Routine Care

Buying your paving was a major investment and its maintenance and should be part of your overall care of your property, helping to maintain and enhance its appearance, so, periodic cleaning is important.

Regular brushing is obvious but a higher maintenance clean in spring and autumn is also recommended, especially if you have not sealed your paving. The build-up of dirt and algae could be the cause of someone slipping - which could be expensive!.

New Paving

All newly laid areas of pavement should only be lightly brushed in the first few months to allow everything to ‘bed in’ - especially the joints. From then on paved areas need to be cleaned on a regular basis.

White bloom - Let nature look after it!

All quality paving products with a high cement content may, in the early months, show a milky or cloudy white staining. This is known as white bloom or efflorescence - to be technical, and it is a temporary effect and not a fault in the product. 

It can be difficult to say how long it will last as factors such as weather, where it is laid, what aspect and what the sub-ground is like can all have an effect. In some cases, it can take twelve months or more to disappear.

Sealing your paving

A variety of sealers (and cleaners) are available through DIY outlets and builders merchants. It is wise to take advice on what is suitable locally and for your product. As always, test a small area first. 

Please note that applying sealant may also affect the colour of your paving and responsibility for the application and performance of sealers and cleaners is with yourself and the manufacturer of the sealing (or cleaning) product.

Light Staining

Scrubbing with a stiff brush using a mild detergent and hot water is usually enough to remove light soiling.

Heavy Staining

Paving cleaners are available but these are almost all acid based and care should be taken with their use. We recommend that you test a small area and allow it to dry to see what effect it has on your paving.

Power Washing

We do not usually recommended this method of cleaning as it can destroy the surface of the paving and also discolouration. If you do use a power washer however then please keep the following in mind.. Brush over the area to remove loose matter, hold the lance at an angle (about 30 to 40 degrees and about 8 to 10 inches off the surface of the paving. And, any jointing material that is removed, should be quickly replaced.

Weeds, Moss, Lichen 

These are easily controlled as long as your paving is regularly maintained during your spring and autumn maintainence operations. Weeds and grass growth need to be removed before growth gets too large as this can lift your paving. Moss and lichen need to be treated with a water based fungicide and algaecide.

Oil Stains 

Oil gets into most surfaces quite easily and once staining has happened, it can be quite difficult to deal with. We suggest that you avoid wiping the spill as that can push the oil deeper into the surface. Stains are better removed by soaking up the spill with an absorbent material such as kitchen roll.

If it is a stubborn stain or one that has been there a while, then it may be best to try a proprietary cleaner in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If the staining cannot be removed like this, then your only option may be to replace the affected area.

Advice and assistance

Choosing which paving to lay is often a choice made on the ‘look’ of the product BUT your choice is also an important factor in achieving an easily maintained surface.

Please take the time to look at previous jobs that the contractor has done, before you make an expensive decision. A list or pictures of previous work that they have completed would be useful, and, it is usually unwise to ‘buy at the door’!

Barneys Landscape Services offer a complete and professional service under the supervision of qualified personnel. We are local to the North Wales area and have been in business for neally two decades. In the unlikely event that problems were to occur with one of our installations, it is comforting to know that we will be here to get in touch with! We take great care with our work and proudly display photographs of our work in our office and here, on our website.