Walkways are great additions to homes when linking different areas and providing a clear passage leading to your house’s entrance. They allow people to identify the various corners of outdoor space.
For homes with large lawns, adding walkways makes it easier for landscapers to design the compound, offering guests a beautiful view of the space. Further, walkways make outdoor spaces appear clear and organized.
But to enjoy the aesthetics that walkways add to your home, you need to keep them clean. Although cleaning walkways isn’t complicated, there are several ways to do so efficiently. Below are five ways to clean your walkways and keep them clean in any season:
1. Pressure Washing
An efficient way to keep your walkways clean during any season is pressure washing them. Leaving debris and dirt on walkways can damage the surface over time, causing it to crack or break down, based on the kind of debris and the amount of dirt covering it.
If you decide to do it yourself, it’s best to use a pressure washer with a psi of 3,000 to remove the dirt on your walkways. But if you think this task is stressful or you don’t have the time to do so, you can choose to hire a pressure washing company in Metairie, LA, to clean your walkway efficiently for you. Such companies have trained staff to do the cleaning in your walkways. They also have the proper cleaning solutions and equipment to ensure optimum results.
2. Blow Or Sweep Loose Debris
Another efficient way to keep your walkways clean in any season is to blow or lose debris like leaves. You can keep the walkways clean during autumn by using a leaf blower to blow leaves.
If you don’t have a leaf blower, you can use a broom to remove cobwebs or leaves from the sidewalks. Blowing or sweeping loose debris is a simple way to clean your paved paths after mowing the lawn.
3. Drain Water From Walkway Surfaces
To keep your walkways clean and in good condition through the seasons, you need to ensure that water drains from their surfaces well. Stagnant water can cause paving materials to crack easily.
It can happen fast if your downspouts direct water to the pavements or low spots are present on your driveway. Keep water from your walkway surfaces by adjusting downspouts and gutters to drain water in a different direction to keep it away from the walkways.
Further, ensure that your walkways allow water to drain off the surface. It keeps the walkway clean and prevents water from seeping into the paving material.
4. Remove Walkway Stains
Another way to keep your walkways clean is to remove any stains from the surface. Walkway stains give them unsightly appearances, which ruin their curb appeal. Some can erode walkway paving materials or cause them to break down, creating cracks and potholes.
Removing stains immediately when they occur is critical to maintaining walkways and keeping them clean throughout the season. If there are spills on your walkways, soaking them up with soap and water can remove them with ease.
5. Maintain Walkway Edges
If left unattended, grass and other weeds can grow on walkway edges, so you need to cut and remove them regularly. Maintaining the grass around walkway edges can keep them looking clean and pristine. The most effective way to remove weeds and grass from walkways is to pull them off the stone edging or pavers.
6. Seal Cracks Regularly
The other efficient way to keep walkways clean and in good shape through the seasons is to ensure that any cracks on the surface are repaired regularly. Walkways can crack or chip off depending on the material used.
Sealing the cracks allows you to add a protective layer to the surface. It prevents it from breaking down and becoming an eyesore.
Sealing cracks regularly also allows water to drain off well, makes it easier to clean walkways, and extends its lifespan. It also protects it against harsh weather elements like snow that can accelerate damage.
If your walkways have small indentations and chips, consider repairing them to keep dirt and debris from causing further damage. You can use caulk to fix these, so they’re easy to clean.
Final Thoughts
Walkways are an integral part of landscaping homes. They make exterior spaces accessible while adding to the organization and aesthetics of a home’s external areas. As part of the home, you should maintain your walkways to keep them from breaking down.
The simplest way to maintain them is by cleaning them regularly. You can keep your walkways clean in any season by applying the six efficient methods discussed above.
