Block paving · Shipley BD18

Shipley block paving restoration — BD18

Fading colour, weedy joints and lost sand on clay or concrete block.

Block paving in Shipley tends to fail at the joints first — the sand washes out around the Shipley town centre and Salts Mill retail approach and the blocks start to rock.

We work Shipley and the surrounding BD18 postcodes every week, so a Block paving job here is a scheduled call, not a special trip.

What block paving actually is

Defining traits in Shipley

chamfered edges that highlight lost joint sand once weathered
individual clay or concrete units laid on a sharp-sand bed
kiln-dried sand jointing that locks each block against its neighbour
surface pigment fired or through-cast into the block face

Where it goes wrong

What ruins block paving in BD18

1leaving joints empty invites weeds and lets water track under the sub-base
2wrong-angle lance strips the pigment layer and leaves pale banding
3over-pressure blows the jointing sand out and lets blocks rock

Our process

How we clean block paving

Step 1

walk the drive and mark any sunken tracking or lifted blocks for prior levelling

Step 2

biocide pre-treat 24 hours before wash so root moss dies below the surface

Step 3

rotary flat-surface clean at fixed distance for even pigment recovery

Step 4

hand-lance the edges, thresholds and around drainage points

Step 5

brush in fresh kiln-dried sand across the whole area and compact

Chemistry

What we use, and why

Low-concentration sodium hypochlorite biocide first, then plain hot water through the rotary — no acid washes on concrete block, ever.

Timing

When to book

Best April to October so the biocide has 24 dry hours to work and the fresh sand can bed down before rain.

Typical use: driveways, front paths, commercial forecourts, car park bays.

Aftercare

Keeping it right

Keep the jointing topped up every 2–3 years, brush leaves off in autumn, and re-treat lightly with biocide on shaded elevations.

Shipley Block paving FAQs

Will you blow the jointing sand out of my Shipley drive?: No — we run the rotary at a fixed head height so the wash doesn't strip the joints, then re-sand the whole area at the end.
Do you seal after cleaning?: Only if you want a satin or matt finish — sealing isn't automatic on block, and we'll walk you through the trade-offs first.
Insured and DBS-checked?: Fully insured, family-run, based in Baildon — happy to send certificates before we book.
Can you fix sunken blocks near the A650 / A657 approach?: Minor levelling is included; anything more structural we'll flag on the survey and price separately.
Will weeds come back?: Fresh kiln-dried sand plus a residual biocide pass gets most Shipley drives 2–3 years before another top-up.