While maintenance might feel like an unnecessary chore, it’s vital for everything. Caring for something and looking after it means it lasts much longer and stays in the best condition possible. The result is better well-being and an improved return on your financial investment.
These statements apply to almost any material possession, including your resin patio. With an occasional five-minute sweep and seasonal hose/jet wash session, it’ll remain in peak condition for decades.
On the flip side, avoiding maintenance could lead to the pores clogging, causing puddling and flooding. The vibrant colours (if applicable) will begin to fade. The grit will lose effectiveness as dirt and debris build up around, presenting a potential slip hazard.
This blog explains why you should take the time to maintain your resin patio and what needs to be done throughout the year.
Sweeping your resin patio with a stiff-bristled broom
A stiff-bristled garden broom (available from any garden centre or hardware shop) is the best friend of any patio owner (resin or not).
We suggest sweeping your resin patio every month or at least as often as possible. Try making it part of your weekly routine, something to do alongside mowing the lawn or watering the plants. This is the best way to make it feel less of a chore.
The aim here is to remove all the dirt and debris from the resin surface. Fine dust and dirt from your garden and the surrounding area settle onto the resin. Without sweeping, the pores clog and prevent your patio from draining. Over time, you’ll also see buildup around the grit, making it less effective.
While sweeping your patio at any time of the year is important, the most crucial time is after the leaves have all fallen in autumn. If they aren’t swept up, they’ll make the surface incredibly slippery in winter and begin rotting, staining and discolouring the resin.
Hose everything down every now and then
If you have time, use a hose to wash your patio down after every time you sweep. The hose (under the standard ‘shower’ setting – not any high-pressure options) helps remove those fine particles, washing them away down a drain or into your garden.
Of course, a hose doesn’t help remove larger pieces of debris like leaves.
The primary benefit of regularly using a hose on your resin patio is that it makes your annual or bi-annual jet wash session much more straightforward. It also keeps the surface looking newer and fresher for longer.
Jet wash your resin patio twice per year
Use a jet wash twice per year to remove any deeply embedded dirt, debris and surface stains. A simple 30-minute job will often be enough to clean your patio off and restore its former shine.
The best times for this are just after winter (to remove any salt you may have scattered) and just after summer, when a patio is likely to be most used. If spring or autumn brings excessive amounts of mud across your resin surface, you may need to bring out the jet wash again.
Select a relatively low-pressure setting on your jet wash. This will prevent any damage to the resin-bound surface.
Clean up spills and anything that might stain the resin
We’ve already mentioned leaves. When these pile up and begin rotting (composting), they stain the resin. But there are other things to watch out for here, too.
If something is left in place on your patio for some time, moss, algae, and other such things grow underneath it. For example, if your children have a sandpit, remember to move it during the jet wash process. The longer it’s left, the more difficult the discolouration will be to address.
We’ve seen a few other things temporarily stain a resin patio. These include charcoal from BBQs; oil, grease and tyre marks from garden equipment; tea and coffee spills; and paint and wax from any work you might be doing outside.
In short, whenever you drop anything, find the best way to clean it up as soon as possible. This will keep your resin patio looking brilliant and new.
Contact Buffalo Driveways to learn more about resin patios!
Based in Derbyshire, Buffalo Driveways has over 500 happy customers and testimonials. Our in-house staff begin every job with a site survey so you know exactly what’s going to happen and what needs to be done in advance.
It’s best to dig up the entire driveway and sub-base, beginning from scratch. This provides reassurance that the sub-base itself is level and stable. The resin-bound mixture is then mixed on-site and poured directly onto the concrete.
We offer a ten-year guarantee when we work this way, alongside a five-year warranty for overlay jobs.
For more information on maintaining your resin patio or requesting an installation, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our friendly team is always delighted to offer a helping hand.