Getting Your Driveway and Paths Ready for Winter (and Christmas Visitors)

Every December the same thing happens: family are due, the house is tidied, the lights go up, and the driveway still looks like it has been through three winters. Which it has. Late autumn is the best time to fix that, and not only for how it looks.

The algae on your paths and steps grows fastest in the wet months, and a green film on paving is lethal once it rains or freezes. Getting it off before the worst of the weather arrives is a safety job as much as a cosmetic one, especially on steps and sloped driveways.

This herringbone driveway had years of ground-in grime and tyre marks. The first photo was taken mid-clean, and the black slurry lifting off shows how much was sitting in the surface. Afterwards the red colour of the blocks is back.

On block paving, the sand between the blocks often washes out during a deep clean. Re-sanding afterwards locks the blocks together again and slows the weeds down. Read more in our re-sanding and sealing guide.

Our diary fills from November with people wanting the outside sorted before Christmas, so earlier is better. For how often a driveway really needs doing, see how often should you pressure wash a driveway. For the year-round view, read the best time of year for exterior cleaning.

We clean driveways across Uddingston, Bothwell, East Kilbride, Newton Mearns, Bearsden and the rest of Glasgow and Lanarkshire. See driveway cleaning for what is included, or request a date.