Why do I need to maintain my outdoor limestone paving?

Creating a versatile outdoor space with Stamford Stone paving stone holds many benefits. Our outdoor limestone paving slabs are resilient to the weather, aesthetically pleasing, easily blend into many garden and home settings and add sophistication to your outdoor space. By creating a natural stone patio, you extend your living space into a garden and create a convenient space for relaxing and entertaining outdoors. 

In order to keep your patio durable and looking its best, you’ll need to take the time to maintain it, especially in the harsher winter conditions. Whether you renovated your garden with a modern patio last summer or made the most of a dry spell over the Christmas break to some slabs, maintaining your outdoor limestone paving should be a priority throughout every season. Luckily, keeping your patio winterproof only takes a few quick and simple steps. 

Read on for some tips on how to winterproof your outdoor limestone paving stones and maintain an outdoor space that you can enjoy all year long.

Regularly sweep your patio

Sweeping your patio weekly prevents algae, mould and fungi from forming on the surface of the paving stones. The damp conditions throughout winter can cause further problems when spring arrives and the warmer conditions encourage growth.

It’s essential to prevent a prolonged build-up of water from rainfall on your patio in the winter months, as when water freezes, it expands and can cause cracks in the stone.

Pressure wash to remove dirt

Pressure washing will ensure that even the smallest pieces of debris are washed away. Just be sure to keep the nozzle of your pressure washer approximately a foot away from the surface of your patio to prevent damage to the natural stone surface.

Re-seal your outdoor limestone paving stones

We recommended re-sealing your patio every couple of years to keep it durable.

After pressure washing, your patio will need to dry for at least one day before applying a sealing treatment. Once properly dried, apply a fertilised sealer as this will help to protect your outdoor limestone paving against staining, erosion and chipping as a result of harsh weather conditions, but is not a completely preventative measure.

Take extra care with your driveway

If you use outdoor limestone paving for a driveway, you’ll need to apply special treatments to the areas where vehicles are likely to be stored for long periods of time over winter.

Oil stains can be particularly tricky to remove and the products can often be quite stripping on natural stone, so the best course of action is always to treat your driveway preventatively with a sealer. A sealer can give your stone slabs a beautiful finish and offers protection from oil, water and grease staining.

Be particularly mindful in the winter months

With the colder conditions comes more extreme weather like snow and ice as a result. Whilst rock salt might be ideal for keeping frost at bay, it can have a corrosive effect on natural stone and may degrade the mortar fixing your outdoor limestone paving slabs in place when mixed with water. It’s best to stick with a non-corrosive alternative like calcium chloride or sand.

When clearing your driveway and patio, use a plastic or rubber-headed shovel over a metal one as this decreases the chances of scratching or chipping your outdoor limestone paving.

Choose a premium-quality patio solution

Our entire natural stone pavers range is naturally weather-resistant, durable and ages seamlessly over time, adding character to your garden for many years to come with simple maintenance. 

The incredibly durable nature of outdoor limestone paving makes it a valuable investment for busy homes with heavy footfall. Explore our products below.

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