A walkway or patio with well-maintained pavers helps you and your family navigate and enjoy your property in comfort and safety. Pavers also bring their own beauty as they wend through lush lawns, gardens, or other areas on your property. Because of this, it’s important to keep paving materials looking their best.
Sweep Them Regularly
A weekly sweeping is the first, easy step in keeping pavers and tiles clean. Since pavers are most often found outdoors, they’re always accumulating grit, fallen leaves, twigs, and other debris. If this debris isn’t swept away regularly, it not only makes your pavers look unattractive but it can also degrade them. The best cleaning tool to use is a simple push broom made for the outdoors.
Seal the Pavers
Pavers, just like stone countertops in a kitchen, benefit from a sealant. These sealants are good for many kinds of paving materials. They seal the pores in the material and protect it from severe weather, grease and oil, salt, pests, weeds, and mold. If your pavers have sand between them, sealant stabilizes it. Sealant also makes the colors of the pavers stand out. Plus, it makes them easier to clean. Professionals recommend adding a sealant right after the pavers are installed. Just as with your countertops, you only need to apply sealant every few years.
Rinse Them Now and Again
Sometimes, all pavers need to look their best is a simple rinse. Depending on the material, a solution of vinegar and water or dishwashing detergent and water is enough to safely clean your pavers. If you’re not sure how a cleaning solution will work on your pavers, spot test an area in a corner first. If all is well, use a push broom to spread the solution around. Use a scrub brush to tackle a tough area, and then let the solution sit for about 15 minutes. Afterward, rinse off the pavers with a garden hose and let them dry.
When to Use a Pressure Washer on Your Pavers
Sometimes, pavers can get so dirty and grungy that the only solution is a pressure washer. These washers propel water at pressures much higher than a garden hose and can be counted on to remove layers of grime baked in by the sun and time. Pressure washers may be tricky to use because of their power, so you might want to call in a professional for this job.
Learn More About Cleaning Your Paving Stones
Clean pavers and tiles are not only beautiful to look at, but regular cleaning helps the material, whether it’s stone, concrete, or brick, to last a long time. To learn more about cleaning the materials on your decks and patios, get in touch with us at CMJR Construction in Truckee, CA.
