During the nice summer weather, patios become the center of attention as people spend lots of time enjoying them with family and friends during parties and cook outs. Therefore, it is important to maintain them, so they last as long as possible. The maintenance process should begin before they start looking dingy. You should always maintain your patio brick and stone pavers by keeping them clean so that they are prepared for the weather and various elements that may cause them further damage.

Spring Cleaning Natural Stone Patio Pavers

To keep your natural stone patio pavers clean, you will need to carve out some time and put in some work, but it will look great at the end. Making your natural stone patio shiny and bright again will make it worth the effort. Here are the steps you should follow:

• Remove all items from the patio:

Make sure to put away all grills, pots, furniture, and any other items you may have on your patio. These items should be moved to another area so that they are out of the way. This will help ensure that they do not get damaged.

• Sweep dirt with a broom:

Use a broom regularly to remove dust and debris from your pavers.

• Remove weeds:

It is important to get rid of any weeds from your patio by pulling them out. While you are pulling the weeds out, make sure that you do not damage the pavers or loosen them too much. By using a brush, you can scrub the pavers to remove any stuck-on moss.

• Get the patio wet:

You can use plain water to wet the whole patio area. After you wet it, use dish soap or degreaser and water along with a brush to scrub the pavers. Make sure you are gently scrubbing so that the surface does not get damaged.

• Keep rinsing and repeating:

You should rinse the patio and keep scrubbing and rinsing as needed.

• Check the pavers one more time:

Make sure to check if you need more sand between the pavers. Also, check for broken or damaged areas and call the professionals so they can be replaced.

• Patio sealing:

Once you are done with all the cleaning and repairing of the pavers, make sure to add some sealant. You can roll it on with a paintbrush with a long handle. You should add at least two coats and allow the sealant to dry between each of the coats.

Important Facts to Know About Cleaning Pavers

• You should always make sure that your pavers are installed well. If you notice that they have mold, rotting, or that they are chipping, this means that they were not installed properly.
• Patio pavers should not be pressure washed as you can damage them beyond repair.
• If you would like to use bleach to clean patio pavers, make sure it is diluted. It is recommended to use the ratio of one cup of bleach per one gallon of water. You should only use the diluted bleach if you are unable to clean the pavers with dish soap. If you use too much bleach and do not dilute it properly, you can cause permanent damage.
• You should never use vinegar to clean your patio pavers as it will cause damage.
• If you notice that you have mold on your patio pavers even after cleaning, you may have to keep repeating the process until it is removed. It is always best to clean mold with dish soap and warm water. You can take this mixture and pour it on the moldy surface and let it sit there for 5-10 minutes before scrubbing with a brush. If repeating the process does not remove the mold, you will need to call the professionals to remove it.

Cleaning a Brick Patio

Since brick is a porous material, it needs to be cleaned more frequently unlike natural stone which can be cleaned annually. This is because stains can be prevented from settling into brick if it is cleaned more often.

It is important to keep your patio clean all year long. This will help you in the long run as you will avoid ruining the surface of the patio to where it needs to be professionally cleaned. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make sure your patio does not get damaged:

• Your gutters should be cleaned regularly because water from clogged gutters can cause patio damage. Water can get into various areas and leave stains.
• Make sure to move your decorations such as plants and pots and other décor to avoid stains. If you do see that a stain has formed, make sure you clean it right away to avoid further damage.
• Never use wire or steel brushes to clean natural stone as you can damage it. Always use a soft brush and put in some elbow grease to remove stains.
• Be careful when using cleaning solutions to clean your patio. When you have a concrete patio for example, an acidic cleaner can cause damage. The same goes for limestone, sandstone, and even marble.

Cleaning your patio pavers regularly is important to keep them beautiful and help them last a long time. If you need help with maintaining your patio brick pavers, Pavestone Brick Paving Inc. can help. Whether you need repairs, re-sets, re-leveling, seal coating, cleaning, power washing or re-sanding, we are here to help.

If you would like to create a new patio at your home, Pavestone Brick Paving, Inc. can help. Pavestone is a patio contractor that provides patio building and installation services in Des Plaines, IL, and the surrounding areas. Pavestone will design your patio to fulfill your dreams as well as meet your needs. at Pavestone, contractors are Unilock and Rochester Authorized contractors, and there are many brick pavers and natural stone slabs to choose from to bring your dream patio vision to life.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.