it is a surface cleaner does not mean that it is safer to use on asphalt, it is still applying pressure.

I know there are guys that use surface cleaners on asphalt and if the asphalt is in good shape, is tightly packed then there is a chance that the asphalt might not get damaged but I don't like to take the risk.

I think that if you tried to clean up the stains and/or gum on the asphalt and damaged it or removed the sealcoat and the owner took you to court they could easily make you look like you don't know what you are doing, make you look stupid and get you to pay for the damage and possibly for the sealcoating of that area.

I would stick to looking for customers that offer other surfaces to clean. You can still clean the canopies, store fronts, sidewalks and offer other services for those customers that have the asphalt parking lots.
Click to expand...


great information Chris
 
Okanoga - You're like a proud new parent with a picture of the new baby for your avatar. I just say no and don't clean asphalt ever, it's no good.
 
Most of our fast food places here have asphalt parking lots but concrete walks, greasy service entrances, dumpster pads and drive up window pads. That's all we concentrate on. That's usually plenty.
 
IndyExterior said:
Most of our fast food places here have asphalt parking lots but concrete walks, greasy service entrances, dumpster pads and drive up window pads. That's all we concentrate on. That's usually plenty.
Click to expand...

Rick,

I got at it today!Sold a couple of flat wash concrete jobs...building wash and gasoline drive up pump concrete pads!

Good advice you gave!

Mike
 
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