A Guide to Caring For & Cleaning Paving Slabs
All paving needs basic maintenance to protect it and keep it looking its best. And even the most neglected concrete and natural stone paving slabs can be given a new lease of life with the right products and a little bit of effort.
At AWBS, we offer the highest-quality paving sealing, cleaning and maintenance products so you can keep your outside areas looking great for years to come. Here’s a guide to cleaning paving slabs and sealing and repairing them.
Removing weeds from your paving
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a weed-free surface. Hugely inconvenient, weeds will find a way to grow – but they’re pretty easy to get rid of, and you need to do this before you begin cleaning garden slabs. Most weeds can usually be pulled or scraped out of paving. Once you’ve gotten rid of the weeds, regular brushing can help to keep them at bay, as you’ll disturb them before they can get established. You can also use a weed killer, but be sure to check it’s suitable to use on your particular kind of paving.
Cleaning patio slabs
So, the weeds are no more – now you can set about cleaning your garden slabs. You can give them a good clean by scrubbing with soapy water – washing up liquid will do. Swill the soapy water onto the surface of your paving then scrub with a brush to loosen the dirt. You can also use a power washer, but take care as excessive use can damage paving slabs and jointing. The best way of cleaning paving slabs is to use cleaners and stain removers that are specifically designed for the job.
Lithofin cleaners and stain removers are the perfect solution for cleaning, maintaining and protecting your natural stone and concrete paving. Lithofin Power Clean is recommended for all types of natural stone – particularly polished marble and limestone – and can be used for both thorough cleaning of severe dirt and grease and regular maintenance cleaning. Lithofin Outdoor Cleaner is perfect for cleaning garden slabs that have dark deposits and stains caused by trees or flowers, and will restore all types of natural paving to its original colour.
Once you’ve cleaned your paving, using Lithofin Stain Stop can help to prevent natural stone and concrete surfaces from staining and protect your patio from the penetration of oil, grease and water – making on-going maintenance a lot easier.
Patio slab sealers
Paving slab sealant can help to protect your patio against weather extremities and the general wear and tear of a busy garden. Geo-Fix stone protector provides highly effective, long lasting protection for natural stone and concrete paving. Completely invisible, this paving slab sealant won’t change the colour or appearance of the stone. To protect and enhance the colour of your patio, Lithofin Colour Intensifier is a ready to use paving slab sealant that contains special colour-intensifying components. For use with concrete and natural stone, this Lithofin sealant penetrates into the surface, repels water and helps to protect your paving from staining.
Repairing paving with jointing compound
Over time, the jointing of your paving can loosen and crack. To ensure the longevity of your patio, you should repair any jointing that needs it, and ensure regular maintenance. For both repairing and maintaining jointing, we stock easy to use brush-in jointing compounds to give your paving a neat and tidy finish. The technically advanced formula of Easyjoint makes for a strong, yet flexible joint, and is available in five fabulous colours to match your paving, or provide a stylish contrast. For a multi-jointing and repair compound, Pointfix is the perfect solution, you simply mix together the epoxy resin and epoxy hardener to form a consistent colour, then brush into the gaps for a perfect, hassle-free finish.
To find out more about cleaning paving slabs, visit one of our branches where you can view our full range of products.
