Spring Cleaning Tips for Exterior Hard Surfaces
- May 8, 2015
- Category: Concrete, Hard Surface Maintenance, Natural Stone
The winter months can be hard on all of us in Northeastern Ohio. What you may not realize is that it can be equally hard on the concrete, stone and brick surfaces outside your home. The winter weather exposes the outside surfaces to cold temperatures, freeze/thaw cycles and salt. Many of these factors can create irreversible damage. Many times, cleaning and sealing can help prevent permanent damage down the line and prolong the stone for years to come.
Areas that should be cleaned
- Concrete Driveways
- Stamped concrete patios
- Pool areas
- Teak furniture
- Sandstone/limestone building facades, patios
- Granite areas
- Flamed granite walkways
- Concrete turnarounds
How to best clean these areas
Using a heated and pressurized cleaning system is the best way to clean natural stone surfaces. You also want to make sure that you are using the correct type of cleaner. Do research beforehand to ensure that you are using the right cleaner for the type of stone. There are thousands of cleaners out there so be careful. You also want to seal stone with the proper type of sealer. The two most often used sealers are an acrylic topical sealer and a water-based impregnating sealer. Sealing stone with proper type of sealer can help protect it. Use silicone caulk sealant on any stone surfaces that have joints or cracks. We carry a wide variety of DuPont StoneTech products so ask us which products will work best for you.
Benefits of cleaning your natural stone areas
The more often your surfaces are cleaned, the easier they will be to clean in the future. Maintaining regular maintenance of your natural stone surfaces can also help protect it from the Cleveland winter climate. The freezing/thawing cycles that are prevalent in winter can cause damage if not properly sealed. Joints or cracks should also be filled in to prevent waterlog. Maintaining these areas can reduce damage and can eliminate very costly repairs.
How we can help
- Driveway cleaning and sealing
- Exterior silicone caulk sealing
- Exterior sandstone/limestone cleaning and sealing
- Stamped concrete patio maintenance (Cleaning, dying & sealing)
- Polymeric sand installation
- Grout/mortar replacement
GK’s Custom Polishing is the premier natural stone maintenance and hard surface care company in the Greater Cleveland Area. We service Cleveland, Akron, Toledo, Columbus and all surrounding areas so do not hesitate to set up an assessment. For more information, give us a call at (440) 937-4457 or email us at sales@gkspolishing.com.