Welcome to another installment of our Stone in Your Home Series, in which we go through different rooms of your home and evaluate what you can expect from the natural stone you install, restore, or inherit.
So far, we’ve made it through the kitchen, we’ve gone over living room fireplaces, and we’ve made a pit stop at the bathroom.
Today, we’re taking a step outside, where we’ll go over just what you can expect from natural stone pavers on your patio.
Your Patio
Suddenly, we’re outdoors, and we’re encountering conditions which you never really need to think about inside.
We’re talking the elements: heat, cold, dry, wet, dusty, leafy, etc.
And that’s on top of the pets, spilled food, grease, and ash from your barbecue, and scuffs from moving furniture.
Anything you might expect indoors, you can also expect outdoors, with the added bonus of now you’ve got mother nature to worry about!
But fear not, because you being here, reading these words, this far along in our series, says about you that you’re the kind willing to do your diligence to keep your natural stone looking as good as it can.
Patio Maintenance
So what can you do to keep your patio in tip-top shape?
- Keeping your patio pavers properly and regularly sealed goes along way in protecting it from what it will face outside.
- Keeping your pavers clean is also very important.
- Don’t let leaves pile up. As they decompose, they’ll stain your stone and you’ll need to call in some help to get it back.
- Sweep regularly to keep dirt from settling into the pores of the stone and tarnishing the natural veins.
- Clean up spills immediately and teach your pets to not use your patio as their bathroom!
When selecting your stone, be mindful of the climate your patio faces.
Here in Santa Barbara, the weather is temperate, so homeowners here have greater latitude in their stone selection than someone in an area that faces more varying weather. So make sure to consult with our local natural stone restoration company or natural stone provider.
I love stone patios.
They elevate your yard and ground you in the earth.
Nothing disappoints me quite like seeing what should be a beautiful patio fallen into disrepair because of inadequate attention.
Don’t let that be your story! Take good care of your patio.
If you do have a patio that needs some help getting back to its former glory, and you’re in the Santa Barbara area, give us a call, we would love to help.
