We only get a few questions about patio cleaning, but we’ve had one that keeps coming up. Now the title is a little misleading… this is not a Shakespeare script, but “to seal or not to seal” is very much the question!
With spring coming soon, it is time to prepare your beautiful outdoor features for entertaining. Whether it be with your beautiful family or close friends, BBQ season won’t be long… and what could be better than a fresh new looking patio to do it on!
As there are mixed views on this, I am going to write about all the information for “These are some of the benefits of sealing your patio“, “Here are a few drawbacks to sealing your patio”, and “The conclusion – To seal or not to seal”. There will also be “A short video showing our process“. But I will start with “Images of patios we have cleaned. All sections will be headed in bold so you can choose what you would like to read.
Images of patios we have cleaned.
These are some of the benefits of sealing your patio.
They can stain, become dirty looking, grow mildew and even fade with age! The sealant can help prevent stains and other signs of weather damage. Quality sealant is thicker and a great deal more durable.
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Beauty
By applying a sealant, you help to protect the porous material and therefore prolong the life of the slabs. So, it doesn’t just preserve the beauty of your patio. It can enhance the look by highlighting the hue in the slabs… and can also provide a glossy finish.
Not sealing encourages weed to grow, too… an unsightly growth that not only taints the beauty of your patio and damages your patio with time but it can also be a safety hazard. When weeds and moss get wet, they become slippery.
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Protect when washing.
When you wash your patios, the residue effects can settle on the slabs and stain them… you can avoid this with the sealant.
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Weather protection.
All patios are open to all different weather elements. Damage can also occur when your patios absorb moisture. Then when the water expands in the cold, it cracks the slabs… major eyesore and could result in having to replace the patio, which is extremely costly compared to applying the sealant! Protect your patio and stop the water from being absorbed into the slabs. Applying the sealant means it seeps into the pores of the slabs, protecting them and extending their lifespan.
Here are a few drawbacks to sealing your patio.
There are a few possible drawbacks to sealing your patio, mainly with the cost and the maintenance.
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It’s all about the money, money, money.
The sealant’s brand and the slabs’ material will determine how often you have to reseal. Once you seal the surface, it could need a yearly reseal, depending on the quality. The better the quality, the high the cost tends to be.
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How it’s applied can be harmful.
Being careful is of utmost importance when applying any sealant… they are harmful to both the person applying and surrounding plants.
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How often must you reseal?
Once you have sealed the patio, you must reseal it regularly. A reseal will be needed depending on how often you clean it and the traffic on the patio. You will still have to sweep regularly to stop the weeds from having a cover to hide and thrive underneath. Try to keep on top of spot-cleaning spills when they happen to avoid staining.
The conclusion – To seal or not to seal?
So basically, after all the research, I found that when it comes to patio cleaning, whether to seal or not is down to specific individual preferences…
a) Using patios around your house adds beauty and increases your home’s curb appeal. Sealing them makes them easier to clean, protects the slaps and prevents weeds from growing back so fast.
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b) It’s not a space that gets used very often, so it’s not likely to get stained, or you may like its raw look without the sealant.
Here is a short video showing our process.
Have you got black marks on your patio and want to know if there’s anything you can do, look no further:
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Written by Tracey Gilbey, Marketing and Admin Coordinator at Art of Clean.
For further advice or information on our Carpet and Soft Furnishing care, please do not hesitate to contact the Art of Clean team on 01223 901551 in Cambridge. Our services include Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery Cleaning, oriental and area Rug Cleaning, Curtain Cleaning, Patio, and Driveway Pressure washing, Leather Cleaning, Stone and Tile Floor Cleaning, and Wood Floor Sanding and Restoration. We also supply new flooring and carpets through our sister company Art of Flooring. Our Dry-Cleaning service is provided by Farthings Cambridge