One of the biggest reasons property owners select hardscaping as an integral part of their landscaping design is that it is easy to care for—when compared to other types of landscaping. But you can’t just install hardscaping and forget about it. It does need some care.
1 – Inspect Your Hardscaping Regularly
Hardscaping such as brick, pavers, or stone needs to be inspected regularly to make sure that they don’t crack, settle, or pop up. For example, sometimes, a brick or a paver sinks slightly as the ground settles or pop-up due to a tree root. The occasional brick or paver may chip or crack and need replacing. A regular inspection of your hardscaping may identify issues in the early stages before they end up being a big problem that is harder to resolve later.
2 – Clean Hardscaping
Hardscaping, especially brick and pavers, tends to get dirty and even stained over time and requires occasional cleaning to keep them looking new. Sometimes the action you take is as simple as sweeping the dirt away with a push broom or washing away the dirt with a garden hose. At other times, you may need to take more extreme action to get your hardscaping looking good again.
- Sealing – Sealing your hardscape is an excellent way to protect it, but some cleaners can strip it away, so you need to know if your hardscape has been sealed or not.
- Stain Treatment – As soon as you notice a stain, you should immediately clean it because it often will penetrate deeper into the hardscape if they remain on it for any length of time. This can be done with detergent or a specially formulated cleaning solution.
- Overall Cleaning – The most popular method for cleaning hardscapes is using a pressure washer. But be careful when using the pressure washer and spray with low pressure to begin with at an angle to the pavers or brick. For other types of hardscape, do not spray at the mortar joints directly. Spray at an angle to avoid stripping away any loose mortar. Another option is using the ol’ scrub brush and extra elbow grease.
Your hardscaping ideally should be cleaned at least once a year.
3– Focus on Drainage
Water is the destroyer of hardscaping. Therefore, you must manage the water to channel it away from the hardscaping to prevent damage to it whenever possible. This means that you need to have a drainage plan in place before installing your hardscaping that pulls water away from the hardscaping and channels it towards something useful, such as the flowerbeds and grass near your hardscaping.
4 – Make Repairs When Needed
As time goes on, wear and tear can occur, and you should replace cracked pavers, brick, and stone. Everything from fixing areas that collect water to adding sand to areas under pavers that have settled will make your hardscaping last longer.
Looking to Add Some Hardscaping to Your Landscape Design?
Then give Aeroscape a call! We have been providing award-winning landscape designs for homes and businesses all around the Salt Lake City area for over 15 years. We offer a full range of landscaping design services, including landscape construction and hardscaping installation. Aeroscape is your go-to landscape designer. To find out how we can create a landscape design that the neighbors will envy, give us a call at 801.569.2383 or click on one of the green Contact an Expert arrows on any page of the website, and an Aeroscape account manager will get in touch with you.