You do not need to do much to get ready for a pressure washing or polymeric sanding visit, but the few things that do matter make a real difference to how smoothly the day goes. This guide covers exactly what to handle before we arrive, what happens during the visit, and what to watch for after.
None of this needs to happen far in advance. Most of it takes ten minutes the morning of, or the night before if that is easier for your schedule.
It also covers what happens if you cannot be home, and what to flag before we start if there is anything on your property we would not otherwise know about.
Before we arrive
None of this takes long, and most of it is the kind of thing you were probably going to do anyway before company came over. A short list covers what actually matters to us on the day.
- Move cars off the driveway or the area we are working on
- Clear anything light off the surface, like planters, toys or patio furniture that can be picked up easily
- Keep pets inside for the duration of the visit
- Unlock any gate we need to get through to reach the backyard or a side area
- Leave the outside tap on so we have water to work with
What happens to anything left on the surface
If there is anything light still sitting on the area when we start, we move it clear ourselves and put it back before we leave. You do not need to clear the entire yard, just the things you would rather move yourself than have us handle. If anything gets broken while we are moving it, that comes back on us, and we will make it right.
What happens to your plants and grass
We keep cleaning solution off your plants and grass as we work. If anything does land on them during the job, we rinse it off with plain water before we leave, so your garden should look the same as it did before we arrived, aside from a cleaner surface next to it.
If you are getting polymeric sanding done too
Stay off the surface entirely once the sand goes in, no walking and no driving on it. 24 hours off the surface is usually enough for it to set, though we will confirm the exact timing with you on the day since weather plays a real part in how fast it cures. For the full two day breakdown of wash, dry and sand, see our guide on polymeric sanding, step by step.
The walkthrough before we leave, and what to do after
Before we leave, we walk the entire job with you. If something is not right, we fix it right then rather than leaving it for a follow up visit. If you notice anything after we have gone, whether that is a spot that needs attention or something about the workmanship, tell us within 48 hours and we come back and make it right, no argument and no runaround about whose job it was.
If timing your booking around Toronto weather is part of your planning, our guide on the best time to pressure wash in Toronto covers how rain and cold affect scheduling, separate from anything on this list.
If you cannot be home, and what to tell us beforehand
You do not need to be home for the job itself, as long as we can get to the area and the outside tap is on. If you are not there when we finish, we text or call to let you know the work is done rather than just leaving without a word. Ask beforehand and we will send you the before and after photos once the job is complete, so you can see exactly what changed even if you were not there to watch it happen.
The one thing worth doing regardless of whether you are home is telling us about anything we cannot see for ourselves, like recent repairs, stones that are already loose or damaged, or any area you specifically want us to stay away from. A quick note on the quote form, a text, or mentioning it on the call before we start is all it takes, and it helps us avoid any surprises on the day.
What the crew actually does once they arrive
We knock or text when we get there, then walk the area before starting anything. Anything light we find still on the surface gets moved clear ourselves and put back once we are done, so you do not need to have the entire yard emptied out in advance. As the work happens, we keep an eye on the edges of the property, rinsing anything that could run onto a neighbour's yard so the job stays contained to your own space.
If it is a pool close to where we are working, it will most likely need a clean afterward unless the cover is on tight, and if there is a car still on the driveway when we start it is best moved, since the process gets genuinely messy while it is happening and overspray can travel further than most people expect. None of that is unusual for the job, it is just worth expecting going in, so nothing about the visit catches you off guard partway through.
