How to Look After Block Paving Driveways & Patios

If you plan to invest (or have recently invested) in a block paving patio or driveway, it’s worth taking the time to learn how you can go about cleaning and maintaining it. Your old driveway or patio may have been neglected for some time, maybe from before you moved into the property, so now is the time to take care of your new outdoor space and keep it looking at its best for years to come.

Looking After a Block Paving Patio

Providing it is well looked after, block paving will provide you with a long-lasting, durable surface. In order to look after it properly, we’d suggest you take care of the following main elements…

Stains

If left for a long time, the effects of algae, oil stains and moss can cause your block paving to look untidy. When this happens, you need to know the best ways to restore your paving to ensure it looks as good as it did when it was brand new.

Removing stains can be tricky, but there are plenty of quality products out there that can remove oil, grime, algae, moss and other fungal growth. Fungicidal wash can help to protect against the regrowth of such things and a paving sealant will ensure your block paving is protected and easy to clean moving forward. A good sealant on its own will often be enough to bring a block paving driveway back to life.

Gaps

Over time, the sand between the brickwork will naturally wear away to leave untidy gaps. Pressure washers can also be damaging to the sand, causing it to wear away much quicker. When gaps appear, they are extremely easy to fix.

You’ll need to re-sand the joints if you want to restore your block paving. All you’ll need is some kiln dried sand and a soft bristle brush to sweep the sand between the gaps. As with the previous point, you might want to seal the surface following the re-sanding process. This will help protect the sand from everyday wear and tear.

Weeds

Weeds are one of the most unsightly things that can crop up and make your block paving look awful. When weeds grow between the gaps, you will need to remove them using your hands or a sharp-edged tool.

To prevent regrowth, you might want to consider treating the problem and sealing your patio or driveway with a sealant. The sealant will need reapplying every 2-5 years but can be extremely helpful when it comes to stopping weeds from growing.

Treatment

Removing weeds and stains, filling gaps and tidying up your blocked paving, in general, is great, but you should take extra care to look after it once you have done these things.

As we touched on previously, a fungicidal wash should be applied to prevent the re-growth of weeds, moss, algae and other fungal growth. A range of slip-resistant products can also be applied to help protect the surface from the outdoor elements. This type of treatment will also help to ensure the bricks don’t become slippery when they are wet.

Consider using a driveway sealant if you want your paving to look fresher for longer. A quality sealant will make the bricks much easier to clean in the event of oil leaks.

Time

Think about the last time your driveway or patio had any maintenance work done to it. If it was some time ago, there’s a chance it could be in poor condition.

Following the previous steps, you should take extra care to look after your block driveway. We’d recommend treating block paving every 2 years to ensure it looks good and lasts for much longer.

Contact Pavemaster

If you have any concerns with your patio or driveway, if you think it might need repairing or if you aren’t sure about any of the techniques described for looking after your paving, take the time to get in touch with us.

If you are thinking about having new block paving installed, don’t hesitate in contacting us for a free quote. We can walk you through the different options we have available for block paving in Leicester and the surrounding areas.