How to Keep Your Patio Looking New

If you’ve recently had a new patio, driveway, or some other paved area of your home laid, you’re probably very much enjoying the new, fresh look. It won’t stay like that forever though, not without some maintenance anyway.

If you’re new to patio maintenance or you simply want to find some new tips and tricks, the Gardenscapes team are here to help. Read our step-by-step guide below.

Removing plants and patio furniture

With the nights getting longer and chillier, lazy evenings spent on your patio are probably starting to look much less appealing. With this in mind, we would recommend putting your patio furniture, or any other patio objects, in sheltered storage until next year. Not only will this stop the furniture from getting damaged, but it will also give you more space to carry out cleaning and maintenance.

If you don’t have anywhere sheltered to store your furniture, don’t worry, you can simply cover it with plastic or waterproof sheeting. Don’t forget to tie it down though, or the autumn winds might blow it away!

Removing leaves, twigs and other debris

This is a three-step process. Firstly, you are going to want to remove any larger bits of debris, mainly big twigs, weeds and moss. This shouldn’t take too long.

From there, you can get your sweeping brush out and start gathering up the leaves. You will want to be particularly diligent in autumn when it comes to leaf removal, because if you leave it for too long the older leaves will begin to rot and stain your patio.

The final thing you’re going to want to do is remove the last layer of dust and dirt from your patio. You have two options here: 1) use your brush again and simply sweep away the dirt, or 2) use a leaf blower to blast the surface of your patio. The latter will probably be more thorough and efficient – it will reduce the chances of any leaf stains transferring onto your patio too – but, alas, not all of us are blessed with leaf blowers!

Washing your patio and applying weed killer

With all prior steps out of the way, the next thing to do is give your patio a wash. Again, in an ideal world, you would simply put your leaf blower away and break out the pressure washer, but unless you’re the Arnold Schwarzenegger of garden maintenance – clean, soapy water will also work.

If you are going to use a specific patio cleaner, it’s worth keeping in mind that certain chemical cleaners can react with natural stone. That’s why we would always recommend using the cleaner on a smaller area first before carrying out a full application. We would also advise you to never use an acid-based cleaner on limestone or basalt paving, as this could damage the stone permanently.

If you do have a pressure washer and want a cleaner that will be good for removing general stains such as dirt or grass, we would recommend Lithofin Outdoor Cleaner. However, keep in mind that you don’t want to hold the pressure washer too close to your patio as this could mark it; about 25 inches away is perfect.

From there, you can simply apply your chosen weed killer in the manner recommended by the manufacturer.

Grit sand and rock salt

If the paved area of your property is used regularly to access your house, for example, a front patio or driveway, then you might want to consider stocking up on grit sand or rock salt for winter. While ice isn’t necessarily common, it can be treacherous if you’re not prepared for it.

And there you have it – you are now armed with all of the knowledge you need to keep your patio looking as good as new this winter!

Are you interested in having patio paving installed in your garden? Contact Gardenscapes today. With a wealth of experience providing the highest quality gardening and paving services across Guildford and Reigate, we are the perfect people to help. Our knowledgeable team will be able to guide you through the whole process, so why not give us a call?