Gum Removal
in Lake County, FL
Commercial Gum Removal
That Leaves Your Concrete Clean and Even
Gum isn’t grime you can rinse away. On a busy walkway, it gets stepped on, and the heat presses it down into the pores of the concrete until it’s effectively part of the surface. A standard wash slides right over it, which is why a rinse-and-go crew leaves those flattened black marks behind for every customer to see on the way in.
We handle it differently. We remove gum as part of cleaning the whole concrete hardscape, loosening it with a degreaser and lifting it with hot water, so the surface comes out even instead of pocked with spots. It’s the approach we’ve built Fountain Exterior Cleaning on across Lake County commercial properties: clean the entire surface, not just the marks.
If your storefront, walkway, or lot is dotted with gum, call us at (352) 989-0241, and we’ll take a look.
The Difference
in How We Handle Gum
The difference is in how we treat the whole surface, not just the gum itself.
We Clean the Whole Surface, Never Spot by Spot
We take the gum off as part of cleaning the entire concrete hardscape, not piece by piece. Spot-only removal leaves an uneven, patchy look: lighter circles where each piece was lifted, sitting against concrete that’s still dirty. Cleaning the full surface leaves it uniform and finished.
The Right Heat and Chemistry to Actually Lift It
We loosen the gum with a high-grade degreaser, then follow with hot water to release each piece cleanly off the concrete. Gum bonds to concrete in the heat, and cold water and pressure alone just smear it around. The degreaser-and-hot-water method lets it go and cleans the surface underneath in the same pass.
Straight Talk on What Will and Won't Lift
The concrete around the gum usually carries oil and traffic staining, and we’re honest about that from the start. On commercial concrete, we can lighten oil staining with hot water and degreaser, but it rarely comes out 100%, so we set that expectation before we quote. You know exactly what the surface will look like before we begin, with nothing left to surprise you after the invoice.
How Our
Gum Removal Works
The Quote and Walkthrough
Commercial gum removal is quoted after we look at the hardscape. A real person calls you back fast, often within minutes, and we assess the surface: the square footage and how heavy the gum and staining are. We set expectations right here: what the concrete will look like when we’re finished and what oil and traffic staining will and won’t lift. Booking is set for a time that works for the property, and a heads-up goes out the day of service.
Arrive and Set Up
The crew arrives, finds the water source, and fills the buffer tank. Before we start, we walk the full surface and identify the gum and any staining, so we know exactly what we’re treating.
Degreaser to Loosen the Gum
We apply a high-grade degreaser across the concrete to break down and loosen the gum, giving it time to release its grip on the surface.
Full Hardscape Wash and the Hot-Water Pass
We wash the entire concrete surface, not spot by spot, running our hot-water unit and pressure system across the hardscape. The hot-water pass lifts each piece of gum off the concrete while the surrounding grime washes away with it. We rinse everything down, reclaiming wash water wherever the municipality requires it.
Walkthrough, Approval, and Invoice
We review the finished surface with you or your property manager, and we don’t consider the job done until it’s right. Payment follows the walkthrough, and on recurring accounts we set the next visit before we leave.
What Gum Removal Costs
in Lake County
Gum buildup can range from a few problem spots to widespread staining across a high-traffic surface. We look at the condition of the area first so the quote reflects the amount of cleaning the property actually needs.
- $0.15 per square foot as part of a full hardscape cleaning; small areas start around $300. This is the whole-surface clean that actually lifts the gum, so it isn’t priced piece by piece.
- Recurring commercial accounts are priced on a maintenance cadence rather than one-off visits, which is where the value builds for high-traffic properties (see the plan below).
- Any current discount isn’t a standing published offer, so ask about it when you get your estimate, and we’ll tell you what applies.
Maintenance Plans
For properties where gum builds right back up, we offer commercial gum and hardscape cleaning on a recurring schedule. For monthly or bi-monthly maintenance for commercial hardscape and buildings, we spot-treat so it never gets dirty again. It’s the best fit for retail strips, storefronts, and QSR sites with steady foot traffic, where a single clean won’t hold for long. We keep the cadence to what your property actually needs.
Hear From the Businesses
We Clean For
Gum Removal FAQs
Do you remove gum spot-by-spot, or clean the whole surface?
We remove gum as part of cleaning the full concrete hardscape, not one piece at a time. Spot-only removal leaves an uneven, patchy look, with lighter marks where each piece was lifted against a still-dirty surface. Cleaning the whole surface leaves it uniform, so the finished area looks intentional rather than dotted.
Can you remove gum from asphalt or carpet?
No, we remove gum from concrete surfaces only, not asphalt or carpet. Our gum removal is tied to a concrete hardscape clean, and asphalt isn’t a surface we clean. If your gum is on concrete walkways, sidewalks, or lots, that’s exactly what we handle.
Will the oil and traffic stains around the gum come out too?
The full-surface clean lifts a lot of the grime around the gum, but oil behaves differently from ordinary dirt. On commercial concrete, we can lighten oil staining with hot water and degreaser, but it rarely comes out 100%, so we set that expectation before we quote. We tell you what to expect before we start, so there are no surprises when you see the finished surface.
Can you clean after hours so you're not in the way of your customers?
Yes, we schedule commercial hardscape work around your hours, including after hours, so foot traffic and customers aren’t disrupted. We coordinate the timing with you when we book, and plan the visit around when your property is quietest.
See What Gum-Free Concrete Does for Your Storefront
A clean, gum-free walkway is the first thing a customer notices, and getting a quote is simple. Tell us about your property and a real person calls you back fast, no obligation and no pressure. We work with Lake County businesses to keep their storefronts and walkways looking cared-for all year. Call us at (352) 989-0241, and we’ll get your estimate started.