Artificial grass and patios go together like bread and butter. They compliment each other wonderfully and are great if you want a garden that can be used for playing, entertaining or just a place to sit back and relax without too much hassle!

If you’re planning on updating your garden and are thinking about artificial grass, you might want to know how it fits next to your paving or patio. There’s plenty of inspiration to be had in the first in our Love the Look: Artificial Grass and Patios series where there is advice on how to choose the right stones for you. In this entry we give you some simple advice about keeping your patios looking clean.

Pros of Artificial Grass and Patio

  • Neat lines throughout the year
  • No chance of damaging stone with a lawnmower
  • Opportunity for interesting designs
  • No tricky stepping stones to cut around

Top Tips on keeping your Patio Clean

Like a fake lawn, most of the time all you need to clean is a patio is a stiff brush and a hose down! Sweeping away leaves discourages weed growth and also limits colour from the leaves bleeding into the stone, whilst a bit of water will help take off any general dirt that might accumulate. As with artificial grass it doesn’t have to be every day, but a giving it a regular brush will help prolong the life of the product.

Using a Pressure washer

Using a pressure washer has become one of the most convenient ways to clean a patio, but there are a few things to remember:

  • Always test on a small area first
  • Use a fan rather than jet shape and spray at 45° angle to ensure even washing.
  • Remember that excessive washing on block paving can wash out the material between the joints, so bare in mind that you may not re-sand or fill in the future.

Knowing your Sealants

There are two type of sealants for use on patio and paving:

  • Coatings – form a film on top of the paving
  • Impregnators actually penetrate the stone (and generally have a longer life)

Sealants are good if you want to preserve the distinct natural colouring of the stone or would like to limit the amount of weathering. Stones with a sealant have a distinct ‘wet look’ that is not to everyone’s taste, and usually requires annual reapplication but can give your stones a longer life overall. Unfortunately it does not mean you can get out of cleaning though!

Getting rid of weeds

Most common weeds to affect patios are dandelions and creeping buttercup. A good way to cut them back is to use narrow weeding tools to dig in between the gaps. It can be quite a mission to get the stubborn weeds so try not to let them grow too tall else you may end up damaging your stones.

  • Weedkillers are commonly available in garden centres. The best method is to do a campaign of sprays, as it weakens the whole plant down to the root and makes it much easier to get rid of. Be careful if you have a natural lawn as some weedkillers are particularly strong and if you spray a little to wildly you may find your grass dying!
  • Boiling hot water is an old method,  but make sure you’re careful if you try it as you don’t want any splash back. Cut back the plants as far as you can, and repeatedly pour boiling water to kill the root.

Here are some examples:

If you think artificial grass might be exactly the thing for you then why not request some free samples?