With the worst of the winter behind us, it will soon be time to think about spring cleaning. But all too often the focus lies on addressing the interior of our homes, and not the exterior. Yet when the latter is exposed to the elements and harsh weather that winter brings, it makes much more sense to spend some time working on outdoor maintenance. After all, the walls, windows and doors are the first thing that visitors see when they arrive at your home.
Natural stone cleaning is an essential task to put on the to-do list after winter, and this helpful introduction should guide you through the process.
Brushing Natural Stone
During winter, a combination of wet weather and little sunlight create the perfect conditions for algae and moss to form. In the space of a few months, this can quickly spread across natural stone outdoors, such as your patio, borders of your property, or the walls of your house. This can detract from the natural beauty of your stonework, not to mention the danger of slipping it causes on patios.
Seize the opportunity on a sunny spring day to get outside with a hard brush and give your natural stone a scrub. Much of this growth will come away when you brush it, and prevent the moss or algae from spreading any further. Get into the habit of giving your stonework a regular scrub and you’ll find it becomes a much easier task than when you try to tackle well-established growth too late.
Professional Natural Stone Cleaning
Moss and algae aren’t the only factors that can impact the appearance and condition of your stonework. As natural stone is often very porous, it can also accumulate dirt and pollution, making it dull over time. Meanwhile, when moisture is soaked into stone and freezes during winter, it has the potential to cause structural damage. However a specialist stone cleaner can tackle all of the above, with natural stone cleaning and restoration services.
With spring all about arrived, now is the perfect time to have your stonework professionally cleaned. As the temperatures rise again, your walls and patios are unlikely to be subject to any more frost and snow for the year ahead. And the warmer, sunnier weather should help your stonework breathe once it’s restored to its former glory.
A specialist stone cleaning company will treat the natural stone with the appropriate cleaning methods and chemicals, to restore your property’s exterior to an excellent condition. If necessary, they will also coat it with a protective layer to prevent future damage and staining such as pollution.
We spend so much of our time in the spring and summer outside attending to the garden and exterior, but all too often homeowners neglect to look after their stonework. Invest in professional stone cleaning this year and notice the difference, with impressive results that will definitely boost your kerb appeal and safeguard the structure of your valued property.
This article is written by Kelly Gilmour Grassam, a freelance copywriter from Yorkshire. You can follow her on Twitter at @KellygGrassam. This article has been written with helpful information from Henley Stone.