Your patio is an integral part of your home. Whether you use it to tan in the Summer, host parties, braais or decorate it for Christmas, it can be both practical and enjoyable. So, how do you make sure your patio paving stays strong and durable?
The Winter weather can be harsh on your patio and when it’s not cared for properly, damage can eventually occur. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to ensure your patio paving is protected. Take a look at some simple tips to protect your paving in winter below.
WHAT DAMAGES PAVING STONES?
Before you can adequately protect your paving in Winter, it’s important to understand the threats that can arise. One of the most common reasons that paving is damaged is rain.
There are many ways that water can damage your paving in winter. Firstly, a build-up of water can cause algae to grow and this makes the surface of the stone slippery to walk on.
There’s also a threat to paving from cold weather. Water is more likely to freeze on top of stone during the Winter which is also a hazard for anyone to walk on. If there are any holes in your paving, water can also seep through and freeze. This can potentially expand the stone enough to create cracks immediately or over a period of time.
On top of that, simply having water on paving can make it extremely slippery all year around. However, walking on your patio while it’s raining is sometimes unavoidable. So, how do you keep your patio intact and yourself out of danger?
PATIO AWNING
One of the best solutions to these problems is to keep your patio as dry as possible. A patio awning can protect your paving from rain and ensure it isn’t slippery when you need to walk across.
An awning can also provide shade during the Summer months and it can be retracted on days when the patio is in use. Naturally, the cost of an awning varies, depending on the type and size.
SEAL YOUR PAVING IN WINTER
It’s a good idea to place sealant on your paving in Winter months. Sealant is fairly easy to apply, but best left to the professionals to ensure a quality finish. However, if you’re having a new patio installed, you can ask for sealant to be applied as part of the installation. Sealing your patio will make sure the paving is protected from developing stains from rainwater.
It can also prevent water penetration which stops water from freezing and cracking your paving in cold weather. Sealant can even protect against erosion, making your paving more durable throughout harsher weather.
FILL IN CRACKS IN YOUR PAVING
Even tiny cracks can become a big problem over time and Winter weather can make them worse quicker than you might think.
However, bigger cracks will need to be dealt with in a different way. You may need to seek the advice of a professional before making a decision about repairing cracks.
Some pavers may need to be removed and replaced. Without doing this, you run the risk of further cracks in your patio or too much water pooling underneath the slabs. Cracking, uneven ground and unsightly damage are all signs that your paving need replacing.
LET US HELP
At QPave, our team are experts in patio materials and maintenance. We can advise you on which paving will remain durable through the Winter and point you in the right direction.
Get in touch with us today and we’ll answer your questions as quickly as possible. You can call us on 086 11 22 55 7, email us – info@qpave.co.za or use our handy contact form and we’ll get back to you.
