Cleaning Your Flagstone Surfaces

Home & Garden Blog

A flagstone pathway or patio has a natural yet dignified appearance, which works well in both formal, traditional landscape designs as well as more cottage-like or natural designs. Flagstone is also relatively easy to care for. Most flagstone is dry laid, which means it doesn't have concrete or mortar joints. This means that cleaning can be quite easy if you know what to do. The following can help.

Choose a cleaning method

There are two choices that work well for flagstone. The one you choose depends more upon what equipment you have access to and how much time you have.

  1. Power washing – if you have access to a pressure washer, then you can quickly clean the grime off of the flagstone. In most cases plain water will be sufficient to get it clean. A low pressure setting will power through dirt and much of the moss or algae growing on the flagstones. It will dislodge some of the sand from the dry joints, but this isn't a concern at this point.

  2. Deck scrubbing – deck brushes aren't just for decks. Hot water is enough to clean off dirt, so skip the soap and detergent because it's not necessary and can harm nearby plant life. Simply pour a bit of water on the stones and commence scrubbing with the deck brush. Afterward, rinse off the flagstones thoroughly with a hose.

Attack problem spots

The biggest problem spots on flagstone are usually the result of moss and algae. These can leave behind discoloration and residue even after you have cleaned it off by power washing or scrubbing.

To kill the culprits and remove the stain, combine bleach with cold water – generally one cup of bleach per every four cups of water is sufficient. Scrub the problem spots with this solution using a stiff brush. Wait 15 minutes or so for the bleach to lighten the moss stains, and then rinse it off with plenty of water so that the bleach is diluted enough to be harmless to plants and soil.

Repair the joints

No matter how careful you are, some damage will occur to the joints. Fortunately this is easily fixed with some patio sand. This sand is actually crushed stone, which compacts as it fills in the joints. This easy compaction makes it more durable and helps to keep plants from growing between the stones.

Pour the sand along the joints and then use a broom to force it in so the joints are filled. Spray the surface of the patio with water to settle the sand, and then repeat the entire process to ensure the joints are filled.

For more help, contact a contractor like Pebble Junction, Inc. that specializes in flagstone.

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10 November 2016

Lawn Care Maintenance: A Year Round Effort

Most of us take great pride in our homes and do everything we can to ensure its beauty and comfort. While attending to our home's interior, we sometimes tend to neglect the lawn, especially during winter. Since moving into my "dream home" I feel compelled to maintain the lawn and garden as impeccably as I do the interior. That's why I've hired a lawn care team to see that my landscape is in tip-top shape all year round. I've learned the importance of fertilization during the late fall and early winter. Keeping the lawn trimmed during those cold winter months will help, too. The experts even help prepare my lawn for the upcoming spring. During this time, family celebrations and parties are plentiful, and I plan to have the best looking lawn on the block. I can't wait for spring to come!