Pavers are one of the most popular options for patios and driveways. To keep them looking their best and lasting longer, maintenance is essential. Below are 5 important steps to take to help your paving stones keep looking their best for years to come.
Sweep Your Pavers
If you want your paving stones to keep looking great, you want to make sure that you are sweeping them each day. When you do this regularly, it’s going to prevent soil, leaves, dust, and other kinds of debris from building up. This will help keep them from collecting and from becoming stained. You also want to sweep them up if there’s rain in the forecast since this will help them be easier to clean up afterward.
Rinse Them Off
Once the pavers have been swept up, you also want to rinse them using your garden hose. This will help you to clear away any debris rather than simply moving the debris from one place to the other.
Not only that, but if you’re in an area that is prone to moss or mold, it’s a good idea to rent or buy a pressure washer. This is particularly true if you have uneven surfaces where standing water might collect.
Wash Pavers Using a Cleaning Solution
Along with sweeping them daily and rinsing them off, it’s also a good idea to wash stone and brick pavers on a regular basis. Some people use water and dish soap, and others use a different gentle cleanser like Simple Green, then clean with a sponge or rag.
Something else that’s going to be rough on debris and dirt is water and white vinegar. Keep in mind that you should only use your white vinegar since the darker types can cause stains on the pavers. You will also need to let the solution go into your stones for around t60 minutes before you wash it away using water and soap.
It doesn’t matter what method of cleaning you use, because you’ll also want to scrub them gently using a good bristle brush. This type of maintenance is going to ensure that gunk and soil are being cleared away, particularly in the harder-to-reach areas such as crevices.
One last thing to keep in mind – if you have oil stains on the pavers, you won’t have any success with these methods. You’re going to need oil remover.
Seal Them
When you want to keep your pavers looking their best, sealing them is the best way to do it. Generally, they should be sealed every 1-2 years, particularly if you’re using your pavers in an area that gets a lot of traffic, such as a patio or driveway. Not only will sealing protect them from the elements, but it’s also going to make it a lot easier to clean up.
If your pavers are properly sealed, generally you’ll just rinse them regularly with your hose to keep the pavers looking their best. Not only that, but the sealant can give them a nice sheen that makes them look brand new once again.
Replace Any Broken or Chipped Pavers
This is likely one of the hardest parts of maintaining your pavers. That being said, it’s important not just for their looks but also for the safety of you and your family. Broken and uneven stones also are going to collect debris, dirt, and standing water. They can also create tripping and other hazards for vehicles, people, and pets.
Replacing pavers can take a lot of time If you aren’t comfortable with replacing your pavers yourself, we can help you with that. Please feel free to contact us for more information.
We hope that you have found our blog about maintaining brick and stone pavers useful. Please keep checking back to our blog for new posts about hardscaping and tips that you can use.
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