3 Essentials In Maintaining Your Sandstone Pavers
Trivia: “Did you know that among the 6 Stone Tiles – Quartz, Limestone, Marble, Sandstone, Travertine and Slate – Sandstone is the most porous?”
This isn’t a random trivia, knowing that sandstone is very porous will help you realize the cleaning and maintenance needs of your sandstone pavers.
Most sandstone tiles or pavers are classified as non-vitreous in the ‘absorption rating’ system. When a material is said to be non-vitreous, it means that it has a very high absorption level. This is due the very porous nature of the stone. Tiles that are classified as non-vitreous should not be used in areas that are susceptible to large water exposure.
Ironically, sandstone can be a great outdoor accent as long as it is maintained and cleaned regularly. Here are the 3 essentials in maintaining your sandstone pavers:
1. Dust & Weed Cleaning
To keep weeds at bay, regularly sweep through the sandstone paving. This disturbs emerging weeds and scatters them so that they never have the chance to establish themselves. Regularly sweeping your sandstone pavers are essential because they avoid the accumulation of detritus – which the precursor to every nightmare for your hardscape.
2. Algae Cleansing
Since pavers are exterior hardscapes, they are susceptible to the motions of Mother Nature. They get exposed to rain, dust, mud and all those pollutants in the open air. This causes algae, moss and lichens to form on the surface. This is bad because it makes the paving more slippery and of course, less attractive.
To clean algae from your sandstone pavers, use chlorine or bleach. First sweep of the dust from the surface then mix some bleach with hot water. Pour some of the mixture onto the pavement and then scrub the surface. After the area has been scrubbed, don’t hose the mixture down yet, let it settle for a bit so that you get a deeper cleaning. After 10 minutes, hose the area down with water (if you have a power washer that would be better).
3. Sandstone Sealing
Sandstone is the stone that very desperately needs some sealing. Because of its porous nature, it also very easily becomes brittle and susceptible to cracking. To protect your sandstone paving and enjoy an easier time with cleaning, it is recommended that you apply sealants to reduce the absorption rate. With lesser nooks and crannies, your patios will be much easier to clean. Apply sealants at least twice a year as part of your maintenance.
Most people forget that even our exterior hardscapes also need maintenance. But hopefully, with these 3 maintenance tips, you will be motivated to maintain both the aesthetics and durability of your sandstone pavers.