Patio Maintenance – 7 things to watch out for

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Building a patio on your house is an investment that not only adds to your home value but also improves your living conditions. From using it as a fun entertainment area to a place for relaxation, patios offer many benefits. But one mustn’t forget that maintenance comes with any building or asset. Now, thankfully, the maintenance needs aren’t extremely heavy with the patio, but there are some that are necessary and certain problems you need to keep your eyes open for.

What basic maintenance does a Patio need?

Basic maintenance for your patio will be pretty much the same as everywhere else in your house. You’d need to do regular cleaning, washing floors, sweeping, sorting out the furniture, etc. Things change a bit with certain features, though. For instance, if you have a fire pit you’d need to regularly clean it out. The same goes for a barbeque area. Just for the sake of it, here’s a list of potential basic maintenance needs for a patio:

• Cleaning
• Weed control
• Sealing
• Checking for cracks and damage
• Repairing loose pavers or tiles
• Furniture care
• Stain removal
• Joint sand replacement
• Moss and algae control
• Drainage check

Common problems to look out for?

Over and above basic maintenance, there are also a few problems that you need to look out for. This includes structural issues that could compromise the patio as a whole and your safety. For issues like this, you’d usually need to consult professionals like Fair Dinkum Builds. There are also other issues that you could probably sort out yourself. Here are some problems to watch out for:

Cracks

Cracks might seem like they aren’t a problem when you first see them, but they are a sign of an underlying problem usually. So whether they’re big or small, you need to deal with cracks ASAP! If left for too long, they can lead to bigger, more costly problems. What’s nice is that when cracks are small, they are generally very easy and cheap to fix. All you need to do is get some polymer-based filler and plug it up.

Sinking

Sinkage is never a good sign on a patio. Patios that use pavers are usually at a higher risk of sinking because of the gaps allowing water through. Sinkage doesn’t only make your patio look bad, but it also can cause other issues, such as drainage or other damage. To repair sinking pavers, pull them out and reveal the surface underneath them with compacted sand.

Then put the paver back and it’ll be sorted for a while. Here’s a tip, if the paver has consistent water pouring directly onto it when it rains, this is probably the main reason for it sinking. So try to sort that issue out as well. This is also something you can sort out yourself.

Fading

Fading is more of an aesthetic issue than a structural issue. Usually, patio paints fade after a while and just need to be reapplied. While some people might not worry about fading too much, there should be a certain level of concern. Paints are usually applied to patios for protection so that the patio lasts longer against the elements. When it fades, this means that the protective coat might not be as reliable or effective anymore. This is an easy fix. Get a new tub of paint and lay another coat on.

Mould

Patios are outside, so they’re bound to develop mould at some stage, especially if you’re in a moist climate. Mould is usually easy to clean. There are several mould cleaners on the market, and all it requires is a sponge, brush, and the mould cleaner to get rid of it. Cleaning your patio well regularly is also a good preventative measure for mould too.

Warping

Warping usually happens with materials that are porous, like wood or other composite materials. Generally, this is a result of trapped moisture in the material that causes it to warp and distort in shape. This is a sign that the material’s protective coating might have worn off or wasn’t applied correctly. Depending on the extent of the warp, you could probably live with it a little longer, but it will warp to the point where it needs to be replaced.

Other visual signs of damage

Lastly, keep an eye out for any other visual signs of damage, whether it be chips or deterioration of any part of your patio. Always aim to get a jump on small problems before they turn into bigger ones.

Final Thoughts

Nothing lasts forever, no matter how much we want it to. The sooner you address maintenance issues, the better. Small problems always tend to grow into bigger ones. We hope these common issues have given you some things to look for when doing maintenance on your patio. Enjoy!

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