Finding a landscaping contractor to fulfill your landscaping vision can be somewhat of a frustrating task to navigate. If you’re the type of person that has never had the time to invest in learning about various landscaping techniques before, hiring a landscaping contractor is something that you’ll want to highly consider. Avanti Landscaping is a landscaping contractor that you’ll want to keep on your radar because of its strong and professional reputation.
If you have a nice yard that you’d like to get some landscaping done to, there are a variety of things that you’ll want to keep in mind.
Maintenance
Every yard that a landscaping contractor has worked on will require ongoing maintenance. Some landscaping elements will require less maintenance than others, but you’ll still have to make sure to invest the time in all of the upkeep involved. As fall begins to gradually approach, leaves begin making their way down onto your ground or walkways. That means you’ll have to sweep them off your paths so that they don’t start to stain things, especially if your path is concrete. Some like to get their pressure washers out when they notice leaves falling on their concrete paths. Getting a mild shampoo or some dishwashing soap can also get your path looking new again.
Spills
In the same way that leaves can cause stains on your pavers or concrete paths, wine and other beverages can do the same thing. No matter how careful people might try to be, spills will happen, and if someone accidentally drops a glass of red wine during a social gathering in the backyard of your house, you’ll want to get that cleaned up promptly. To clean it up, all you have to do is get a detergent/warm water solution and a brush to scrub it up. It shouldn’t leave a long-lasting stain if you were able to get to it in time.
Oil Stains
Another annoying type of stain to deal with is an oil stain. If you were in your backyard and accidentally splashed some oil on your pavers while you were filling one of your devices up with oil, you can effectively get rid of oil with a bit of dish soap. To do so, apply some dish soap to the oil stain and let it sit there for a good half an hour. After that, get a nylon brush, some hot water, and rinse off the oil stain. If the stain hasn’t completely disappeared, you’ll want to repeat the process again until you start to see it diminish. For stains that are new, get a rag and wipe the stain down. Oil can be a pesky thing to remove sometimes. If your stain is a little more resistant, you might want to consider a grease removal product.
Rust
Rust can be an unsightly thing to notice in your garden or backyard. There are specific fertilizers on that market that have iron in them, and that can cause rust stains in your backyard. If you’ve been applying fertilizer that has iron in it to an area of plants that is located beside your walkway, you’ll want to make sure that you sweep off the fertilizer from your walkway as soon as you can. If that doesn’t work, consider trying out a rust remover product.
What Products Should I Use?
Using the right products can always give you an advantage over stains in your yard. Every cleaner on the market is good at something, and you’ll always want to use the cleaner that is directly aimed at what it is marketing. If you’re wanting to clean your stone walkway, you’ll want to look for a cleaner that advertises exactly that.
You’ll want to steer clear of using wire brushes to clean your steps. Doing so could result in damage that you don’t want to happen. If you’ve seen a video that advertises pressure washing to clean your walkway, you’ll want to make sure that the pressure of the washer isn’t too high. The tip of the nozzle should be fan-style, and you’ll always want to spray about 12 inches away from the walkway.
Sealant
If you live in an area that is constantly exposed to the elements of nature, think about using sealant on your stone walkway. Using sealant is a good way to keep your walkway protected against the elements. A proper sealer will sit right on the surface of the walkway instead of getting into it. If it’s the middle of fall and tons of leaves are falling all over your walkway, a sealer will be able to prevent any stains from occurring. Applying sealant to your walkway is similar to how people wax their cars.
Sealers will reduce the chances of these things from staining your walkways:
- Dirt
- Debris
- Insects
- Leaves
- Grass
- Weeds
- Moss
Everyone wants their new pavers to be looking good as time progresses, and applying a simple sealer can go a long way in ensuring that. There are a variety of sealers that you can choose from. Sealers that contain solvents are good for providing a glossy appearance, and sealers that are only water-based provide more of a dry look to a walkway. Sealers can also give your paver stones a darker look to.
UV Resistance
A good sealer will also provide you with UV resistance from the sun. UV rays of the sun can cause your pavers to fade over time, and you don’t want that happening. So if you’re looking for protection from the UV rays, make sure your sealer specifically states that on the label.
Porosity
You’ll also have to think about the porosity of the pavers in your yard when you’re selecting a paver. The porosity of your pavers will give you a better idea of what kind of sealant you’ll be purchasing. There typically isn’t a sealant that will apply and work the best for every single type of paver on the market. If you don’t use the right sealer, things might look alright for a while, but your paver will eventually start to absorb the sealer, and you don’t want that happening.