Just like you clean the interior of your home, you also want to clean the exterior as well. This is especially the case when it comes to your stone patio. If you aren’t careful, or don’t maintain your stone patio, you could be dealing with some serious damages over time. Indeed, the sun, sleet, snow and other weather elements can really rough up your stone. Depending on your stone, it will start to look a little worse for wear. When it comes down to it, cleaning your stone patio is actually really easy – you just have to make sure you know exactly what stone you are working with. If you use the wrong cleaning method, you could be causing some damages that may be irreversible. Here is how to clean and maintain your stone patio.
- Make sure that you know exactly what type of stone is used to create your patio – some cleaners may actually cause damage. Some stone may not need cleaners – it may only need a high-pressure spray. Other stone, however, may need light soap and water. The last thing you want to do is use soap and water on stone that doesn’t need it. Moreover, it may cause stains.
- Make sure that the area is completely clear before you clean – you want to move potted plants, trellises and patio furniture. Ideally, you want to have a big clean area to work in. Moreover, potted plants can cause an issue where soil spills out over the pot and disrupts the cleaning process. When it comes down to it, you want to move these things far out of the way, because the spray will reach far and wide.
- Make sure that you have areas repaired before you clean – it will be a lot more efficient to repair stone and add new grout before you begin a deep clean. For instance, you may want to look for specialized stone pavers that can help you repair your stone patio. You may have to go to Teton Stone to replace the stone that has been damaged.
- Make sure that you pressure wash – this is an important step, because it will ensure that all the dirt and grime is off the stones before you wash. Ideally, you want all detritus removed. You can usually visit a hardware store to invest in a pressure washer – the nozzle is usually customized to condense the water so that when it comes out of the nozzle, it literally shoots out. Having this pressure is the only way to truly clean dirt off of stone.
- Make sure that you use a clean brush to really get into the areas that need cleaning – there is a good chance that your stones have dirt and debris lodged in the nooks and crannies. A sturdy brush will be able to remove all of these areas of debris. In the end, you can probably pick up an industrial brush when you make your rounds for gardening supplies.
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