Know Everything About Cleaning Your Patio
The once
beautiful stone is covered under dust, dirt, leaves, moss. It's been
a while since this patio has received a thorough cleaning. Does this
sound familiar?
Years go by
and we hardly notice the change and then one spring day we step out
on the patio on the first warm day, look around and realize that the
patio needs attention. This might be a huge task, and it does not
have to be done in one day. Do it one step at a time, as outlined below.
Move all your
furniture off the patio. As you do this, you might want to sort the
furniture out into those pieces that are still in good shape and
those that have reached the end of their useful life. Be aware that
solid hardwood patio furniture can be refinished and restored. So
don't be too quick about disposing of it. Maybe it is time for a
complete make over and all new patio furniture.
A good
sweeping with a strong broom, one that is especially made for
sweeping outdoor patios, driveways, etc, is next. You can find a good
broom at your local hardware store. While you are there, you might
want to pick up some heavy duty-garden trash bags, and any tools you
don't already have that can help you pull weeds. Thoroughly sweep the
patio, including any dirt and leaves that have accumulated in corners
or around planters. You don't want to leave any dirt for weeds to get
started in.
Next, it's
time to get down on your hands and knees and weed. If you have a
couple of teenagers hanging around being bored, hire them! It is
important to remove all weeds from cracks and crevices. As weeds grow
and spread, they can cause heaving of your patio tiles, which in turn
can cause additional damage when water gets under the tiles and
starts eroding the sandy soil which supports the patio tiles.
Take stock of
your plants and planters. Pull out last year's annuals, trim the
perennials. Do you want to eliminate some plants that are not doing
well, or that did not look as nice as you wanted them to? Pull out
those you don't want on your patio anymore. Maybe they can be
replanted elsewhere in your garden, or given to a friend.
The patio has
been swept, weeded and the furniture moved off the patio. How do the
stones look? Could they use a good scrubbing to remove built-up grime
and to bring back the beauty of the stone work? Maybe this patio is
20 years old, has many broken plates and is uneven. Is it time to
tear it up and put down new stones?
Ok, looks like
a good cleaning is in order. What now? You can either hire
professionals or do it yourself. If you hire someone, get 2-3
estimates and ask for references. You might want to go to your local
hardware store and see if they have a bulletin board with a patio
cleaning company's business card. Or check with a landscaping
business. Maybe they do that type of work or they can recommend someone.
If you want to
do it yourself, you can rent a power hose or power scrubber at a
hardware store. Be careful with what chemicals, if any, you use. Some
will kill off plants, so any run-off into your yard will damage your
lawn. Some might bleach your stones more than you want. The folks at
the local hardware store might be able to help you find the
appropriate soap.
Congratulations,
you now have a clean
patio, ready for the season. |