As summer approaches, you may well be thinking about tidying up your patio or decking. Here’s some handy tips you can follow to maintain these garden areas:
Perking up your patio
Paved patios are susceptible to cracked grouting, discolouration of the stones or flags and unsightly moss growth. It’s really tempting to get out the jet washer and blast your patio clean, but in doing so, you risk further dislodging the grouting and making your flagged area even more likely to have problems next winter. It’s far better to apply a specially designed patio cleaner, leave for an hour or so and then scrub badly affected areas with a stiff brush, before hosing it all off.
If you’ve lost some of the pointing, think about using a preprepared resin-based filler. Brushed in dry and then watered to harden, this is a relatively simple and quick DIY job.
Sprucing up your decking
Decking can be jet washed, although it’s best to use a lighter jet to avoid cleaning off too much of the wood’s protective layer of stain or decking oil. A deck cleaning solution, or even simple household bleach mixed with equal amounts of water and scrubbed with a stiff brush, both produce great results and get rid of mildew and algae. Giving your decking a fresh coat of oil not only extends the life of the wood, but also vastly improves the look of your decking.
Annual maintenance of your outside spaces is a key factor in keeping your garden looking great. For a total spring clean, you could also consider giving your Charles Taylor garden furniture a good scrub and a fresh coat of oil.
