Top tips to keep your patio tip top

Of all the stone in your home, a patio is one of the most vulnerable. Being outdoors means being open to the elements, but it is also easy to ignore as many of us don’t spend much time in our gardens.

However, the great news is that patios are often the easiest stone in your home to look after yourself. Maintenance is always more cost efficient than replacement so here’s just a few of our tops tips:

1. Brush, brush, brush! Leaves left on your patio will get damp and if they start to build up, they will degrade and begin to leave marks on your patio. The clearer that you can keep it the better.
2. Stay away from the jet wash! As tempting and exciting as the jet wash may seem, if you over-jet wash your patio then you will start to break down the surface structure of the stone tiles. This will make the stones rougher to the touch and more susceptible to dirt and soil ingress as well as water and frost damage. Once this process has started is very difficult to stop.
3. Keep on top of weeding: The less organic growth around your patio, the less organic matter that can stain it, it’s as simple as that
4. Think about plant pot placement: If you are likely to want to move your plant pots around on a regular basis, then be ready to face any staining that may be left in their previous position. We’re often called in when someone has decided to reshuffle their plants and realises that the patio has turned into a patchwork pattern.

As with all stone, the use of the area is always going to be the defining factor in wear and tear and there’s no way to avoid this. Even with a porcelain patio, grout will become discoloured over time. We visit many of our client’s patios on an annual basis and some twice a year, for a pre and post summer clean up. Although it is always a pleasure to see the transformation, we hope our top tips will help you keep on top of your patio too!